Armidale Regional Council General Manager, James Roncon has today advised Mayor, Sam Coupland, that he will not be seeking a fifth year of his contract.
Mr Roncon is set to resign on 10 January 2025 when his current contract ends.
“This has been a difficult and emotional decision to arrive at but one I believe to be in the best interests of ARC and the region,” said Mr Roncon.
“With a new Council having been sworn in on 9 October 2024 it is only fair that they have a General Manager (GM) committed to the long-term vision they will seek to drive.
“My decision will provide Council the opportunity to recruit my replacement early in their term and allow them to progress that vision with a new GM at the helm, for the length of their elected term. It’s the right thing for me to do.
“My focus over the next three months will be to support the new council’s induction to elected life and assist where I can with the recruitment process,” he said.
Mayor Coupland said he would be sad to see Mr Roncon leave the organisation and wanted to acknowledge the indelible legacy James had left on the Armidale region.
“James came to ARC with a brief to turn around an ailing organisation and he has certainly achieved that. Through his leadership ARC is now, by almost every objective measure, a high performing council which is a far cry from where we were only four years ago,” said the Mayor.
“Other General Managers may have similar qualifications and contacts, but James’ unique skill set is the way he relates to people and can build a team. The best example of this was when one of the outdoor staff said to me “… I would follow him wherever he asked me to, I trust him that much …”.
“There aren’t many corporate leaders who engender that sort of respect.
“For so many reasons James leaves very big shoes to fill and I sincerely wish him all the best for the next chapter, whatever that may be.”