THE personal friend of East Fremantle’s acting CEO was employed without the job being advertised.

Gary Clark says employing his friend Wendy Cooke was the first and only time he’d exercised his right as a CEO to bypass normal recruitment methods and headhunt.

He says he wanted to act quickly because amalgamations were looming and the position was key to steering the tiny council through the process.

“With the agreement of the council I got out there and sought advice from WALGA and if they knew of anyone with the skill set we needed,” Mr Clark told the Herald. The WA local government association provided a list of potential candidates, including Ms Cooke who’d worked with the Kwinana Industries Council and Cockburn Cement, and who had sat on the board of Local Government Managers Australia. She and her partner, Rockingham CEO Andrew Hammond, are Mr Clark’s friends.

Ms Cooke was initially contracted for six months as a project coordinator but Mr Clark says that was extended to 12 months at the request of Fremantle CEO Graeme Mackenzie, who felt the role would be required if Fremantle and East Fremantle were to merge, which at the time was believed to be likely to happen.

Mr Clark says he was aware the appointment might attract controversy so he kept mayor Jim O’Neill fully informed. He also asked WALGA for advice on an appropriate salary, which he wouldn’t divulge to Herald readers.

He says Ms Cooke worked extremely hard at her job, helping usher through the council’s community and organisational strategic plans. He praised her communication skills.

Mr O’Neill said he’d leave commenting to the CEO.

Mr Clark replaced long-time East Fremantle CEO Stuart Wearne, who was pushed out of the job last year after falling out with Mr O’Neill.

by STEVE GRANT