The City of Nedlands and its former chief executive, Keri Shannon, have agreed to part ways, four months after she went on indefinite leave. The separation was confirmed by a city spokesperson on Tuesday, with her final pay cheque issued on January 30.
In a brief statement, the city thanked Ms Shannon for her contributions since her appointment in May 2024 and wished her well in her future endeavours. Ms Shannon had been on immediate and indefinite leave since October following a confidential performance review by the city’s commissioners, who were installed after the previous council was removed.
Her departure clears the way for a new leadership era as Nedlands voters prepare to elect a new mayor and council on March 28. Recruiting a permanent CEO will be one of the first tasks for the incoming council. Acting CEO Arthur Kyron, who stepped in hours after Ms Shannon went on leave, will continue in the interim.
Ms Shannon, a former mayor of the Town of Cambridge, was narrowly appointed as Nedlands CEO in a five-to-four council vote. Her tenure was marked by financial, governance and managerial challenges, including a divided council and controversy. She was in office during the single-day resignation of four councillors, which led Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley to sack the remaining council and appoint commissioners.
Ms Shannon also recently lost an appeal in the State Administrative Tribunal to overturn findings by the Local Governments Standards Panel. The complaints, brought by fellow Cambridge council members between September 2021 and May 2022, resulted in a public apology but no further censure.
