As local government heads towards a White Paper which will attempt to shake off its image of a sector run by middle-aged men, The MJ has sought out some of the rising stars of tomorrow, highlighting 40 officers and elected members in local government who are under 40. Here are just some of the future hopes for local goverment… Name: Florence Nosegbe Age: 27 Title: Labour deputy cabinet member for young people, Lambeth LBC. Previous post(s): Chair of housing scrutiny sub-committee. Biggest achievement: Getting elected in 2006 as part of the only Labour group to regain control in 2006 and working with the Islington Labour group campaign where the group almost regained control and increased from 10 to 23 councillors. Personal ambition: To break the political boundaries and act as a role model knowing I have made a positive impact and change during my time in public office. Name: Ed Cox Age: 38 Title: Policy adviser to Hazel Blears, secretary of state for Communities and Local Government. Previous post(s): Director of policy and public affairs, Local Government Information Unit, member of the Commission on Integration and Cohesion, andchair of Urban Forum. Biggest achievement: Co-ordinator of Community Pride Initiative (a voluntary organisation based in Manchester) through which I founded the participatory budgeting unit and the community network for Manchester. Personal ambition: To act with common sense, to make policy with creativity, to lead with inspiration, to serve with humility and to build vibrant and peaceful neighbourhoods and communities of hope and power. Name: Giles Roca Age: 33 Title: Head of media and marketing, Essex CC. Previous post(s): Working for the LGA, Scottish Parliament and in the House of Lords. Biggest achievement: Initiating and leading the national campaign against post office closures, shortly to result in the reopening of a number of branches. Personal ambition: To make the Essex CC communications operation the best in either the public or private sectors and, of course, to deliver the best quality of life to the people of Essex. Name: Alan Wardle Age: 36 Title: Programme director for public affairs, LGA. Previous post(s): Director of parliamentary and public affairs, Stonewall. Biggest achievement: Helping ensure civil partnerships for gay couples became law. Personal ambition: To help the LGA punch above its weight and to learn to sing. Name: Matt Bradney Age: 34 Title: Lead member for growth and infrastructure (Conservative), Cambridgeshire CC. Previous post(s): Cabinet member for planning and regional matters. Biggest achievement: Being the youngest-ever cabinet member for Cambridgeshire CC, after less than 3 years after being elected. As daunting as it was when I was appointed I feel I embraced this challenge and achieved what I wanted in the role. Personal ambition: Having just being appointed by our new leader, it is probably dangerous to admit that I am after her job, but I am. I recognise I have done very well already, and for my age on a County Council I am probably pushing the acceptance limits, but I want to lead the council. Name: Jessica Crowe Age: 37 Title: Executive director of the Centre for Public Scrutiny. Previous post(s): Policy officer, Local Government Information Unit and councillor and deputy leader and deputy mayor to the executive mayor, Hackney LBC. Biggest achievement: Helping steer the once worst-run local authority in England to three-star performance. Personal ambition: To promote the reputation of politics and government as an essential good rather than a necessary evil. Name: Shiria Khatun Age: 36 Title: Labour councillor, Tower Hamlets LBC. Biggest Achievements: Getting elected as a councillor in 2006 (first time) and then being appointed as the first female Bangladeshi ‘special adviser' on Transport for London for former mayor Ken Livingstone, one of my political heroes. Personal ambition: Become an NEC member. Name: Kirsty McNeill Age: 28 Title: Labour member for East Walworth Ward, Southwark LBC and Labour PPC for Bermondsey and Old Southwark. Previous post(s): None - I'm a first term councillor. Biggest achievement: Getting the council to invest quarter of a million pounds to replace pipes on the Heygate Estate. Personal ambition: To help my constituents get their housing repairs and allocations done well the first time around and to ensure that the massive local regeneration scheme benefits the people who live here and not just the developers. Name: Brandon Hallam Age: 30 Title: Head of policy (and international relations), Essex CC. Previous post(s): Head of leader's office; director of local government research, Policy Exchange. Biggest achievement: Leading the development of EssexWorks, Essex CC's vision, priorities and change programme for the next four years. Personal ambition: Have lots of kids, to work at No 10 and beat my boss at tennis. Name: Nick Cuff Age: 26 Title: Conservative councillor, Wandsworth LBC.Previous post(s): Public affairs manager, Local Government Information Unit. Biggest achievement: Being elected with the second-largest swing in Wandsworth at the age of 24. Personal ambition: To contribute to increasing the number of young people becoming councillors. Name: Marie Jenkins Age:26 Title: Liberal Democrat College ward councillor and Teignbridge youth champion (Liberal Democrat), Teignbridge DC.Previous posts: N/A Biggest Achievement: Being the youngest councillor on Teignbridge DC after winning my seat from the incumbent independent of ten years' standing. Personal Ambition: To encourage more young women to stand for seats in local government, to realise my potential