General Manager & Directors
Craig Milburn – General Manager
Craig has more than 40 years of experience in private industry, local government and the not-for-profit sector.
Throughout his career, Craig has held positions at senior management and supervisory levels, providing him with extensive hands-on service delivery experience.
He has also held positions that required a strategic planning and leadership focus on policy development and implementation for the provision of a broad range of services at a local and regional level.
Craig has also led and worked with multidisciplinary teams and interagency task groups, demonstrating his excellent team leadership and collaboration skills.
Before joining Kempsey Shire Council, Craig was the Director of Finance, Corporate and Community Services at Shoalhaven City Council.
He is a specialist in strategic and tactical thinking and planning, leadership and change management, training, and financial and business planning.
Stephen Mitchell – Director Corporate & Commercial
Stephen joined Kempsey Shire Council in 2018, bringing with him over 25 years of experience in both public and private sectors.
Prior to joining, Stephen held various positions, including Commercial Manager of Strategy, Contracts and Procurement at Mid North Coast Local Health District and Manager Commercial and Decision Support at Essential Energy.
Throughout his career, Stephen has developed skills in management, managerial finance, business analysis, business process improvement and procurement.
Michael Jackson – Director Operations & Planning
Michael is an accomplished professional with over 25 years of experience in the public and private sectors. Michael joined Kempsey Shire Council in October 2022 as a valuable addition to Executive team.
Prior to this, he served as the Design and Projects Manager at Penrith City Council, where he oversaw the delivery of Major Capital Works for over 10 years, including recreation, public domain, commercial, transport, and drainage infrastructure projects.
Throughout his career, Michael has delivered major capital works while also leading transformation projects, cultural change, and business improvements. His career began in commercial office and retail fitout, working on projects for major financial institutions, before he moved to Local Government to expand his scope of work.
Michael's passion point is business improvement, which he has incorporated into all his roles, including his secondments to review and enhance systems and processes.
Wes Trotter - Director Utilities
Wes has more than 25 years of experience in the water and wastewater industry. He joined Kempsey Shire Council in 2017, as a Process Engineer, before working his way up to Manager and Group Manager roles.
Previously, Wes held various positions including Maintenance Fitter Australian Capital Territory Energy and Water (ACTEW), Water Industry Operator ActewAGL and Senior Shift Supervisor Icon Water.
With his industry wide experience, Wes understands the practical implications of operations, maintenance and complex capital projects.
Wes is also an Executive Committee member of the NSW Water Directorate