Victoria’s peak local government body has appointed local government professional Rhys Thomas as Head of Local Government Programs & Policy.
Mr Thomas has spent three decades working in local government and has been a senior manager in corporate planning, research, communications and community development.
He has held senior management roles in governance, at the Cities of Darebin, Knox and Yarra for the last 13 years.
VLGA says Mr Thomas is recognised as a leading thinker and problem solver in local government circles.
“He is often called upon to provide advice and to act as a sounding board for colleagues across the sector, and enjoys sharing and applying what he has learned to support councils and councillors to deliver positive outcomes for their local communities through high performance leadership and effective governance” the association said in a social media post.
Mr Thomas said he was looking forward to joining the VLGA team and building on the organisation’s work to lift governance standards.
“I hope to bring my real world experience to bear in further developing practical and implementable support mechanisms to enable councillors to be the best that they can be,” he said.
Mr Thomas takes up the new role on May 8.
Comment below to have your say on this story.
If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@governmentnews.com.au.
Sign up to the Government News newsletter
Congratulations Rhys on your appointment In relation to strengenthing governance arrangements over all of local government in Victoria may I suggest that at the top of the list records and information management be placed at the top of your list and be given the professional recognition it deserves in- not all- but in many instances along with the resources it deserves both in human and financial terms . I say this as information is the currency of the 21st Century and well managed with collaboration between peers and other entities has/will and can provide the standards of governance over all local govt operations and functions they carry out. It just needs the right people to open their minds as to the possibilities