Katrina Casey during a Covid-19 media conference in 2020. Photo: RNZ / Ana Tovey
Katrina Casey, head of the government's Implementation Unit, has been appointed as chief executive of the Cyclone Recovery Unit.
The new Unit has been set up to coordinate the cyclone recovery across all government agencies from within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC).
Casey has been acting in the role since 28 February and has been appointed for two years.
She has headed the Implementation Unit as its executive director since mid-2021, and the Covid-19 Group as deputy chief executive, from October last year. Both are also housed within DPMC.
The Implementation Unit was set up in 2021 to monitor the government's delivery on its promises.
The Covid-19 Group was formed in July 2020, to pick up the work of coordinating the Covid-19 response from the mothballed National Crisis Management Centre unit. Much of its responsibilities have since been shifted to the Ministry of Health and Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ).
Casey was previously a deputy secretary at the Education Ministry, and held senior roles at Corrections and Inland Revenue, after working at the Ministry of Works and Development from 1985.
Deputy Public Service Commissioner Heather Baggott said Casey was a "proven leader who is very experienced working with Ministers to deliver complex programmes across the country".
"Ms Casey has a reputation for operational leadership in response to, and recovery from, emergency situations as such COVID-19 and the education rebuild in Christchurch following the earthquakes," she said.