In each edition of Council, we’re shining a spotlight on the individuals steering our councils – exploring their career journeys, leadership philosophies, and the vision they bring to their communities. For this issue, we spoke with Casey Mihovilovich, the CEO of the City of Mandurah.
Mihovilovich exemplifies the type of dynamic leadership required to steer one of Western Australia’s fastest growing local government areas.
With over two years at the helm, her journey into the role – and her approach to leadership – offers valuable insights for councils across Australia.
Early aspirations and local roots
“I’ve been the CEO for over two years now,” Mihovilovich began.
“My family have been in Mandurah for over 50 years, and I am born and bred here. Mandurah is the most beautiful place in the world, in my eyes.”
Despite a career that began in the private practice, Mihovilovich is unequivocal about her passion for her hometown.
“I’m so passionate about making Mandurah’s future brighter than it is today and making sure that we deliver for the community.
“When I first joined local government, over 20 years ago, I applied for a job at the City of Mandurah as an accountant, and I didn’t get it,” she recalled.
Yet, the setback didn’t deter her.
“I always wanted to work at the City of Mandurah,” Mihovilovich said.
Switching gears
The decision to switch from private practice to local government was driven by a search for balance and greater community impact.
“I was working up in Perth. It’s about an hour drive into the city, but peak hour, sometimes it took two hours,” Mihovilovich said.
“I was playing in the Women’s National Basketball League for the Perth Lynx as well, and the travel was just too much. So that’s when I first applied for a job at the City of Mandurah.”
Though unsuccessful in Mandurah, her details were referred elsewhere.
“They forwarded my details to the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale and they called me to see whether I wanted to go in for an interview,” Mihovilovich said.
“I didn’t really know much about local government, but they offered me the job, and the rest is history.”
This was the beginning of what Mihovilovich described as an extraordinary learning opportunity.
“It was a high-growth and really small local government when I first started, and I was able to go into all sorts of fields and learn a lot about each of the services that a local government can provide,” she said.
Valuing daily impact and lifelong learning
Mihovilovich said that every day working in local government is a highlight.
“I love my job and every interaction I have with a staff member, or a stakeholder is something I enjoy so much,” she said.
Mihovilovich takes special pride in community programs, such as Rhymetime at the local library.
“I am a true believer in lifelong learning and seeing the youngest generation learning to love being a part of the library and for them to read a book really does create a lot of hope for me,” she said.
Leading by example
Mihovilovich’s personal leadership philosophy is rooted in authenticity and professionalism.
“One of the key lessons I have learnt is that people will act and behave the way they want. I have learnt to not let that stop the City or myself from moving forward. I have learnt to use my values to judge my own performance,” she said.
“When we are making decisions or recommending to council to make decisions, it’s important that we’re always doing it in the best interest of the entire community.”
Mihovilovich said that she firmly believes in progress over perfection.
“I think that I’ve had to adjust my perspective. I’m not aiming for perfection, but if I’m doing a task better than I was yesterday, last month or last year, then that’s progress. The challenge for me is to continue to practice that. Progress is far more important than perfection. Perfection – I don’t think it exists,” she said.
Staff well-being, attraction, and retention
Attracting and keeping staff engaged in local government remains a challenge.
“People that work in local government have a high level of resilience. We perform such a vital function, but often you don’t get that recognition from the community,” Mihovilovich said.
She said the solution lies in recognition and support.
“What we can do is ensure that our staff are recognised, ensure that they feel like they are protected and that we will support them, and our actions speak louder than our words.”
Mentors and support networks
Mentorship has played a significant role in Mihovilovich’s path, and she explained that a great mentor for her has been the CEO at the City of Armadale, Joanne Abbiss.
“She broke down the glass ceilings and showed me what was possible,” she said.
“But I’ve been lucky enough also to surround myself with friends who are very successful in their own right, and a dad and mum that are so supportive of me, continuing to be a better person every day and continuing to push myself.”
Projects and progress in Mandurah
Under Mihovilovich’s leadership, Mandurah is embracing growth and innovation.
“We’re currently in the approval phase to create a commercial offering on our iconic Western Foreshore, which would include a mini golf course, a restaurant and microbrewery, and a chocolate factory. This forms part of a wider revitalisation of a popular community area and would see huge benefits for Mandurah’s future,” she said.
“It’s a proposed $25 million investment, and we haven’t seen an investment of that size in the city centre for decades, and so we are hoping that this is a catalyst for other investors to come into Mandurah and to see the potential.”
Major investment in community facilities is also underway.
“The Western Australian Government has committed to build a new netball facility, and we’re creating it as a multi-use facility. We are in the early stages of design and due diligence.”
Ongoing construction and infrastructure development is a talking point amongst residents.
“Often, I get comments that, ‘we’re doing another road construction’, or ‘you’re always under construction’, and I think to myself, ‘Well, isn’t that great?’ We are not stopping, it’s all about progress.”
Mihovilovich said that one persistent local challenge is spurring landowners to develop their city centre properties.
“Developers are telling us that it is because of the construction prices and their price point to sell after they’ve developed. We’re trying to work where we can with the State Government and developers, but it’s still not enough to get the construction price down,” she said.
Mihovilovich expressed her gratitude and appreciation to all local governments across Australia, and to everyone who works in the sector
“We really do impact the way that people live their lives. We all play a part in our community. I just want to say thank you to everyone for that,” she said.
