Shire of Denmark appoints acting chief executive

David Schober has been appointed the Shire of Denmark’s acting chief executive and will start in the role at the end of September.

The news comes in the wake of the Shire’s current chief executive Bill Parker announcing his resignation last month, after accepting a new role as the City of Perth corporate services alliance general manager.

Mr Schober, who currently work as the Shire’s community services manager, was picked because of his wealth of experience across various industries in the region.

He previously held the community services manager position at the City of Albany and served as the Great Southern regional manager of St John Ambulance from 2011 to 2016.

Mr Schober said he was confident about tackling the challenges ahead.

“I look forward to carrying on the work of implementing a strong strategic framework and upholding the values of the organisation, staff and this unique community,” he said

Shire President Cr Ceinwen Gearon said the decision to appoint an interim acting chief executive was influenced by a number of factors including the 2019 local government elections.

“Council felt that it would be unfair for an outgoing council to appoint a permanent CEO. For the position to be successful, the group felt the new council should have ownership over the CEO recruitment and appointment process,” she said.

Cr Gearon said Mr Schober was an excellent choice for the continuation of the Shire’s strong workplace culture