POWYS County Councillors have chosen a new chief executive, who is expected to take over at the helm in the new year.

Dr Caroline Turner is from Anglesey and will take over the helm in Llandrindod Wells at a very interesting juncture for the authority.

A fluent Welsh speaker, with more than 25-years’ experience in local government and the civil service in Wales, Dr Turner will succeed Dr Mohammed Mehmet, Powys County Council’s acting chief executive.

One of her tasks will be to implement the transformation strategy that Dr Mehmet has been working on.

His contract runs until January, 2019,  and there is expected to be a transition period.

At the moment Dr Turner works at  the Isle of Anglesey County Council as assistant chief executive, a post she took up in 2015.

Dr Turner said: “I am delighted to have been appointed chief executive of Powys County Council and look forward to working with elected members, officers and partner organisations.

"Local government in Wales is facing challenging times but by working together we can deliver good quality sustainable services for the people of Powys.

Dr Turner is married to Michael and has a 23-year-old daughter, Gwenan.

She has a degree in government, a master’s degree in leading public service change and organisational development.

After five years tutoring international politics at University of Wales Aberystwyth, she joined the former Gwynedd County Council and later Isle of Anglesey County Council holding a number of senior positions in economic development.

In 1999 she joined the Welsh Government and spent more than 15 years working in Cardiff and Merthyr holding a number of  senior positions including, head of communities, head of digital Wales, head of expert services, deputy director of Welsh Language and deputy director of Governance.