The chief executive of Sefton Council has announced that he will be stepping down later this year.
Dwayne Johnson stepped into the helm at the local authority in 2019, having previously been the director of social care since 2015.
Mr Johnson has worked in local government for 40 years, starting out as a care assistant in County Durham before making the move to Merseyside, where he worked in a number of councils including Knowsley and Halton before making the move to Sefton.
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Speaking of his decision to retire, Mr Johnson said he was proud of having had the “honour” of leading the council through “tough times”.
He said: “Sefton is a very special place, and it has been an enormous privilege to work here to serve the fantastic people of Sefton.
“When I started as a care assistant 40 years ago, it was never part of my career plan to become a chief executive. Until very recently I still retained my social work registration and it’s been an honour to serve the profession for so long.
“All of my colleagues across the council have been amazing, and I always felt an immense sense of pride of having the privilege to lead such a wonderful workforce.
“We have been through some tough times, but with each one our staff met the challenge and delivered, coming out stronger as a result.
“I would like to thank all colleagues and members for their hard work and dedication, and for making my time at Sefton so enjoyable.
“I am proud of what we are achieving in the borough by working together with our partners across the public, private and voluntary sectors. We are making significant steps forward in integrating with health and with regeneration, with many exciting developments across the borough.”
Mr Johnson added that the borough would “always be special to me” and he would continue to take a keen interest in its fortunes and how it will “develop and go on to achieve future successes.”
Council leader Cllr Ian Maher paid tribute to Mr Johnson’s “integrity and transparency” as he thanked the chief executive for the work he has done leading the council saying he would be “greatly missed” by colleagues.
Cllr Maher said: “I want to take this opportunity to thank Dwayne for everything he has done for Sefton over the last eight years.
“As Chief Executive he has acted with integrity and transparency, and he is highly respected in Sefton, as a dedicated, effective chief executive.
“His open and honest approach, with staff, elected members and partners alike, has gained him respect across the Liverpool City Region.
“I know many of our staff have welcomed Dwayne’s approachable and friendly manner, many of whom look forward to reading his fortnightly blog, with hundreds of staff watching and engaging with his monthly ‘Teams Q&A’ live sessions.
“Dwayne led the council’s response to Covid-19, which saw Sefton at the forefront of testing, with the first ever dedicated walk-through Covid-19 testing sites in Cheshire and Merseyside being deployed by the army and council staff in Sefton. He also chaired the Merseyside Resilience Forum’s Test and Trace cell, ensuring swift and easy access to testing for all Merseyside residents.
“He will be greatly missed by all of us across the council, and I know everyone who has worked with him will wish him and his family all the best in his retirement.”
Recruitment is expected to begin in February for Mr Johnson’s replacement, with interviews set to take place in March and April.
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