Angus Council chief executive Margo Williamson is to step down.
She announced her plan to retire from the authority’s top role to councillors on Thursday.
Mrs Williamson came to Angus in 2013.
She was head of education at South Ayrshire Council and took up the newly created post of strategic director of people under then chief executive Richard Stiff.
Her arrival followed a major shake-up of the senior management structure which cut the number of top directors in the council.
First female Angus Council chief executive
Then, in 2017, Mrs Williamson was elevated from within to the £128,000-a-year lead role.
She was the council’s first female chief executive.
Her retirement will bring the curtain down on a 30-year career in public service.
She started her career as a teacher and has served as a programme director with the Scottish Government and as a senior lecturer with Dundee University.
Margo, 60, now plans to commit more of her time to her roles with Columba 1400 and as vice-chair of Dundee and Angus College Board, and being a wife, mum and granny.
As returning officer for Angus, she has overseen two general elections, Scottish and local government elections.
Margo was one of the Tayside CEOs to negotiate and initiate the delivery of the £150m Tay Cities Regional Deal.
She led the council through the massive challenge of Covid 19.
Last September, Margo presided over Operation Unicorn, ensuring the safe passage of the late Queen Elizabeth through Angus following the monarch’s death at Balmoral.
Praise from council leader and predecessor
During her time in Angus, she has worked alongside four political leaders – Iain Gaul and Beth Whiteside of the SNP and Independents Bob Myles and David Fairweather.
Current leader Beth Whiteside said: “As an elected member in the last council session and now as leader for over a year, I have always found Margo to be supportive, approachable, encouraging and greatly value the sage advice and wise counsel Margo has given me.
“I am delighted she is now going to focus on time for herself and her family.
“She will be hugely missed.”
Her predecessor, Arbroath Independent David Fairweather, who was coalition administration leader from 2018 to 2022 added: “I enjoyed a close working relationship with Margo while I was leader, and she was incredibly supportive to me at that time.
“The best value report Angus Council received last year covering the duration of her tenure with my administration was one of the best ever written in Scotland, highlighting the ‘impressive pace of improvement since 2016’ under Margo’s leadership.
“It also praised her close working relationship with elected members in Angus.”
Plans to appoint her successor will start immediately.
Margo has agreed to stay until the new chief executive can take up the post.
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