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by Ex-Councillor Craig ‘Ferg’ Ferguson

I knew former QLDC CEO Mike Theelen for all of his ten years in the role. I can remember part of the hiring process, sitting next to the late Councillor Merv Aoake as we had six candidates ahead of us, after four we turned to each other and acknowledged how disappointing those four had been and we only had two to go. Mike was next and it became obvious very quickly that he was the standout candidate.

Mike took over in 2016 when staff satisfaction and engagement levels had stagnated. By the time of his departure, those satisfaction levels had hit the 84th percentile. An exceedingly high mark indeed in the challenging world of Local Government.

QLDC staff constantly praised his strong supportive leadership. During my time around the Council Table, I engaged in conversation with Mike, when appropriate, to find out more about the man behind the job, the person he was outside of the challenging role. Mike loves lake swimming, running, and tramping and as my words go to print, that is where he will likely be, in his happy place, out in the backcountry. Go well Mike, enjoy. You deserve it.

I had a real insight into the demands, commitment, challenges, stresses, highs and lows the CEO job of QLDC threw at him constantly. Building a working relationship with 600 odd staff and consultants to run significant Infrastructure projects and implement ongoing development in the fastest growing district in New Zealand, and let’s not forget those Covid years. That is the job and Mike knew it better than anyone.

Then there are those egos, at times ignorance, and individual agendas Councillors and Mayor bring with them into the organisation. Mike was the bridge between elected members and staff. Without the bridge, everyone falls into the abyss below. Whenever he spoke, I always listened, as he passed on the good, the bad, and the ugly to assist Councillors in understanding the information required before making critical decisions around the table.

I saw Mike at work across all aspects of QLDC business. His capacity and workload would astound many. The highs and lows dealt with, all with the steely grace of a decent human being and a man who fought hard for the district both regionally and nationally. Mike is highly regarded in Local Government right across the country and in Wellington where the real work took place fighting for some sort of Central Government support for our district.

So, as the anchor drags on with the recruitment of the next CEO I wonder where the current Councillors see the Key Performance Indicators for the incoming CEO. For the sake of us all in the Queenstown Lakes District, I hope the standards Mike Theelen has set are the benchmark. If not, we run the risk of going backwards very quickly indeed.