Waitomo District Council General Manager, Shyamal Ram, is one of the recipients of the hotly contested AskYourTeam Emerging Leader of the Year Award by Taituarā — Local Government Professionals Aotearoa. The award was announced in an online ceremony last night

The award provides Shyamal, Waitomo District Council’s General Manager Infrastructure Services, with a fully paid trip to attend the International City Managers’ Association (ICMA) 2022 Annual Conference in Ohio in the United States. The ICMA is the leading association for local government professionals in the world with more than 13,000 members.

Award sponsors AskYourTeam and the judges were extremely impressed by the calibre of applications received, highlighting the breadth of leadership talent across local government.

Shyamal impressed the judges with his willingness to share his knowledge and expertise across the sector and with other technical experts and demonstrated an authentic desire to deliver inter-generational benefits that will provide a lasting impact on the communities he serves.

Taituarā Chief Executive, Karen Thomas, congratulated Shyamal and said that although we are unable to celebrate in person this year it is wonderful to acknowledge one of the outstanding people that contributes to their community and the local government sector.

“He has been heavily involved in significant capital projects at both Waitomo and Ashburton District Councils.  He has demonstrated an authentic desire to deliver inter-generational benefits that will provide a lasting impact for the communities that he serves.  

The local government sector has plenty of challenges ahead and I am confident that Shyamal will continue to contribute as a leader in local government in many forms and for many years to come. Congratulations Shyamal.”

Shyamal said he is humbled to receive the award and is excited to attend the ICMA Conference in Ohio.

"This will be a great opportunity to learn from other talented leaders from around the world and I look forward to implementing my learnings. I hope such recognition encourages the younger generations to join Local Government and Waitomo District Council.”

The AskYourTeam Emerging Leader of the Year Award is presented each year to an up-and-coming leader with a proven track record of designing and delivering innovative and successful programmes, projects, processes, or practices with an identifiable community impact.

ENDS

Watch the acceptance speech here (MP4 42.48 MB)

Taituarā — Local Government Professionals Aotearoa is the national membership organisation for local government professionals. Its purpose is to promote and support professional management in local government.