Durham County Council have appointed one of the most highly regarded council chief executives to run the new unitary authority for County Durham after a search and selection process conducted by Veredus.
George Garlick, currently the chief executive of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, has been recruited as the first chief executive for the new County Durham unitary council.
This role will involve leading the reorganisation of local government in County Durham where the eight existing councils in the county will be brought together to create one new unitary or ‘all purpose’ council. Ultimately, Mr Garlick will become responsible for the biggest local authority in the North East, serving half a million people, employing 22,000 staff and spending in the region of £1 billion a year.
Veredus were appointed to conduct the search for this role. It was clear to the Veredus team that one of the biggest appointments in local government this year would require one of the most exhaustive searches. The search took more than two months and covered the whole of the UK, involving most of the senior professionals in local government and beyond. Mr Garlick was found through this search process.
He is the first chief executive to be recruited to the new wave of flagship unitary councils announced by the Government at the end of last year. He has vast experience in local government, with spells in senior positions with councils in the North West, Yorkshire and Humberside as well as the North East where he has been chief executive of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council since 1995.
Councillor Simon Henig, Leader of Durham County Council, said: “In George, we have recruited one of the outstanding stars of local government who has built his reputation on leading change, delivering improvements and making things better.
“He has already tackled a similar task to that which he now faces in Durham with great success following the creation of his own unitary council in 1996 and brings with him an impressive track record of achievement which is mirrored in the Audit Commission’s description of Stockton Borough Council as being ‘in the premier league of stellar performers’.