I am pleased to announce following a thorough and extensive recruitment process, Dr Paul Smith has been appointed the permanent Chief Executive Officer of CFA.
Dr Smith is currently the Deputy Secretary for Energy, Environment and Climate Change within the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP).
He has held a range of leadership roles in the public sector and has significant experience in environmental management.
His expertise in the areas of climate change, innovation and fire management make him well equipped to steer CFA into the future.
Dr Smith will bring a depth of experience and understanding of the complex public policy issues in the emergency and fire prevention sector.
Dr Smith also led the former Department of Sustainability and Environment’s response to the Bushfire Royal Commission.
I would like to thank Frances Diver for leading the organisation through a challenging period. Frances has been CEO since June 2016 and has been responsible for driving significant improvements to the organisation, particularly around governance and stability.
Dr Smith will commence his role February 1, 2018. Ms Diver will continue as Chief Executive Officer until this time. This will ensure stability for the organisation during the summer season.