Road renamed in honour Exmouth Shire’s longest-serving CEO Kerry Graham for ‘visionary leadership’

The legacy of the Shire of Exmouth’s longest-serving chief executive, the late Kerry Graham, has been celebrated with a road renamed in his honour.

The section of road was renamed Kerry Graham Road at a special ceremony on May 12 at Exmouth Golf Club to mark the extraordinary contribution of Mr Graham to the shire.

The ceremony was attended by Mr Graham’s family and friends as well as current shire president Matt Niikkula and CEO Ben Lewis.

Dedicating 34 years of his life to the Shire of Exmouth between 1970 and 2004, Mr Graham was chief executive for 31.5 years, the longest in the council’s history.

His leadership shone through during one of the darkest times for the region when, in 1999, category five cyclone Vance tore through the region.

“He stood as a pillar of strength for the community, working tirelessly with government agencies to rebuild lives and infrastructure,” Mr Niikkula said. “He understood that rebuilding wasn’t just about houses, it was about community.“

According to council, some of his many achievements include helping to establish the Development Trust Fund for vital infrastructure projects such as the sealing of Burkett Road, Learmonth Airport terminal building, Exmouth Small Boat Harbour, and Exmouth Marina project.

Mr Graham was also instrumental in overseeing the Community Loan Fund, a critical resource for Exmouth’s many clubs and organisations, recognising the importance of preserving Exmouth’s heritage, leading to the registration of Point Cloates Whaling Station as a State Registered Place and foreseeing Exmouth’s potential as a world-class tourism destination and laying the groundwork for its economic diversification.

“His visionary leadership and unwavering commitment earned him the shire’s highest honour, Honorary Freeman, bestowed in September 2004,” Niikkula said.

It is fitting that the road named in his honour is the entry road to the Exmouth Golf Club, a place that was special to Mr Graham and his contributions immense. He served the club in various roles, including president, secretary and captain as well as being the driving force behind the Exmouth Open Golf Day.

“The renaming of this road is a permanent tribute to Kerry Graham’s spirit of service, dedication and love for the Exmouth community,”Mr Niikkula said.

“His contributions have left an indelible mark on the town and will continue to inspire future generations.”