A baby boomer born in the Kent, the Garden of England, and worked in a number of countries, including Switzerland, South Africa and Turkey, for a US multinational corporation, retiring as the UK Director of Finance of a pharmaceutical joint venture based in North Herts. Retired in 2001 at the age of 51 when the company was bought out by another pharm company. At that time I had been a district councillor for North Herts District Council (NHDC) for a year, when I was elected, on a recount, with a majority of 48, taking the safe Lib Dem seat of Letchworth South West. I was immediately made the ‘shadow’ Finance Portfolio Holder and Deputy Leader in a trialling arrangement prior to go to a Leader and Cabinet arrangement in May 2001. I served in that position for more 16 years, when I had to step down as an NHDC Cabinet Member because I was made a Cabinet Member at Hertfordshire County Council (HCC).
During those years I ensured that ‘the books balanced’ and adequate funds were available for schemes in which the Administration wished to invest. I was re-elected to NHDC on increasing majorities on 4 occasions by the residents of Letchworth South West. In 2009, I was elected to Herts County Council for the division of Letchworth North, taking the safe Labour seat with a significant majority. In 2013, I changed from Letchworth North division of HCC to the Letchworth South, where I have lived for over 40 years and was the NHDC councillor. I was re-elected in 2017 with an increased majority.
During my time at HCC, I started as a Deputy Portfolio Holder for Resources (Finance) and then in 2011 moved to Waste Management, (which interestingly included Herts involvement in the London Olympics). In 2015 I was made Chairman of Overview & Scrutiny where I completely revised the arrangements for holding the Administration to account especially the annual budget process. Since May 2017, I have been the Cabinet Member for Community Safety (CS) and Waste Management (WM). CS includes the Fire & Rescue Service with 29 fire stations and nearly 60 appliances, Trading Standards and the Prevent (anti radicalization) agenda, while WM includes the 17 household waste recycling centres (HWRC) and interactions with the District & Boroughs through the Herts Waste Partnership (HWP). In recent times, we have managed both services in an environment influenced by Covid 19. Issues included the need to close the HWRCs for a period of time and deploying firefighters to other roles including driving ambulances, delivering food parcels, marshalling town centres and supporting vaccination and testing centres.
I am currently the HCC representative on the Board of the Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation (LGCHF) and am a governor at Lordship Farm and Fearnhill schools.
YOU KNOW WHERE I AM IF YOU NEED ME.
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