Gwynedd Council appoints two new directors

Gwynedd Council has appointed two new Corporate Directors to join the authority’s Management Team – Dylan Owen and Geraint Owen.

Dylan Owen will be Morwena Edwards’ successor, who has stepped down from her role as Corporate Director and Statutory Director of Social Services after 10 years of service. He is an occupational therapist by vocation and completed a doctorate at Swansea University on the influence of language on the effectiveness of care services.

Dylan was raised in Dolgellau and after leaving Ysgol y Gader spent periods at Pontypridd polytechnic, and the universities of Cardiff, Worcestershire and Swansea, where he lived for more than 20 years.

After leaving Gwynedd Council at the turn of the millennium, he worked for both Swansea County Council and Carmarthenshire County Council as well as the Hywel Dda Health Board in integrated services. Most recently, he has been head of service at Powys Council in social services.

On being appointed, Dylan said:

“It is a privilege to be appointed to this key role and I am looking forward to embracing the challenge.

“Because of the commitment shown by Morwena as my predecessor and thanks to the talented and hard-working teams of both departments, these services are standing on solid foundations.

“I’m delighted to have the opportunity to return to Gwynedd and to support the service and the Council.”

Geraint Owen has been appointed as Corporate Director.

Raised in Nefyn and educated at Ysgol Nefyn and Ysgol Glan y Môr, he studied Public Administration at Coleg Normal, Bangor and later became a Chartered Member of Chartered Institute of Personnel Development. He has worked in local government since 1985 with Gwynedd County Council and with Gwynedd Council since 1996.

He began his period at Gwynedd County Council in the Education Department and has also worked within the culture and leisure services, before focusing on Human Resources. He was appointed Head of the Corporate Support Department in 2015, where he was responsible for bringing together the work of several of the Council’s central services.

New Corporate Director Geraint Owen added:

“Over the last few years, Gwynedd Council, like many other councils across the country, have faced challenges coming from all directions. Throughout all these challenges, Council staff have always placed the needs of the people of Gwynedd at the core of every decision they have taken.

“I have worked for Gwynedd Council, and previously for Gwynedd County Council, throughout my career and being selected for this post is an honour. I’m very much looking forward to working alongside officers and councillors to build on the work carried out so far, making a real difference to the lives of the people and communities of Gwynedd.”

Dafydd Gibbard, Chief Executive of Gwynedd Council:

“Congratulations to both Dylan and Geraint, I very much look forward to working alongside them both.

“Now that the Council is finally embarking on the post-Covid period, and that we now are in a new term following local elections in May, it is timely that we adapt the structures of the Council to ensure that we can provide the essential services for the residents of Gwynedd.

“With this in mind – and having had the opportunity to listen and learn from the staff and Council Members over the past year – I am confident that with these appointments we are taking another step forward as we improve our ability to serve local people.”

Geraint Owen will start his new role on the 1st of August and Dylan Owen on the 1^st of October.

Notes

These appointments come following the decision of the Council Cabinet to change the structures of senior management of the Council. As part of the change, the Council will:

• Abolish the post of Head of Gwynedd Consultancy (YGC) on the retirement of the current position holder, merging the Highways & Municipal and Gwynedd Consultancy departments, creating one new department.
• Transfer the Waste and Recycling units from the Highways and Municipal department to the Recycling unit, and move into one role the Supporting Head/Senior Manager in the same manner.

These changes will provide a net saving of £81,000 annually.