WALTHAM FOREST: Another senior officer leaves council (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

WALTHAM FOREST: Another senior officer leaves council

5:30pm Monday 22nd August 2011 in Waltham Forest News By Daniel Binns

WALTHAM FOREST: Another senior officer leaves council

ANOTHER senior officer has left the council - the fifth in recent weeks.

Kathryn Myers, assistant director of Strategy and Communications, took voluntary redundancy as part of the authority's restructuring plans earlier this month, it has emerged.

It comes following the announcement of the departures of the the council's director of Governance and Law Terry Osborne, chief finance officer John Raisin, executive director of children and young people's services Chris Kiernan and his deputy director Linda Cointepas.

There was controversy at Ms Myers's appointment to the role, which paid between 71,000 and £77,890, during an earlier restructuring in January this year.

The appointment of the long-standing Labour member was criticised by the Conservatives and Lib Dems as she was the only person interviewed for the job and the position was not advertised externally.

She was head of the authority's PR department for the previous five years.

A council spokesman said Ms Myers had left the authority "with the best wishes of the council’s Leadership Team."

The authority has insisted that the departure of the experienced officers will not disrupt or affect services in the borough.

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