Dr Clare Allen has accepted the role of CEO of Port Macquarie-Hastings Council. Her appointment comes after the departure of general manager Craig Swift-McNair who resigned from council in June to take up a new role at the helm of Woollahra Council in Sydney.

Jeffery Sharp has been sitting as acting general manager since that time.

Council opted to recruit a chief executive officer rather than a general manager because it is a more contemporary title for an organisational leader and it is becoming adopted more broadly in NSW Local Government. It also aligned with organisational position titles in the private sector which was one of the target markets of this recruitment process.

Dr Allen will move to Port Macquarie from South Australia and brings vast leadership experience as the former CEO of Minda Inc, executive officer of Visibility/Guide Dogs of Western Australia and Tasmania, and CEO of Community First International.

She is an accomplished, award-winning and community focused CEO with proven experience in project delivery, driving commercial outcomes and achieving success through advocacy and working closely with advocating with government on behalf of her organisations.

Dr Allen holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Western Australia, a Master of Business Leadership from Curtin University, a Graduate Diploma in Employee Relations from Curtin University, a Diploma from the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and a Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Management from Curtin University.

Read more: Councillors lock in process to push CEO recruitment forward

Port Macquarie-Hastings councillors said they are looking forward to working with someone who brings a strong ethical and progressive leadership style.

"This is an incredibly exciting period for Port Macquarie-Hastings with so many exciting projects and challenges facing the region," mayor Peta Pinson said.

"The council and its high performing staff are pursuing many projects and delivering valued services to our community.

"The councillors are delighted that we have been able to attract to Port Macquarie-Hastings a person of such expertise and experience as Clare Allen.

"In the next weeks and months, Clare has indicated she is keen to get out and about to meet with and listen to business owners, community members, sporting representatives and the broad cross section of our community. She knows she will receive support and encouragement from the councillors in our efforts to advance the interests of this wonderful community.

"Clare has a strong community focus and this will be highly beneficial in ensuring Port Macquarie-Hastings can continue to deliver the high quality of services our community has come to expect.

"At the same time, Clare impressed the councillors with her focus on financial sustainability of the organisation, her excitement about managing the growth pressures whilst protecting our pristine environment, and leading our highly motivated, inspirational workforce who to are committed to our area."

Cr Pinson acknowledged the outstanding and loyal service Mr Sharp as acting general manager over the last five months.

The appointment comes after months of instability with the mayor openly calling out "dysfunction" within council ranks.

Heated debate erupted at the November ordinary meeting after Cr Pinson tabled a mayoral minute questioning some of the decision-making around interview selection procedures for the new CEO.

Dr Allen said she is looking forward to returning to local government.

She said the Port Macquarie-Hastings region has a legacy of great contributions by many people and wants to build on that legacy.

"This is an exciting time for Port Macquarie-Hastings with many projects and improvements underway, made possible with the goodwill of business owners and residents," Dr Allen said.

"I am very keen to meet the staff team and find out how I can help them achieve the highest levels of job satisfaction possible and to ensure they have the right resources to do their jobs effectively."

The appointment concludes a competitive recruitment process involving rigorous assessments and interviews.

There was a strong response to the opportunity, council said, with a mix of representation from government, local government and the private sector.

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