Rod Titcombe Receives Distinguished Management Award

Rod Titcombe, recently retired Chief Executive of Manawatu District Council, received the 2009 SOLGM Distinguished Management Award on Sunday, 6 September in Palmerston North.

The Distinguished Management Award is SOLGM's most prestigious award and in its 15 year history, there have only been seven recipients. The Award is given to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of local government management in New Zealand.

Jean, Rod's wife attended the opening ceremony and received the award on Rod's behalf. Rod was in hospital at that time and could not make it to the event. The Award was given during the opening ceremony of the 2009 SOLGM Annual Conference in Palmerston North.

Commitment to local government

Rod commenced his working career with the Audit Office and joined the former Feilding Borough Council in April 1970. There followed a remarkable 39 year career in local government in which he showed commitment and dedication to the Manawatu area and a willingness to contribute to and service hi local government managerial profession.

Rod became Town Clerk of Feilding Borough Council in 1985 and following the 1989 local government reforms, Rod was appointed Chief Executive of the new Manawatu District Council. When Rod retired in June 2009, he was one of the two Chief Executives still serving their original councils since 1989.

During that time Rod worked with 5 different Mayors and 8 Councils. Many in our profession would envy such survival skills.

As his last Mayor, Ian McKelvie noted:

‘…I have found the experience he has of nearly every situation that could possibly arise in local government to be of great help to my position and also to the people concerned. He has a manner about him which both reassures and gives people comfort that his council is doing the very best it can to assist them with their problem where it is appropriate to do so.”

Commitment to SOLGM

Since the establishment of SOLGM in 1988, Rod has been active at both Branch and national level.  He has held all the office roles in Central Branch and in 1994, Rod joined the SOLGM Executive Committee and served the board for 11 years.

Rod's key contribution to SOLGM include:

• Represented SOLGM internationally as Vice President and President at conferences and meetings with our sister organisations -- ICMA, SOLACE and LGMA
• Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with LGMA
• Contributed greatly to the development and recognition of SOLGM as a professional management organisation
• Saw the establishment of SOLGM Opus Business School, Financial Management Working Party and Legal Compliance Working Party
• Saw the involvement of SOLGM on a range of policy and legislative initiatives affective the sector

Rod continues to serve his profession as SOLGM's nominee on the NZ Local Government Superannuation Trust, the Local Government Online Board - where hs is the current Chair and as a judge of the 2009 New Zealand Post Group Local Government Excellence Awards.

In 2006, Rod received the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to local government.