Shire of Kent on the lookout for new chief executive after resignation of Adam Majid

The Shire of Kent is on the lookout for a new leader for its administration after its chief executive resigned less than a year into the job. Councillors voted at their meeting on August 17 to start the process of finding a new chief executive after Adam Majid ended his employment with the council in late July. Mr Majid was appointed to the position of chief executive in September last year and started work in November. At the time of his appointment, Shire president Scott Crosby said Mr Majid best addressed the Shire’s requirements from a strong field of candidates. “Adam has qualifications in planning and project management and has substantial rural experience as a local government CEO at the Shires of Nungarin and Mount Magnet,” he said. On April 20, councillors voted unanimously to extend Mr Majid’s probationary period until July 31 “due to a poor level of communication with council that is leaning towards unacceptable”. Two months later at their meeting on June 15, the council voted unaminously to enter into contract negotiations with Peter Clarke, who was previously chief executive at the Shire of Yilgarn. Mr Clarke is now the Shire of Kent’s acting chief executive. The Shire will start advertising the permanent position this month, in the hope of having the preferred candidate appointed at their October council meeting. Mr Crosby told the Herald he did not believe the successful applicant would start at the council before December. “I just hope we find a good candidate,” he said. All councillors will be on the Shire’s selection panel for the role, with either Shire of Katanning president Liz Guidera or Nyabing farmer Rachel Kirby to be appointed as the independent member of the panel.