Council appoints interim CEO

Mr Davidson brings decades of local government experience and was appointed following the departure of former CEO Barry Omundson late last year.

Mayor Willcox welcomed the interim CEO and said Mr Davidson would also be assisting with the recruitment of Council’s new CEO.

“Bruce has spent his entire career in local government and his decades of experience will ensure the continuity of Council business and community services,” he said.

Mr Davidson has previously held senior positions as a CEO of a Victorian regional council for 10 years and then 19 years as CEO of Noosa Shire Council. He has also served as national president of the Local Government Managers Association 2006-07.

He “retired” in 2008 when Noosa Shire Council was amalgamated into the mega Sunshine Regional Council with a population of over 350,000.

From 2009 to 2013 Mr Davidson was based in Fiji working initially for AusAID and then the Commonwealth Local Government Forum providing local government management and development services to the nations and local governments in the South Pacific. This included Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tonga and Samoa.

From 2014 to present Mr Davidson has served as the interim CEO to two councils in Victoria and seven Queensland councils

“I am excited to have joined Whitsunday Regional Council in this interim CEO role,” Mr Davidson said.

“The Council is in the process of delivering almost $200 million of capital works over a two year period so it is exciting times for the Whitsunday Region.

“Council will also soon begin drafting the next financial year’s budget so I will be supporting the Mayor, Councillors and senior staff in presenting the 2019-20 annual Council budget in July,” he said.

“I enjoy the variety of these acting CEO roles which vary between four to six months in duration pending the appointment of a new permanent CEO.”