Cr Tiley has 58 years practical NSW local government experience, including as a General Manager for 15 years (Retired Fellow) and a long time elected councillor since 1991. The recent election was his eighth, having served on 4 general purpose councils and 3 county councils.
Cr Tiley has been a Mayor for a total of 7 years; of the former Maclean Shire (1997-2000), as first Mayor of CVC (2005-2008), and Armidale Regional Council (2020-2021). He has Emeritus Mayor title.
Cr Tiley has been conferred ten State and Commonwealth Ministerial appointments: the Administrator at ARC; conducted four merger inquiries for NSW government in 2016; a member of the 4-person Local Government Acts Taskforce 2012-13 which made recommendations for a new Local Government Act for NSW; and chairperson of the Northern Rivers Regional Development Committee 2009-2015. He has three degrees from UNE Armidale and a Doctorate with a thesis on local government amalgamations. He has lived in Maclean since 1993.