LUCY Townsend - a current chief at Wiltshire Council – has been appointed to the £184,000 role of chief executive at the authority.
Currently corporate director – people, she was chosen after a recruitment process which included technical interviews, psychometric assessments, a full-day assessment with a variety of stakeholder panels and final panel interviews.
Subject to formal approval, Lucy will take over as chief executive following the departure of Terence Herbert in August, who leaves the council after 13 years having been successfully appointed as chief executive at Surrey County Council.
The salary range for the chief executive position is between £184,168 and £196,598.
Lucy said: “I am incredibly proud to be appointed as Chief Executive of Wiltshire Council. I am committed and passionate about local government and the vital role it plays and in helping to strengthen and empower our communities.
“I can’t wait to get started, and will lead from the front taking a collaborative approach to help achieve the council’s vision, working side by side with our staff, residents, businesses and communities in a thriving and ambitious county.”
Lucy brings more than 25 years’ local government experience to the role, beginning in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, Swindon Borough Council and North Somerset Council before starting with Wiltshire Council in 2014 as head of safeguarding and assessment. Between September 2017 and March 2020, she was director of families and children’s services, before being appointed to corporate director–people in July 2020.
She also holds the statutory role of director of children’s services.
Terence Herbert will leave the role next month
Lucy holds an MSc Social Work and Social Work Policy, BSc Psychology, has successfully led Children’s Services to achieve an Outstanding Ofsted rating and chairs Integrated Care Partnership, Southwest Association of Directors of Children’s Services and Deputy Chair of the Community Safety Partnership.
Cllr Richard Clewer, leader of the council, said: “Lucy was an outstanding candidate and I’m delighted she has accepted the role of chief executive, following a very robust and competitive process.
“Lucy has a wealth of experience over many years, not only at Wiltshire Council, but across the local government sector and we are confident she will ensure Wiltshire remains one of the most efficient and effective councils in the country.
“Lucy’s qualities, experience and commitment were demonstrated in the council’s children’s services achieving an Outstanding grade by Ofsted last year.
“We look forward to working with her to achieve our collective aims as a council at a crucial and challenging time for local government.”
Why are we paying her so little? She does fat more good than literally saying lives like those £15 per hour doctors