Executive leadership team
Mackay Regional Council came into existence after the amalgamation of the former Mackay City Council, Mirani Shire Council and Sarina Shire Council on March 15, 2008.
The previous Mackay City Council amalgamated with the former Pioneer Shire Council and former Mackay City Council on April 8, 1994.
The Pioneer Shire Council was established in 1880, when it was known as the Pioneer Divisional Board. The original Mackay City Council was established in 1869.
Current Organisational Structure
The current organisational structure aligns council's four departments with Corporate Plan goals and objectives, giving a much clearer focus to our overall direction.
Council is divided into four departments:
- Community Services
- Planning, Growth and Sustainability
- Infrastructure and Operations
- Corporate Services
The councillors' role is to decide the facilities and services for the community and to make local laws to help provide a prosperous, sustainable and vibrant region for residents.
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM (ELT)
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CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
GERARD CARLYON
Joined council > 2009 to 2018
Rejoined council > September 30, 2025
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Responsibilities
- Council operations
- Staff support
- Councillor support
- Council records and corporate documents
Profile
Gerard Carlyon joined Mackay Regional Council from the Fraser Coast where he was the Deputy CEO.
Gerard has more than 20 years’ senior leadership experience working in various state and local government roles covering diverse areas including regional and economic development, strategic planning, development assessment, cultural and community services, open space and natural environment management, major project delivery, customer service and IT transformation initiatives.
Gerard has a Bachelor of Arts from Griffith University, an Executive Masters of Business Administration from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, an Executive Certificate from Harvard University and is a past recipient of the Local Government Association of Queensland’s Manager of the Year Award.
Gerard has a strong affinity for the Mackay region having held the positions of Director of Community Services and Director of Planning at Mackay Regional Council from 2009 until 2018. He is happy to be to back in the region and is already immersing himself in the community.
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COMMUNITY SERVICES
DIRECTOR: MARK SLEEMAN
Joined council > December 1, 2014
Appointed director > May 13, 2025
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Responsibilities
- Community Lifestyle
- Corporate Communications and Marketing
- Health and Regulatory Services
- MECC and Events
Profile
Born and raised in Mackay, Mark had an impressive journalism career of more than 20 years, climbing the ladder to leadership roles, including News Director and Deputy Editor of the Daily Mercury.
He joined Mackay Regional Council as a Communications Coordinator in late 2014 and then led the Corporate Communications and Marketing team as Executive Manager from 2018.
Mark first stepped into the Acting Community Services Director role with an eight-month acting assignment in 2022.
That fuelled his ambition to enhance his council leadership further. He was Acting Executive Manager Health and Regulatory Services for three months in 2023 and again took the helm as Acting Community Services Director in late 2024 before being recruited to the role permanently in 2025.
Away from work, Mark has had a long association with horse racing as an owner and has returned to his childhood sport of table tennis after retiring from football (soccer) a few years ago.
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CORPORATE SERVICES
DIRECTOR: CHRIS KELLY
Joined council > July 29, 2024
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Responsibilities
- Procurement
- Information Services
- People & Culture
- Financial Services
- Customer Experience
- WHS & Quality
- Corporate Governance and Performance
Profile
Chris joined Mackay Regional Council as Director Corporate Services from City of Darwin, where he managed procurement, customer service, IT, risk, insurance, and legal services.
He has had a unique career in local government across 16 years in Queensland and the Northern Territory. He started his local government career with Brisbane City Council, advising successive Lord Mayors and senior executives, before taking on people leadership and management roles in the Northern Territory with City of Palmerston and City of Darwin.
Some of his key achievements include the development of City of Palmerston’s nationally awarded Community Plan, development of City of Darwin’s ICT Roadmap, and the delivery of innovative and cost-effective administration in insurance, fleet management, legal services and customer service.
Chris also led finance and human resources functions whilst in the Northern Territory, focusing on financial sustainability and revenue management.
He and his wife are enjoying the return to Queensland, having grown up in south-east Queensland. They have four children and are keen to enjoy the unique lifestyle North Queensland has to offer.
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INFRASTUCTURE AND OPERATIONS
DIRECTOR: SIMON TAYLOR
Joined council > January 28, 2025
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Responsibilities
- Waste Services
- Water Network
- Water Treatment
- Water and Sewerage Infrastructure Planning
- Transport & Drainage Infrastructure Planning
- Civil Operations
- Asset Management
- Design Services
- Portfolio Management
- Parks and Open Spaces
- Property and Plant
Profile
Simon, who joined council from Brisbane, has had an extensive career.
He is originally from the United Kingdom, where he worked in the water industry. He has also spent time in New Zealand with Watercare, where he developed the long-term strategy for Auckland’s water and sewerage services.
Simon is a Fellow of Engineers Australia and is an active member of the Australian Water Association.
He has led teams in utilities, such as Urban Utilities and Unitywater in south-east Queensland, as well as a diverse range of technical specialists in consultancies.
Simon also recently spent two years leading an international team investigating the causes and ways to reduce water losses for major water suppliers in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
He has a lifelong passion for travel and exploration. He is fascinated by Antarctica, having visited it once as a tourist, and hopes to return one day.
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PLANNING, GROWTH
AND SUSTAINABILITY
DIRECTOR: ALETTA NUGENT
Joined council > January 28, 2019
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Responsibilities
- Strategic Planning
- Development Planning and Engineering
- Economic Development and Tourism
- Mackay City and Waterfront Project
Profile
Aletta has been working in local government at an executive and senior management level for 12 years after starting her career as a solicitor specialising in planning and environmental law.
She holds qualifications in law, science and land use planning.
Aletta has worked in local government in both Western Australia and Queensland, relocating to Mackay from Broome. She was born and raised in regional Queensland and has a strong attachment to North Queensland.
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Acting Executive Officer
Chris Molyneaux
Joined council > October 16, 2023
Appointed acting director > August 4, 2025
Appointed acting executive officer > May 5, 2026
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Profile
Chris was born in Mackay and has spent most of his life in north Queensland before moving to Victoria in 2014.
He spent 10 years in Victoria working in regional Local Governments.
Chris moved back to Mackay in October 2023 and joined council as the Chief Financial Officer.
Chris is a qualified accountant and also holds a Certified Practising Accountant certification.
He is passionate about increasing local government efficiency and transparency.
He is committed to ensuring community services are consistently delivering the greatest value in an effective manner.
Outside of work, most of his spare time is spent with family. Chis and his wife have three children, an older daughter and boy/girl twins.
As parents with a young family, they enjoy exploring the various parks and playgrounds across the region.