After six years as the council's corporate services manager, Susan Finlay (46) has resigned to take up a new senior management job at the Central Lakes Trust. She leaves on June 5.
Mrs Finlay's council role includes financial management, and responsiblity for the council's information technology and customer services. She is the driving force behind the long term planning documents and the annual plan, which determine the rate take each year.
The council role required a ''huge personal commitment to do it well, over the last six years and it was a difficult environment to effect change when the focus coming out of Wellington was increasingly becoming about compliance'', she said.
Job opportunities such as the new trust role, which utilised her skills and was based at Cromwell, where she lived with her young family, were rare.
''Especially, within an organisation that has such a large positive influence/commitment to the community now and into the future, being part of that is very important to me.''
The trust was set up as a charity in November 2000 with assets from the former Otago Central Electric Power Board. Since then, it has distributed grants totalling about $75 million to community projects. Increasing the standard of financial management through long term planning was one of the main highlights of her time at the council, Mrs Finlay said.
''And taking staff and elected members on that journey, fleshing out the financial issues of the past, and working with elected members to step up to solving these issues into the future, giving ratepayers a lot more transparency of what to expect in the future in terms of rates increases and levels of service.''
''The process has become very robust, transparent and effective over the last period of time, bearing in mind when I came into the organisation our standard did not meet the national standard.''
The council had ''lifted the standard'' with its accountability documents such as the long term plans, annual plans and annual reports and they were ''much more engaging'' for readers, she said.
Central Otago Mayor Tony Lepper said Mrs Finlay arrived at a time when the implementation of new reporting standards were being imposed on local government and her expertise and professionalism made it possible for the council to meet those standards.
''Probably more importantly for myself and councillors, she was great to work with, we enjoyed her company, her advice and the enthusiasm and dedication she brought to the job. She will be missed by all the councillors and community board members.
''Without a doubt, she's been a wonderful member of staff who improved the financial reporting and compliance of the council immensely,'' he said.
