Council CE set to retire
The Chief Executive of Cavan County Council, Tommy Ryan, is to retire.
The Roscommon native announced he is to call time on his tenure in a surprise email to staff and elected members last week.
Mr Ryan will formally leave the post he has held for the past eight years in early November.
He took up the role following the retirement of former County Manager Jack Keyes. At the time, Mr Ryan was acting CE at Roscommon County Council. Before that he served as a Director of Services.
His decision was alluded to by council Cathaoirleach Philip Brady, who told his fellow councillors at last Monday's meeting they had a month to script intended tributes ahead of their October session, which will be Mr Ryan's last at the helm.
Speaking to the Celt afterwards, Mr Ryan said the decision was not taken lightly, and that he had “enjoyed my time in Cavan immensely”.
He initially signed a seven-year contract as CE, and secured a three-year extension to that last year, but says he felt the “time is right” to step down and let someone else take on the role.
“It's been a privilege to serve as the Chief Executive of Cavan County Council for the last eight years. But I have 36 and a half years' local government experience, starting as a clerical officer in Dublin in 1977 and spent most of my career then with Roscommon County Council.
“I suppose I had to make a decision based on my own life. I've loved working here in Cavan, with great councillors, great staff, a great place to work, and a great county of people, but after that length of service I had to make a decision. It is with sadness that I'll be finishing here with Cavan.”
During his time with Cavan County Council, Mr Ryan set out three pillars on which he hoped to add to a lasting legacy - economic, community and organisational development.
However, he's quick to knowledge that he is “only one person” and pays firm tribute to the many people who work within the council and out in the wider community also, supporting the local authority's efforts.
“I'm only one person, there's nearly 500 people in the council, and elected members as well, all the work they do, without none of what we do could be achieved. I'm only a figurehead really.”
He expands upon his focus for change in the county when he first took up the role: “Economic development, you can see all the work that goes on there. The Local and Economic Community Plan was one of the first things I had to look at when I first arrived, that was happening nationally at the time, and then implementing what we could under the various headings, in enterprise, digital, whatever.
"Then the community, and there is a great community in Cavan. We wanted to promote community development, inclusion and integration, and support the great many people working on the ground doing great voluntary work that we couldn't hope to achieve as a council operating in isolation.
“Lastly, in my view, our staff are really the main asset this council has. If they don't get support, they can't do their jobs. So they were the main objectives I set out for myself and I hope I've achieved in that.
Mr Ryan reflects: “There has been a lot of progress, there are projects now in the pipeline, some finished and a lot more we hope to see come to fruition in the not too distant future. I was here for eight years, moved things on as best I could in that time, and now someone else will come in after me and do the same thing.”