Michael Donnelly has been named as the preferred candidate for the role of Lismore City Council's General Manager.
Mayor Vanessa Ekins said Mr Donnelly was the stand-out candidate for the job and the decision of Councillors was unanimous.
"Council has now officially made the offer to Michael and he will be officially appointed once the necessary recruitment process is complete," she said.
"It was an exhaustive recruitment process and one that we took our time with to ensure we got the right person for the job, and we did.
"It has been a tough four years at Council with the fire at the waste facility, COVID-19, floods and bushfires, but now is the time to focus on the future.
"Since Michael took up the role of acting General Manager earlier this year, he has 'steadied the ship' and ensured Council delivers the services our community needs in a cost-effective way.
"He also oversaw the most transparent budget and budget process that I have been part of in 17 years on Council. This has helped to restore the community's faith in our Council, and I thank him for that.
"Michael will now implement Council's continuous improvement process that we can better meet the needs of our community."
Mr Donnelly will be appointed on a four-year contract.
Mr Donnelly said he was looking forward to introducing more efficiencies at Lismore City Council.
"I am very humbled to be the preferred candidate and look forward to the next four years. I know this area well as I grew up here and I look forward to this role," he said.
"Since I took up the acting position in February, as a Council we have achieved a lot but there is still more to be done to provide better services and meet the community's expectations.
"I would also like to thank Council staff who I have found to be very professional and who want to do the best they can for Council and our community."
Mr Donnelly is an engineer and holds a Master of Law degree.
He has previously been the Chief Executive of a state-owned trading corporation which had a 3000-strong workforce and revenues of $500 million, as well as the Regional Director of NSW Public.
