Kimba Mayor Dean Johnson appointed as LGA President

The LGA Board of Directors held a Special Meeting on Monday 21 November where nominations for the presidency vacancy were received and voted on.

Mayor Johnson said it was a great honour to fulfil the duties of LGA President for the remainder of the Board’s two-year term and that he looked forward to getting started.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be entrusted with the responsibility of representing South Australia’s 68 councils as President,” Mayor Johnson said.

LGA SA's CEO Clinton Jury with LGA President Mayor Dean Johnson

“The LGA provides effective advocacy on a variety of important issues affecting our councils including addressing housing affordability and supply, particularly in regional areas, tackling medical workforce shortages, coastal disaster mitigation and road infrastructure funding, to name just a few.

“I intend on providing a strong, clear voice for the local government sector in this important leadership role over the coming years.”

Mayor Johnson has almost two decades of local government experience and was recently elected to a third term in the top job at Kimba District Council, adding to the 12 years he earlier spent as a councillor.

He also currently serves as chair of the LGA’s South Australian Regional Organisation of Councils committee and is president of the Eyre Peninsula Local Government Association.

LGA Chief Executive Officer Clinton Jury welcomed the appointment of Mayor Johnson as LGA President and highlighted the wealth of knowledge he will bring to the role.

“Dean has almost 20 years’ experience in local government, having led Kimba District Council as Mayor since 2014 and represented his community for many years as an elected member before that,” Mr Jury said.

“On behalf of the entire LGA Secretariat, I congratulate Mayor Johnson on his appointment as LGA President and greatly look forward to working together to represent our sector.”

Former Naracoorte Lucindale Mayor Erika Vickery was earlier appointed to the LGA presidency in October; however, as she was not re-elected during the November council elections the LGA constitution required the Board to install a replacement.

This needed to come from the remaining Board members who also sit on the LGA’s SAROC committee.

The LGA will explore with member councils any improvements that can be made to the constitution to prevent a similar recurrence from happening in the future.

For further information contact: LGA Media: 0476 853 689 | media@lga.sa.gov.au