The Buller District Council has announced the appointment of Steve Gibling (pictured) as interim Chief Executive Officer.
Council has been without a permanent CEO since the departure of Sharon Mason from the role in December 2022.
“We have been very lucky to have the depth within our existing staff to provide cover whilst we took our time as a council to find a more permanent solution,” says Mayor, Jamie Cleine.
“I want to personally acknowledge the efforts of previous acting chief executive officer Rachel Townrow and more recently Sean Judd for stepping up and leading the organisation for as long as we needed.”
The Mayor said Council received applications from a number of high-quality professionals throughout the recruitment process.
“Steve has a broad range of relevant experience and will be a strong team player, communicator and able to lead across a range of Council portfolios. We have a really committed and skilled senior leadership team and I think Steve will be a great fit to lead the organisation.”
Mr Gibling has 25 years’ experience in local government, not-for-profit and tertiary sectors in a variety of leadership and management roles. He is currently the group manager, leisure and recreation at Invercargill City Council and will start at Buller District Council as interim chief executive officer on the 21 August for a one-year term.
“This role represents a really exciting challenge for me. Council has a strong reputation and a great team, but there are some gnarly issues we will have to address as a community,” said Mr Gibling.
“I am looking forward to joining next month and getting out amongst the team and the wider community to explore this amazing part of our country,” he said.
