Development agency looks to fill board
THE chairman of the Guernsey Development Agency is hoping for more islanders to apply to join him on the board.
Former States member Stuart Falla has the role of chairing the agency and five non-executive directors are now being sought.
Once formed, the agency will be looking at the potential development and enhancement of the east coast.
It will operate at arm’s length from the States but take its strategic direction and operational parameters from government.
The deadline for applications is Christmas Eve, with the first part of the process being to download an application pack. Mr Falla said that so far nearly 70 people had done so.
Once all applications have been assessed a short-list will be drawn up with interviews set to take place on 12 and 13 January.
These will be conducted by one of the politicians appointed to the agency steering group – Deputies Peter Ferbrache, Neil Inder or Lindsay de Sausmarez – Mr Falla and a senior civil servant.
The successful applicants will be proposed before the States in March.
Following approval, the new board’s role will be to come up with a strategy to prepare the long-term development plan for Guernsey’s east coast and then take it to the States.
Mr Falla said this could take anywhere between 18 months and two years, but in the meantime the board would also have a role in coordinating aspects of the new 24-hour access marina that could be constructed in St Peter Port, if the £90m. plans are progressed.
Efforts had been made to leave no stone unturned in order to make people aware that applications are open, he said.
As well as articles in the Guernsey Press, there had been promotion to members of the Chamber of Commerce and the Institute of Directors, as well as the roles being advertised online.
One of the challenges in finding the right people is that the island has never done anything like this before, said Mr Falla.
‘We want to build a diverse board of people from different career backgrounds who can bring a range of perspectives to the project,’ he said.
People being sought in particular are those who have experience in such areas as sustainability, environment policy, contracts management, community and stakeholder liaison and different delivery models such as public-private partnerships.
But ultimately the CV was not as important as their dedication and vision. ‘The thing that will overpower experience is their absolute passion for wanting to achieve something,’ said Mr Falla.
‘The desire to make this happen is as important as the CV someone turns up with.’
For more information about the Guernsey Development Agency and how to apply for a board role, see www.GDA.gg.
To request an application pack, email applications@gda.gg
