Council boss role made permanent

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Northern Outlook

By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter

Jeff Millward is ‘‘pretty rapt’’ to make the chief executive role permanent.

Millward has been the Waimakariri District Council’s acting chief executive for the past 10 months and has been confirmed as the new boss.

‘‘The last 10 months have given me a really good insight into the role,’’ he said.

‘‘I’ve acted in the past, so I put my hand up this time and went for it.’’

He said the last 10 months had been a challenging time with Covid, high inflation and staff recruitment challenges.

Millward now has one major appointment to make - finding a new finance and business support manager, a role he has filled for 14 years.
He has been with the council for 38 years.

‘‘It is really good to represent the community and the council I have worked for, for the last 38 years.’’

Mayor Dan Gordon said Millward stood out among ‘‘a range of exceptional applicants’’.

‘‘Jeff stood out as someone who is diligent, strategic, focused and has a strong and genuine connection to the district, its people, and our council. Jeff was the unanimous choice.

‘‘He believes in creating a strong team and working collaboratively on the problems facing the district and sector.’’

‘‘While he has been renowned for his financial management, more recently we have seen him demonstrate the breadth of his skillset as a leader.’’