Mick Burrows, the Chief Executive of Nottinghamshire County Council has announced that he will retire when he reaches his 60th birthday in the summer of 2015.

His retirement will mark the end of an era for the Council. Mick has lived and worked in Nottinghamshire all of his life, working for the County Council for the last 19 years and serving as Chief Executive for the last six and a half years. In total, Mick has given 41 years of dedicated public service to the people of Nottinghamshire.

Mick began his career as a Casual Administrative Assistant at HM Land Registry in 1974. He then served nearly twenty years in different roles within the field of public services, relating to employment and training.

Mick joined the County Council in 1995 as a Regeneration Project Manager. Promoting employment and regenerating growth within Nottinghamshire have been central to Mick’s working career and remain objectives close to his heart. Following a number of managerial promotions, Mick was appointed as Chief Executive in April 2008.

Within a year of his appointment the County Council was awarded a four star rating following an inspection by the Audit Commission and was classed as “improving well”.

His tenure has coincided with one of the largest rises in public satisfaction with services in the Council’s history and the delivery of a number of landmark projects within the County. Major regeneration initiatives have seen the long-awaited widening of the A453, the start of the roll-out of broadband to thousands of homes and businesses and new bus stations at Newark, Retford and Mansfield.

In recent years Mick has overseen the implementation of huge changes at the County Council, steering the authority through a period of transition in the face of unprecedented reductions in Government funding whilst ensuring minimum impact on critical frontline services.

Announcing his intention to retire this morning, Mick Burrows said: “The reason for making this announcement now is to afford councillors the time to plan and prepare for the appointment of my successor and to allow a full and proper handover in 2015.

“It has been a privilege to serve as the Council’s Chief Executive and Clerk to the Lieutenancy for the past six and half years. Without doubt, one of the best things about our Council is the people who work here, I have been exceptionally lucky to have had such a superb team working together across the whole Council at all levels and in all areas.

“Local authorities make significant and sometimes difficult decisions that affect people’s lives on a daily basis, a responsibility we take extremely seriously. Despite facing incredibly tough challenges at times, working in local government and public service provides an opportunity for people, like me, to make a positive difference to our local communities and for that reason it is a career I would sincerely recommend to everyone.

“I will take with me many very special memories and treasured moments. I leave the Council with no firm plans except to spend more time with my family and friends and hopefully pick up on all the things I promised I would do, but never managed to find the time.”

During his time as Chief Executive, Mick has worked alongside elected members from all political parties, including both Labour and Conservative administrations and has served two Lord Lieutenants including Sir Andrew Buchanan and the current Lord Lieutenant Sir John Peace.

Councillor Alan Rhodes, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council paid tribute to the way Mick Burrows has steered the Council through one of its most difficult periods.

Councillor Rhodes said: “Since his appointment under the previous Labour administration and both in my time in opposition and during the last 15 months as Leader of the Council, I have had the utmost respect for Mick.

“With the biggest cuts to Government funding for local services in a generation, this has been one of the most difficult periods in the Council’s history, but Mick has tackled these challenging times with tremendous professionalism, character and determination. I am very grateful to Mick for his dedicated service and wish him a happy and thoroughly deserved retirement.

“The end of one era means the start of another one though of course, and we will look upon the appointment of a new Chief Executive as a tremendous opportunity for the Council to further accelerate our ambitious plans for the County Council.”

Sir John Peace, Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, added: “As Clerk to the Lieutenancy, Mick has provided invaluable support both to myself and Sir Andrew Buchanan as Lord Lieutenant before me.

“He has served the people of Nottinghamshire for over 41 years and his contribution to Nottinghamshire as the Council’s Chief Executive has been nothing short of superb. I wish him every success and happiness in the future.”

The recruitment of a new Chief Executive will be discussed at the next Nottinghamshire County Council meeting on 18 September.