Central Desert Shire Council has a new CEO with the appointment of Cathryn Hutton  to replace Roydon Robertson who retired on 10th August having worked for the Council from its inception in 2008, initially as Director of Corporate Services, and then for the past three years as CEO.

 

The decision to appoint Ms Hutton to the lead role was made at the Council’s August Meeting after a rigorous executive search by the Council’s CEO Selection Panel that included the Shire President, Deputy Shire President and 2 councillors; and 2 independent members with extensive local government industry expertise.

 

Until her appointment, Ms Hutton was the Council’s Deputy CEO and Director of Corporate Services where her major responsibilities included financial management, records management, information technology, governance, human resources management and customer service, as well as generally supporting and deputising for the CEO.

 

She is also a member of several local government industry reference groups including representing LGANT on the NT Local Government Financial Sustainability Reference Group, representing Local Government Managers Australia on the Local Government Reform Steering Committee Asset Management Program, and she is an NT Government appointee on the Rates and Charges Reference Group and the Combined Economic Development Committee.

 

This is Ms Hutton’s first council CEO role in a career that to date has included over 17 years working in executive management positions, the last seven years in local government. Prior to moving to Alice Springs she was Executive Manager at Busselton Shire (now City of Busselton) in Western Australia where her portfolio included finance, information services, records management, customer service, libraries, cemetery management, and corporate relations. Prior to local government she worked in various senior roles in the information technology industry.

 

Ms Hutton holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Science from the University of Western Australia, a Bachelor Arts with a double major in Politics and Statistical Analysis from Curtin University, and a Bachelor Economics from the University of Western Australia.

 

Ms Hutton took up the CEO appointment from 11th August.