A man who has been helping to manage some of the most rapidly developing cities in the world has been appointed the new General Manager of Cabonne Council.
Mayor Bob Dowling today announced Andrew Hopkins as the succesor to Graeme Fleming who will retire in August after 25 years in the top job.
Mr Hopkins is currently employed by AECOM, the world’s largest engineering company, as its Regional Director, Urban Planning/Master planning, Economics and Governance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
After growing up on a farm outside the Queensland city of Toowoomba, Mr Hopkins is excited about the opportunity to bring his young family back to rural Australia.
“I am looking forward to working with Council to lead the delivery of local government service to the community and to work with the community to continue to promote a sustainable and prosperous future for the Shire,” he said.
Cr Dowling said the Council was excited about the contribution Mr Hopkins will make to Cabonne’s future.
“I know Andrew is very much looking forward to his new position and he and his wife and three young children are keen to move to the area,” Cr Dowling said.
Appointed after an extensive recruitment and selection process that attracted applicants from around Australia and overseas, Mr Hopkins comes to Cabonne with extensive experience in Local Government and the private sector, both in Australia and internationally.
He has skills in planning, finance, governance, project management, town planning, property development and asset management.
Mr Hopkins has worked in Local Government in Queensland as well as working for the Queensland Department of Local Government and Planning.
For the past few years, he has been working in Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia in the management of cities and towns and establishing systems of Local Governance.
Mr Hopkins has tertiary qualifications in regional development and regional and town planning.
He will attend Council’s Ordinary Meeting on 16 July 2012 before taking up duties with the Council a fortnight later.