On June 1, 2026, Hilltops General Manager Anthony O’Reilly handed in his resignation papers with little to no warning.
In his stead, Hilltops Council’s Director of Corporate and Community, Sarah Karaitiana has already been appointed as the Council’s new Acting General Manager.
In the wake of Mr O’Reilly’s sudden resignation, Mayor Brian Ingram says the community can expect “business as normal”.
“[Anthony] has handed in his resignation papers for personal reasons and is moving on to a new chapter in his life,” says Mayor Ingram.
“We wish him and his family the best moving forward.”
As for the future role of General Manager for Hilltops Council, Mayor Ingram says they have already started the recruitment process with telephone calls being made on Wednesday, 3 June to recruitment agencies.
Sarah Karaitiana’s appointment to Acting GM is only in the interim as Mayor Ingram says Council plans to look on the open market for a new General Manager. As of yet, no definitive timeline has been made.
“We will be proceeding diligently and will not enforce a timeline,” he says.
“It’s a big process to fill the spot and we are looking for the best fit for our area.”
Mr O’Reilly will be on leave until his employment finishes on June 20.
He worked with the Hilltops Council for six years following his eight years of service at the Eurobodalla Shire Council as the Director of Corporate and Commercial Services.
Mr O’Reilly took over the role as General Manager following the departure of Dr Edwina Marks who was in the role for just over a year.
In an online statement on LinkedIn, Mr O’Reilly said, “Big announcement. I have decided to finish up at Hilltops Council after six years at the helm and will be taking some time off with the family and plan my future endeavours (sic).”
“I’d like to thank everyone who has been part of my journey in making Hilltops a better place. I trust the Council will find a suitable replacement to continue its path forward.
“I’d especially like to give a huge shout out to the incredibly talented and resilient staff who have
supported me during my tenure and wish them all the very best in the future.”
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