Diane Hone joins Gympie Regional Council as new director

Gympie council has named its newest executive following the mass exodus from the top roles following the 2020 election

Diane Hone is the latest member of Gympie regional Council’s new executive team.

Gympie Regional Council has become the latest chapter in a 20-year local government career for Diane Hone, who has taken over the reins as the organisation’s new executive HR manager.

It is the latest step in what has been a lifelong career passion, which started even a decade before her first public service job.

“My HR career started in Franklin’s supermarkets,” Mrs Hone said.

She was with the company from 1990 to the turn of the century; she then joined Brisbane City Council for more than 15 years moving from senior HR advisor to executive HR resources operations manager.

This was followed by stints with Connect Settlement Services (working to resettle declared refugees in Nauru), the LGAQ, and the Banana Shire Council.

Mrs Hone is a 20-year local government veteran.

“I went from a huge council of 9500 to … about 300 staff,” she said.

“I had to look up where Banana was.”

But while HR is the career passion, it is far from Mrs Hone’s only interest.

“My passion is music, and even more specifically music trivia,” she said.

“I used to sing in a band way, way back.

“I just like music and my family is very musical … it’s the thing, and across most genres.”

The council’s management has undergone a big change in staff following the 2020 election.

Tennis also made the list but “I usually injure myself when I play against my brother, who’s very competitive”.

Exploring the wider reaches of the regions she has called home ranked high on the list too.

“A lot of people talk about our area as being the gateway to Fraser, or gateway to the Sunshine Coast.

“What we miss in that is what we’ve got in our own back yard; we’re not just a thoroughfare.

“If I’m not playing music, going out and seeing live music, playing tennis or exploring I’ve probably not got much more spare time.”

Originally published as Diane Hone joins Gympie Regional Council as new director