Gilles Quénéhervé is the new prefect of Lozère. It was officially installed this Monday, November 25, 2024.
Barely arriving in the department, Gilles Quénéhervé made his first outing as prefect of Lozère this Monday, November 25, 2024, on the occasion of the ceremony marking his taking office. In the afternoon, he received the press to introduce himself.
Previously sub-prefect of Le Havre, in Seine-Maritime, Philippe Castanet's successor takes his first post as prefect there. After being trained at the ENA, he held several positions, including secretary general of the Lot prefecture, sub-prefect of Morlaix and director of sports at the Ministry of Sports. An area he knows well: Gilles Quénéhervé practiced athletics at a high level; he was world vice-champion in the 200m in 1987 and a bronze medalist in the 4x100m relay at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
“The sense of responsibility”
Gilles Quénéhervé takes on his first mission as prefect “with a great sense of responsibility” : “We, the State, must be able to support territories, communities, elected officials to ensure the best possible service to our fellow citizens.“, he believes.
Upon his arrival, the prefect had the opportunity to meet elected officials and the civil and military authorities of the department. And appointments have already been made. “I can't wait to discover the territory“, confides the prefect. Although he has already studied files, he does not yet know the Lozère terrain, but will very quickly explore it and take its pulse.
Agriculture and economic development
He already knows that some essential files await him. “Safety is a mandatory topic”he emphasizes. He admits an appetite for “agriculture and economic development”. In Le Havre, he worked a lot on this theme, with the establishment of new businesses and decarbonization; he himself worked in steel before entering senior civil service. The prefect also measures the importance of “the mobility of people and goods”.
To carry out his task, Gilles Quénéhervé announces: “I want to work collectively. We can't do it if we don't work as a team. And there, it's the athlete who talks to you about his experience. Despite the qualities I had, despite the work, without the team around me, it would have been impossible. Dialogue, work collectively, and find solutions.”
