Council appoints Adrian Butler as Federation Council General Manager
Published on 06 June 2018
Federation Council has today appointed Adrian Butler to the position of General Manager on a 4-year contract, following an extensive recruitment process.
Mayor Pat Bourke announced that the recruitment process to appoint the Council’s highest senior staff position has concluded, following the decision of Council to offer Adrian Butler the position of General Manager at an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday, and the acceptance of that offer by Mr Butler today.
“I am pleased to announce that after an extensive recruitment process, Council has made the decision to appoint Adrian Butler to the position of General Manager of Federation Council,” Mayor Bourke said.
“With the assistance of the appointed recruitment agency, all Councillors assessed the applications and first-round interviews were held on May 22. Shortlisted candidates then made presentations to Council in interviews held on Tuesday afternoon. A preferred candidate was then endorsed following the interviews, at the Extraordinary Council meeting later on Tuesday afternoon. Council looks forward to working with Adrian to continue to progress Federation Council and its communities.”
Mr Butler, the current Acting General Manager of Federation Council, said he felt honoured to be offered the permanent role.
“I consider it a great privilege to be entrusted with the position of General Manager of Federation Council,” he said. “Council and staff are working together diligently with the community to deliver so many community projects and essential services. For me to be able to continue to work and lead the staff of this hardworking and dedicated entity is exciting. My short-term priority as General Manager will be to work closely with the Council and the community that I serve and lead the staff by providing direction and stability to enable them to deliver on the current work. My longer-term vision is to ensure the community continues to trust and respect the work of the Council, to work with many to deliver on commitments, and to continue to develop and implement strategies that ensure a strong, responsive and sustainable Council business. I believe this will be delivered professionally, efficiently and passionately.”
Mr Butler, who is 43, resides in Urana with his wife Rebecca and four young children. They have lived in the area since early 2013, where Mr Butler held the position of General Manager at Urana Shire Council until the merger of the former Urana and Corowa Shires in May 2016. Mr Butler is originally from the Balranald area, and has an extensive career in Local Government spanning over 21 years.
He commenced his Local Government career as an outdoor staff member at Balranald Shire Council, in 1997, progressing through senior roles at Balranald, Bourke, Lachlan, Urana and Federation Councils over this time, including most recently at Wagga Wagga City Council, before his appointment in the Acting General Manager role at Federation in December 2017. Mr Butler has tertiary qualifications in Environmental Health, Building Surveying, Planning, and is currently completing a Master of Business Administration.
Local Government NSW Management Solutions coordinated an extensive merit-based recruitment process, including nation-wide advertising that resulted in a high number of applications for the senior staff position.