Issued: 25 January 2005
Council Chief Executive Announces Retiral
Following 10 years at the helm of Angus Council, chief executive Sandy Watson has announced he is to retire in June, at the age of 60.
Referring to his time with Angus Council Mr Watson said it had been a privilege to be involved in the creation of the new council. "I feel extremely proud to have been involved from the point where I was the council's sole employee, to now, where Angus Council is described by the first Best Value Audit report in Scotland as well-managed, business like and delivering good services.
"However, it is now 10 years since local government reorganisation and the world moves on. Angus has fresh challenges to face, with elected members and officers having to respond to the changing context of local government. I've decided that it is an opportune time for me to retire and for a new chief executive to lead the council into the next chapter.
"On a personal level I have had a great deal of support from members and many officers over the years. I am grateful to colleagues for that and am confident that Angus Council will continue to go from strength to strength."
Council leader Rob Murray said that Mr Watson would be a hard act to follow. "Sandy has played a unique role in establishing both the operation and the reputation of Angus Council, from the days when he was our sole employee to now, with Angus Council punching above its weight in Scotland in terms of performance and achievement.
"He has been a dedicated chief executive, committed to Angus at both a professional and personal level, and will be a hard act to follow. The difficult task now facing the council is finding a new chief executive to build on the solid foundations Sandy has created and take forward the challenging agenda before us."
Provost of Angus Bill Middleton added his words of appreciation saying: "I would like to record my thanks to Sandy for his absolute commitment and dedication to Angus Council. His support and guidance has been invaluable over the past 10 years and he has been a source of great encouragement to myself and indeed all the members of the council."
Mr Watson's local government career spans 37 years. He started his career as a teacher, in Crieff, Portree and Callander, before serving in the education directorates of the then Central and Strathclyde regions. In 1990, he was appointed director of education for the former Tayside Region. While in that post he also became president and then general secretary of the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland. Mr Watson became chief executive of Tayside Regional Council in 1994 and the following year, on the reorganisation of local government in Scotland, became the first chief executive of the new Angus Council
Holding honours degrees from Glasgow University both in Classics and Education, he is also an Honorary Fellow of the University of Abertay, Dundee. He has been Honorary Secretary of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers (SOLACE Scotland) for the past seven years; is Vice-Chairman of Young Scot; Vice-Chairman of the Board of Management of Angus College; Member of the Carnegie Commission on Rural Community Development and a member of the Health Improvement Committee of the Board of NHS Tayside He was awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 2003.
Mr Watson lives in Forfar with his wife Jean and has three sons Calum, David and Andrew.