Departing Taupō District Council chief executive Gareth Green says he’s excited about the new challenges he’ll be tackling at the helm of the New Plymouth District Council.

Mr Green, who has been with the Taupō District Council for 17 years and its chief executive for six years, takes up the role of New Plymouth District Council chief executive on Monday 27 March. He says that while he’s sad to be leaving Taupō, the time is right for a change.

“I’ve really loved working for Taupō. This is where I grew up, and so it has been amazing being able to contribute and lead the organisation that does so much to shape this place.

“However, I’m ready to do something new. I’ve previously worked for New Plymouth District Council and I’m passionate about that community. There’s some really exciting projects happening there and some challenges we also need to work through and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into those.”

Mr Green says he’s been very proud to have played a part in some “very cool” projects during his time at Taupō District Council. Those include the new Taupō Airport terminal which is almost complete, the Taupō town centre transformation, which will be formally opened in March, keeping council services running through the challenges of Covid-19, and the Mana Whakahono-a-Rohe agreement with Tūrangi-based hapū Ngāti Tūrangitukua.

“However, I’m sad I won’t be here when the council moves into its new civic administration building, and that I’ll miss out on being part of the Ironman World Championships in Taupō in 2024.

“I’ll also miss our council staff here – they really are amazing. But I know that the team at New Plymouth is outstanding and I’m looking forward to being part of it.”

Taupō District Mayor David Trewavas says Mr Green has done a wonderful job in the chief executive’s role.

“Gareth has always genuinely had the best interests of the Taupō District and its people at heart and has delivered an exceptional service to the council and the community,” Mr Trewavas said.

“We are very sorry to see him go but know he will continue to bring the same energy and commitment to his new role at New Plymouth.”

New Plymouth Mayor Neil Holdom says the council is looking forward to welcoming Mr Green, his partner Kylie and their three children to the region.

“We had a very high calibre of applicants for the role of chief executive and Gareth came through with the skills, experience and attitude we were looking for to take New Plymouth District Council to the next level.

“Gareth has strong connections to Taranaki, having lived and worked here early in his career, and understands our vision of a sustainable lifestyle capital,” Mr Holdom says.

“His experience building strong relationships with mana whenua, negotiating for resources with Wellington and building a high-performance team focused on delivery have made a meaningful positive difference for the people of Taupō and we are excited about Gareth bringing those skills to Taranaki.”

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