Chief Executive Officer Selection Panel
Section 98 of the Local Government Act 1999 requires Council to appoint a selection panel to assess applications for the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), recommend any readvertising or further steps (if required), and make a recommendation to Council on the CEO appointment.
Council must either appoint at least one person who is not a Council member or employee to the selection panel and/or obtain and consider advice from a suitably qualified independent person on the assessment of applications and recommendations before making the CEO appointment.
At the Special Council Meeting on 30 April 2026, Council established the Chief Executive Officer Selection Panel, following the resignation of Victoria MacKirdy. The Chief Executive Officer Selection Panel consists of the following members:
- Mayor Moira Jenkins
- Cr Angela Schiller
- Cr Brayden Mann
- Cr Michael Quinton
- Cr David Kemp
- Michael Richardson – CEO Selection Panel Independent Member / Chair of the City of Victor Harbor's Audit and Risk Committee
At the Ordinary Council meeting held 27 July 2026 Council received and noted the resignation of Cr Michael Quinton from the Chief Executive Officer Selection Panel, noting that the Selection Panel retains sufficient membership to continue progressing the CEO recruitment process in accordance with its Terms of Reference.
View the Chief Executive Officer Selection Panel Terms of Reference
Chief Executive Officer Recruitment Process
The recruitment and appointment of a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of Section 98 of the Local Government Act 1999 and follows a structured, transparent process overseen by Council.
The process commences with Council formally accepting the resignation of the outgoing CEO and establishing a CEO Selection Panel, including an independent member, to oversee the recruitment. Council also adopts Terms of Reference for the Panel to define its role and governance arrangements. The Panel then undertakes a procurement process to engage an independent recruitment consultant, with a preferred consultant recommended to and formally appointed by Council.
Once appointed, the recruitment consultant manages a comprehensive external recruitment process, including advertising the role and assessing applications. Suitable candidates are shortlisted and interviewed by the Selection Panel, with support from the consultant, before preferred candidates are presented to Council.
The process concludes with Council selecting and formally appointing the successful candidate as Chief Executive Officer.