Cr Mary-Ann Brown has been elected to lead Rural Councils Victoria for the next two years following a meeting of the RCV Committee on Friday 14 December.
Cr Brown will take over from current Chair Cr Rob Gersch from 1 January 2019.
“I am delighted to be elected Chair and I would like to acknowledge the enormous contribution Cr Gersch has made to RCV as Chair over the past two years,” said Cr Brown.
“It has been through Cr Gersch’s commitment to rural Victoria that RCV has been able to establish its position as the leading voice for rural communities and councils.
“It is not possible to overstate the impact Cr Gersch has had on RCV and I look forward to building on what has been achieved under his leadership.
“Our priorities in the short-term are to ensure that the re-elected Andrews Government delivers on its election commitments to rural Victorians, and to finalise a number of key projects focused on improving the liveability of rural areas.
“We will continue to advocate for population growth in rural Victoria, as well as the sustainability of local councils so they can keep providing much-needed services to their communities.
Cr Gersch, who has served as Chair for 11 years in total and on the Committee for 13 years, congratulated Cr Brown on her election.
“It has been a pleasure serving as Chair of RCV. I would like to thank my fellow Committee members for their ongoing commitment to improving the lives of rural Victorians,” said Cr Gersch.
“I look forward to continuing on the RCV Committee and supporting Cr Brown as she leads the important work of RCV over the next two years.
Cr Brown is Mayor of Southern Grampians Shire Council and has served on the RCV Committee for two years.
Cr Jenny O’Connor (Indigo Shire Council) has been elected Deputy Chair, while Juliana Phelps (Towong Shire Council Chief Executive Officer) and Jason Russell (Campaspe Shire Council Chief Executive Officer) have been re-elected to the Secretary and Treasurer positions respectively.