MEDIA RELEASE Published on 08 April 2024
Mr Sam Johnson OAM has today been named as the City of Launceston’s new Chief Executive Officer and is expected to take up the role in July.
Mr Sam Johnson OAM has today been named as the City of Launceston’s new Chief Executive Officer and is expected to take up the role in July.
City of Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood said he was pleased to announce the appointment after an extensive national and international recruitment process conducted over the past four months.
"I'm excited to announce the appointment of Sam as our new Chief Executive Officer," Mayor Garwood said.
"We attracted a very large field of close to 40 high-quality candidates but despite tough competition Sam impressed the Councillor team with his visionary and high-energy approach, along with his obvious passion and drive for the Launceston community.
"Sam has multi sector experience, having worked earlier in his career in senior roles with ANZ along with five years as a very young Mayor at Port Augusta City Council.
"He is the outgoing CEO at the District Council of Mount Remarkable in South Australia, a role he's held since 2020.
"Sam was awarded an OAM for services to the Local Government sector in 2021.
"Sam will be moving from South Australia in the coming months with his wife and three young boys, who are very excited to move to Launceston.
Sam had this message for the Launceston community and staff of the City Council:
"What a wonderful opportunity the City of Launceston has offered me — to be your new Council CEO in one of the most beautiful, diverse and fastest growing cities in Tasmania!
"I am particularly looking forward to building new relationships with the wonderful staff and community members alike. I want to ensure that our teams have the resources to do their job effectively and to
support their professional goals, aspirations, and growth whilst working towards providing the very best service levels to the community.
"In this role, I will get out and about in order to meet as many community organisations and members as I can, as well as advocating strongly for the City and region into the future.
"I will be eager to hear where the community think that we can improve our services and processes. They can be assured I will identify priorities and act upon these in order to build an agile organisation for our community as it grows and shifts into the future in partnership with our dedicated Mayor and Councillor team.
"On a personal level, I am really looking forward to both working and living in this special place with my family and joining such a vibrant and incredible community."
IN THE EXAMINER
'Somewhere that's going places': New council CEO says bright days ahead .... By Joe Colbrook
Updated April 8 2024 - 4:37pm, first published 4:00pm
Former Port Augusta mayor Sam Johnson OAM has been named as the new CEO at the City of Launceston council. Picture by Craig George
After a globe-spanning search, the City of Launceston council has named a successor to its former chief executive officer Michael Stretton.
Sam Johnson OAM will step into the high-level role at the council in July, with a career in local government spanning more than a decade.
Video news highlights from The Examiner.
Mr Johnson said he had noticed a "happy, positive, vibrant" energy to Launceston, something he felt he could match from day one.
"There's no secret that I am rather energetic as a human being in my personal life and my professional life," he said.
"I like to be where I can add value and actually get things done and Launceston certainly stood out to me as somewhere that's going places.
"I'd love to be part of that journey, and help lead part of that journey for both the organization and the community, as well as supporting the mayor and the elected members to make it happen."
Mayor Matthew Garwood said nearly 40 people had applied for the position, however Mr Johnson had a certain quality to him that put him head and shoulders above the rest - with councillors unanimously endorsing his appointment.
The mayor said the city was at a "teetering point", with several large-scale projects in the works, and Mr Johnson's appointment would bring the city to its "next best self".
"Something that stood out with Sam in particular was the way in which he will resonate with our Launceston community," Cr Garwood said.
"It's the way that his energy will feed into the energy, the want and the need for outcomes, for proactiveness around a council that, as all local governments are, is being stretched further than it's ever been stretched before.
"The gaps in governance are becoming wider and wider."
Incoming City of Launceston council CEO Sam Johnson and mayor Matthew Garwood at Civic Square. Picture by Craig George
Mr Johnson has had a long career on both sides of local government, and previously worked in finance.
He was elected to the City of Port Augusta council in 2010, and was elected mayor in 2013 after the death of his predecessor.
He had an unsuccessful tilt at the South Australian Legislative Council in 2018, contesting the election on behalf of former Senator Nick Xenophon's SA-Best party.
Although the party won two upper house seats that election, Mr Johnson was third on the ticket and missed out.
He then lost his mayoral seat at the 2018 local government elections by a slim margin.
He was appointed chief executive officer at the District Council of Mount Remarkable in 2020, and in 2021 he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the local government sector.
Mr Johnson said this experience as elected representative and administrator gave him a solid foundation to work from, and he would not necessarily be a "traditional public servant".
"It helps me to understand elected members," he said.
"Where they're sitting within the chamber, their decision-making process and maybe some of the information they feel they might need."
He said he would offer nothing but "frank and fearless advice" to councillors, and he felt his role was to help the elected representatives achieve what they believed the public had elected them to do.
This included - once he had found his feet - further fleshing out the council's priorities and strategic direction for the future.
"I fully respect and appreciate that the chamber needs to set its strategy and its strategic direction," Mr Johnson said.
"There's some great work we can do in the immediate future around really cementing in what that strategic direction would look like for Launceston moving forward.
IN THE MERCURY
Launceston Council announces former Port Augusta mayor Sam Johnson as new chief executive
The Northern council has picked their man to replace Michael Stretton, who left to take up the top job at the City of Hobart Council in February. Meet Sam Johnson.
Molly Appleton April 9, 2024 - 8:21AM
Former Port Augusta mayor Sam Johnson is Launceston council’s new chief executive officer. Picture: Dylan Coker
Former mayor of Port Augusta City Council Sam Johnson has been appointed as Launceston council’s new chief executive.
He will fill the shoes of Michael Stretton who left the Northern council in February to take up the post of chief executive at the Hobart council.
Launceston mayor Matthew Garwood said the new chief was appointed after an extensive national and international recruitment process conducted over the past four months.
“We attracted a very large field of close to 40 high-quality candidates but despite tough competition Sam impressed the councillor team with his visionary and high-energy approach, along with his obvious passion and drive for the Launceston community,” Mr Garwood said.
“Sam has multi sector experience, having worked earlier in his career in senior roles with ANZ along with five years as a very young Mayor at Port Augusta City Council.”
Mr Johnson is the outgoing CEO at the District Council of Mount Remarkable in South Australia having been in the role since 2020.
He was awarded an OAM for services to the local government sector in 2021.
The new chief will be moving from South Australia in the coming months with his wife and three young boys.
He is expected to take up the new post in July.
Mr Johnson was full of praise for the city of Launceston.
“I am particularly looking forward to building new relationships with the wonderful staff and community members alike,” Mr Johnson said.
“I want to ensure that our teams have the resources to do their job effectively and to support their professional goals, aspirations, and growth whilst working towards providing the very best service levels to the community.
“In this role, I will get out and about in order to meet as many community organisations and members as I can, as well as advocating strongly for the City and region into the future.”
He said he was eager to hear from the community on how to improve services and processes.
“On a personal level, I am really looking forward to both working and living in this special place with my family and joining such a vibrant and incredible community.”
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