After nine years as Chief Executive of Anglican Retirement Villages (ARV), Ken Barber has announced his retirement effective from the end of August.
Speaking to Sydneyanglican.net, ARV chairman Allan Fife paid tribute to the leadership of Mr Barber who oversaw the substantial growth of organisation.
"Ken came in with an implementation strategy to enable ARV to maintain its scale in the light of the ageing of the population," he says. "So we had to devise a structure and organization capable of handling that extent of growth."
"Right from the beginning he brought a strong financial discipline to the organization."
Mr Barber has spent nearly 40 years in the workforce, the past 13 at ARV.
He joined the organisation in 1996 as its Chief Financial Officer.
Mr Fife characterised Mr Barber's leadership as marked by "an unswerving commitment to the fundamental principles of this wonderful organisation; care and Christian witness".
"He has provided good strategic focus combined with someone who loves other people" with Ken you have both in spades."
He says Mr Barber's legacy to ARV will be threefold:
"First, he has been able to develop a philosophy of care transcending commerce.. ensuring the long-term viability of ARV"
"Second, his team of executives. He has built a team of young people who have enourmous amounts of energy and commitment to the organization>"
"Third, his ability to engage directly with residents, so that the people at the heart of ARV are paramount."
"Ken has been a very long serving chief executive in corporate terms," says Mr Fife "It is an extraordinarily onerous job. That is why the Board has been so pleased in the past when Ken has agreed to stay on."
It is understood Mr Barber who is "very heavily involved" in his church " Dural Baptist - is planning to do theological studies, as well as travel in his retirement.
