An Eastern Bay of Plenty Council is welcoming new faces to its senior management team with the appointment of Julian Reweti and Tomasz Krawczyk.

Julian is the Whakatane District Council's new Community and Economic Development general manager, starting in June. Tomasz will be returning to New Zealand in a month to take up the position of Infrastructure general manager.

Tomasz grew up in Poland and emigrated to New Zealand in 1981 after completing a Master of Engineering degree in Municipal Civil Engineering.

After working with the Rotorua District Council in senior engineering roles, he moved to Tuvalu as NZ Overseas Development Aid team leader for a two-year programme upgrading the island nation's Public Works Division.

He then spent four years running an Australian consultancy's Solomon Islands operation, during which time he completed an MBA degree in Technology Management, followed by a stint as the United Nations International Labour Office's Chief Technical Advisor.

Since 1995, Tomasz has been involved in infrastructure upgrading in Poland, heading the country's second largest engineering consultancy with a staff of 350 people.

'My career has given me strong, all-round experience in a diverse range of engineering disciplines, including water, wastewater, solid waste, highways, environmental and airports,” he says.

'I've always enjoyed working in the public sector and I'm looking forward to leading the Whakatane District's infrastructure team and working closely with Council stakeholders.”

Tomasz says he's visited Whakatane a number of times over the years and he likes the area very much.

'It will be great to have the opportunity to fit in to your welcoming, multi-cultural community.”

Julian also knows the Whakatane community and District Council well, having served as acting Director, Works and Services for four months from October 2011.

During that time, he performed a dual role, simultaneously maintaining his responsibilities as Infrastructure Manager for the Wanganui District Council. 'That was certainly an exciting challenge, which whetted my appetite for a permanent position with the Whakatane District Council,” he says.

A Bachelor of Engineering graduate, Julian has worked in a number of senior engineering and service delivery roles at the Wanganui District Council since 1986.

'My professional background has given me in-depth experience in local government leadership spanning all aspects of political governance, community engagement, stakeholder relationship management, service delivery and financial management.

'I can't wait to start work with my new team on the job of delivering quality results for the Whakatane community.”

The Council is delighted to announce the two appointments of two highly experienced professionals, says Whakatane District Mayor Tony Bonne.