Council
20 April, 2024
CEO 'community-focused'
Following 13 years of work with Hindmarsh Shire Council, Monica Revell has officially commenced her role in the organisation’s highest available position - chief executive officer.
Following 13 years of work with Hindmarsh Shire Council, Monica Revell has officially commenced her role in the organisation’s highest available position - chief executive officer.
She said the timing couldn’t have been more perfect for her to take up the mantle left open after the departure of Jessie Holmes in February.
“The girls are all grown up now, and I can dedicate the time to this role,” she said.
Ms Revell grew up in Horsham before relocating to Melbourne where she worked for a private accounting firm.
But before too long, Ms Revell decided city life wasn’t for her and came back home to the Wimmera where she met her husband, Jason, and moved to Dimboola.
Now, 25 years later, the couple are still living in the first house they purchased, and Ms Revell said she wouldn’t change a thing.
“The people here are wonderful,” Ms Revell said.
“I knew the area before moving, and it’s such a beautiful town.”
The couple have raised two daughters in Dimboola: 21-year-old Olivia is a qualified nurse and is completing her grad year at the Royal Children’s Hospital, while 18-year-old Charlotte is working at the local supermarket and hopes to study teaching at university.
Both girls attended Dimboola Primary and Dimboola Memorial Secondary College (DMSC).
Ms Revell also served on the Dimboola Town Committee, taking on the role of president, and prior to beginning work with Hindmarsh Shire Council was a part-time music teacher at DMSC, teaching multiple different instruments including flute, saxophone, keyboard, piano, trumpet and clarinet.
“We formed the school band which was very exciting,” she said.
“Sometimes you would only have three students, but that’s what you get from a small school.”
When her youngest daughter Charlotte was in Prep, Ms Revell read an advertisement for the role of customer service coordinator at Hindmarsh Shire Council.
“I said to my husband, ‘it’s time to try something different’,” Ms Revell said.
Thirteen years later, she has taken on various roles with council, including HR payroll coordinator, financial customer service manager, director of corporate and community services, and acting-chief executive officer.
Approachable, passionate about community, and professional are just some of the key characteristics describing Ms Revell, who said her new role still feels “very surreal”.
“The amount of people excited for me, reaching out through email, texts and phone calls is amazing,” she said.
Ms Revell said she can’t imagine not working in council now, but if she wasn’t, she said she would probably be back in the corporate world.
“I’m very much community-focused,” she said.
“It’s such a rewarding role, and can make a difference in the community.
“I always said, ‘one day I’ll be CEO’, but I didn’t expect for it to actually happen.”
Ms Revell said she has worked hard to get to where she is, and that a key part of what she brings to the role is that she lives in the community she will be serving.
“I have a good understanding of what the community needs, so I can get in and advocate on their behalf,” Ms Revell said.
At least once a month Ms Revell is aiming to travel to and work from each town in the shire, increasing her availability to the local communities.
“By being there, you get to have those informal conversations and really find out about issues community members don’t necessarily bring up to council,” she said.
“I want to have a presence in the community, and come together with them to create solutions.”