Interim CEO appointed to Willoughby City Council
Last modified on 29 February 2024
Willoughby City Council has appointed Hugh Phemister as interim CEO.
Mr Phemister was appointed Planning and Infrastructure Director at Willoughby City Council in March 2021. In this role, Hugh has overseen Council’s town planning, engineering design, traffic and transport, waste collection, project delivery, property portfolio and public area maintenance teams.
Hugh has also led the Securing Willoughby’s Future project, which involved extensive consultation with community members about Council’s financial sustainability and service levels.
Prior to joining Council, Hugh has held senior executive roles in the private, not-for-profit and government sectors, with a strong focus on the delivery of social and affordable housing.
Hugh has previously worked as an Executive Director for the NSW Government’s Land and Housing Corporation, where he managed the design and construction of new social housing across NSW.
Willoughby City Mayor Tanya Taylor congratulated Mr Phemister on his appointment.
“By announcing Mr Phemister as the interim CEO, Council is making an internal appointment which provides certainty and continuity for all staff and Councillors. It also provides stability for ongoing projects and activities,” Mayor Taylor said.
“Hugh is an experienced government senior executive with many years of strong and effective community service, and therefore is a very suitable choice for the interim CEO position.”
Mr Phemister steps into the role of interim CEO from Monday 4 March, following the retirement of long-serving CEO Debra Just, which was announced earlier this month.
Mayor Taylor thanked Ms Just for her outstanding service to Council and the community over the past nine years.
“Debra’s outstanding leadership set our council up for success, transforming our large council into a customer focused organisation, an industry leader, and an employer of choice,” Mayor Taylor said.
“She worked tirelessly to guide change within the organisation and safely steered our council and our customers through some truly challenging years, helping them through floods, fires, potential amalgamations and the pandemic.
“Ms Just built a positive culture within the organisation and gained the respect and admiration of her staff and peers.
“I have personally valued Debra’s leadership, strategic approach and that she does not shy away from the complex and challenging. We thank Debra for the impact she has made on our Council and community and wish her well in her retirement.”
Council has now established a recruitment and selection panel in accordance with the Office of Local Government’s Guidelines for the Appointment and Oversight of General Managers. An external agency will be appointed to undertake the recruitment process for a permanent CEO for Council.