Current chief executive of Shire of Donnybrook-Balingup, Ben Rose, makes move to Manjimup

The five month hunt for a new chief executive at the Shire of Manjimup has come to a close, with Shire of Donnybrook-Balingup chief executive Ben Rose selected to lead the Shire. Mr Rose was one of more than 30 applicants for the coveted position which has been temporarily filled by director of development and regulation Brian Robinson. Bringing with him extensive experience working across government and the private sector in both regional and metropolitan WA, Mr Rose will commence as the CEO on November 27. Mr Rose said he was “eager to commence in the role to partner with the council, the community and Shire staff to deliver the strategic objectives set out by the council”. In addition to his current position — which he has held for more than seven years — Mr Rose has worked as projects director at the Town of Victoria Park, director of planning and operations at the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority, principal urban planner at the Town of Claremont and town planner at the Shire of Harvey, among other roles. Manjimup Shire president Paul Omodei said while all of the candidates were “extremely high quality”, Mr Rose was deemed the best candiate. The council voted unanimously for Mr Rose’s appointment, basing his suitability for the role on his blend of experience, qualifications and understanding of opportunities and challenges for the district. “Council and I are pleased to welcome Ben to the Shire of Manjimup,” Mr Omodei said. “We strongly believe in his ability to deliver the strategic objectives of council in the best interests of the community and in managing a proud, confident and efficient workforce in line with the Shire’s values.”