[ad_1]
He dropped out of college and worked on the Dunedin council roads. Now Sandy Graham ranks highest.
Graham was confirmed as the new CEO of Dunedin City Council on Wednesday afternoon, replacing Dr. Sue Bidrose, who left the position for a job at AgResearch.
That new job comes with an annual salary of $ 402,000, a far cry from when he was making around $ 200 a week.
That was in the mid-1980s, when Graham worked on a council roadworks crew after dropping out of college.
READ MORE:
* National portrait: Sue Bidrose, doing good science for farmers
* Outgoing Dunedin CEO Discusses Vitriol Online
* Places on Dunedin roads to stay, for now
” I broke my mother’s heart [when] I left the first time. ”
Hamish McNeilly / Stuff
Sandy Graham, New Executive Director of Dunedin City Council
As part of that job, Graham, who was the first woman to be named to the role, worked as part of a chip sealing band.
His work also included asphalt, curb and pipe “in the days when concrete was placed by hand.”
But after two years, the appeal of the study led her to return to the University of Otago, where she completed a law degree.
While Graham never practiced, a law degree had been “fabulously useful.”
After working for various government departments in Dunedin, he rejoined the board in 2007 and had worked in a variety of roles including corporate group manager services, general manager strategy and governance, and corporate group manager services.
Most recently, she enjoyed the role of interim CEO and “I liked and was excited to apply for the position.”
Graham said he was aware of the challenges facing the city, but noted that revenues had not been as impacted by Covid-19 as previously thought.
However, impacts on the community, and what was affordable to them, would be at the forefront of the council’s considerations.
And as city councils across the country grappled with the impacts of Covid-19, local government reforms were coming “regardless of what strip of government we have after mid-October.”
Graham was selected as the council’s new CEO from 51 candidates from across New Zealand and abroad.
Mayor Aaron Hawkins said that Graham was the outstanding candidate in a high-caliber field, and her track record of performance and dedication meant the city could trust her leadership.
“During my seven years on the Dunedin City Council, I have watched Ms. Graham grow as a leader within this organization. I have no doubt that she will do a fantastic job in her new role. “
