Council CEO gets three year contract renewal
DOUGLAS SHIRE
LINDA Cardew, Chief Executive Officer of the Douglas Shire, has received a contract extension.?
Cardew, who joined the new Council in March 2014 just two months after its official formation, has overseen a smooth transition since de-amalgamation.
Mayor Julia Leu and her fellow councillors unanimously endorsed Cardew’s contract renewal – which will run until October 2020 - following a recent performance review conducted by the Local Government Association of Queensland.“The role of CEO in local government is a huge juggling act that requires incredible foresight, planning, negotiation and strong principles, and we’re very lucky that in Linda we have someone extremely capable in all of these areas,” Leu said.
“But just as importantly, Linda is very passionate and knowledgeable about the Douglas Shire and the issues we face, she is across all facets of our organisation and is well-respected and admired by our staff.
“The culture she has played a major role in shaping at the new Douglas Shire Council encourages thinking outside the square to get the best outcomes for our communities, creating a family-friendly work environment that provides opportunities for personal development regardless of your role or background.”
?
Some of Council’s achievements implemented under Linda include:??
- a record capital works program?
- securing $42 million in grant funding?
- completing the first two stages of the long talked-about Daintree Gateway project?
- a nursing home for Mossman after 20 years of fighting for one,?
Cardew said she was proud to ‘lead an organisation with so many staff committed to improving their communities.’
“We’ve created a multi-million-dollar business from the ground up and have had to overcome some very complex hurdles to ensure Council complied with the myriad of legislative requirements while forging our own identity since de-amalgamating from Cairns Regional Council,” Ms Cardew said.
“While we are now well on the way to achieving our primary goal of establishing our financial sustainability, I’m very proud that we’ve also been able to deliver on Council’s strategic objectives in regards to furthering economic development initiatives, supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged residents and preserving and enhancing our natural environment.
“I very much look forward to continuing along this path of prosperity under the guidance of Council and with the support of our great team.”
