Northland Regional Council appoints new CEO after year-long search

Northland Regional Council chief executive designate Jonathan Gibbard

Northland Regional Council is appointing senior manager Jonathan Gibbard as its new chief executive - tumuaki.

Gibbard is currently NRC's group manager of environmental services and will start in his new role on October 1. His appointment was announced on Wednesday and is for a five-year term.

He will lead 294 staff, a planned $28.9 million capital, and $67.3 million operational budget for the 2022/2023 financial year.

The 42-year-old Tūtūkākā resident was chosen from a shortlist of four applicants after a year-long search.

He has worked at NRC for three stints - first as a coastal policy analyst from 2002 to 2005 before returning in 2007 as a senior coastal policy analyst; and again in 2015 as its group manager - strategy, governance and engagement.

Gibbard assumed his current role as group manager - environmental services in July 2020.

NRC chairwoman Penny Smart said Gibbard's appointment followed an exhaustive search.

"We were very pleased with the calibre of applicants for the chief executive - tumuaki role and Mr Gibbard stood out in terms of his in-depth knowledge of regional council work and his proven ability to lead in transformational change," Smart said.

Current chief executive Malcolm Nicolson will finish with the council at the end of September. Nicolson has been at the council's helm since early 2012.

Gibbard's appointment is part of the seismic change facing Northland local government leadership this year. He is one of three new Northland council chief executives taking the management helm between March and October.

NRC manages Northland's air, land, freshwater and coastal resources. It also coordinates civil defence, transport and economic development.

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