Herts County Council chief praised by colleagues as he prepares to leave for new job

TRIBUTES have been paid to county council chief executive Owen Mapley, as he prepares to leave the authority.

Mr Mapley took up the top job at the county council in 2019 – around three years after first joining the council as director of resources.

But now he is set to take-up the top chief executive role at the national Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.

On Tuesday (March 19) the county council met to formally appoint an interim chief executive, while head-hunters are brought in as part of a drive to find a permanent replacement.

And councillors paid tribute to the contribution made by Mr Mapley during his eight-and-a-half years at Hertfordshire County Council.

His time at the council council has included the response to the covid pandemic, the cost of living crisis and changes in the way people work.

Leader of the council Cllr Richard Roberts praised Mr Mapley as a “thoughtful, decent hard-working and through it all good natured chief executive”.

He said he had written his “successful part in Hertfordshire’s history”. And he thanked him for “all you have done in the most challenging of turbulent times”.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Cllr Steve Jarvis said the council had made “some significant steps forward” under Mr Mapley’s leadership.

And he highlighted the “great contribution” he had made to Hertfordshire.

Meanwhile leader of the Labour group Cllr Nigel Bell highlighted the challenge of the covid pandemic. And he said he wished him every success for the future.

In response, Mr Mapley recalled his interview to join the organisation back in 2015.

“I vividly remember my initial pitch when I was coming for interview in the latter half of 2015,” he said.

“I said words to the effect of, as a long term resident of Hertfordshire the council services really matter to me and my family so I truly understand how much they matter to 1.2 million residents, 8000 staff and 78 councillors.

“And eight-and-a-half years later I can say it has absolutely been the privilege of my career to have been entrusted with two important leadership roles in this council.

“It has been hugely challenging at times, but it has never been anything other than a huge privilege and a pleasure to perform these roles with everybody in this chamber, and everybody across the council and all the many many partners and other organisations that we work with.

“It’s clearly very challenging times for lots of people at the moment and all councils.

“So I think we need to continue doing what we do best – which is working together, collaborating, innovating and trying to reinvent what and how we do to cope with those challenging times.”

The extraordinary meeting of the county council had been called to formally approve the appointment of deputy chief executive Scott Crudgington as interim chief executive (head of paid service).

Mr Crudgington joined the county council as director of resources in 2018. And he had previously been the chief executive of Stevenage Borough Council.