and serve my community to the best of my ability and to have a bit of fun along the way. Name: Adam Marshall Age: 29 Title: Head of policy and development, Centre for Cities. Previous post(s): Senior researcher, Centre for Cities; Business development manager, Cambridge-MIT Institute (2003-2004); PhD international studies, Cambridge (2000-2003). Biggest achievement: Igniting a debate on elected city-regional mayors, and urviving the subsequent backlash. Personal ambition: To help cities develop practical ways to grow their economies - as both a critical friend and devil's advocate. Name: Sarah Richardson Age: 34 Title: Cabinet member for children's services on Westminster City Council. Previous post(s): Cabinet member for leisure and lifelong learning. Biggest achievement: My daughter, Claudia. Personal ambition: To improve educational outcomes for Westminster children - through early intervention, providing better pastoral care and supporting teachers. Name: Paul Medd Age: 37 Title: Executive director, Fenland DC. Previous Posts: Personnel and development manager, South Tyneside MBC and head of HR and OD, Ipswich BC. Biggest Achievement: Being part of the Fenland DC ‘one-team' that successfully became the first district council to jump from ‘fair' to ‘excellent' in CPA. Personal ambition: To continue to develop within my role at Fenland DC in order to support the council to successfully deliver its key corporate priorities. In the future I would like to be a chief executive. Name: Stephen Moir Age:34 Title: Director of people and policy, Cambridgeshire CC. Previous post(s): Director of HR, Cambridgeshire CC; Head of HR, South Tyneside Council; HR Manager, Lancashire Police. Biggest achievement: President of the Public Sector People Managers' Association. Personal ambition: To stay in public service, keep learning , being challenged and, above all else, enjoy what I do. Name: Brian Connell Age: 38 Title: Cabinet member for communities and economic development, Westminster City Council. Previous post(s): Cabinet member for children's services, chairman of built environment overview and scrutiny committee. Biggest achievement: I was delighted to lead the creation of two new-build City Academies to replace one of Westminster's failing schools. I've remained a governor of one of those new schools. Personal ambition: I hope I can pursue my political ambitions while we're about to start a family and still pursue a professional career with KPMG. Name: Martin Reeves Age: 38 Title: Chief executive, Bedfordshire CC. Previous post(s): Policy and research manager, Reigate & Banstead BC; head of policy, performance and business support (lifelong learning) at Waltham Forest LBC; head of performance improvement and director, WorkSmart programme, Westminster City Council. Biggest achievement: Personally, it has to be becoming a father for the first time. Professionally, becoming a chief executive before 40 – with two years to spare. Personal ambition: To become a respected chief executive of a unitary authority. Name: Daniel Ratchford Age: 37 Title: Director of programmes, Capital Ambition. Previous post(s): Director of corporate development, Islington PCT; assistant chief executive, Islington LBC and various roles at: PA Consulting, Turning Point, Audit Commission Biggest achievement: Leading Capital Ambition (London's regional improvement and efficiency partnership) through its first two years. Personal ambition: To be a London borough chief executive while I'm still young enough to enjoy it. Name: Marisa Heath Age: 27 Title: Surrey CC member for Englefield Green, vice-chairman of the county council's children and families select committee, looked after children member champion at the county council. Previous post(s): None – I only joined the county council 18 months ago. Biggest achievement: Encouraging other young people to see politics at national and local level is exciting by visiting schools and speaking at local events. Personal ambition: To continue to learn about the way the county council works and to raise the significance of local government. Outside politics, my ambition is to be a published novelist. Name: Henry Smith Age: 39 Title: Leader of West Sussex CC.Previous post(s): County councillor since 1997, cabinet member from 2001-2003, former Crawley borough councillor. Biggest achievement: Becoming the youngest county council leader in the country in 2003 and successfully decentralising decision-making to local members and communities. Personal ambition: To play my part in restoring democratic accountability over local public services and taxation by changing local administration back in to true local government once again. Name: Daniel Cox Age: 37 Title: Leader of Norfolk CC. Previous post(s): Store manager, Somerfield. Biggest achievement: Completing my MBA after having left school at 16. Personal ambition: Maintaining a balance in life. Name: Nick Small Age: 34 Title: Opposition spokesperson for enterprise and tourism, Liverpool City Council. Biggest achievement: Being part of a team that has revitalised Labour in Liverpool, bringing Labour to the verge of taking control of Liverpool City Council in 2010. Personal ambition: To play the guitar. Name: Ed Turner Age: 30 Title: Deputy leader of Oxford City Council, board member for strategic planning, finance and housing. Previous posts: Executive member for housing and strategic planning, politics lecturer and researcher and football referee. Biggest achievement: Kicking off redevelopment of Rose Hill estate in Oxford, with new houses and a big fall in crime. Personal ambition: Helping Oxford remain a world-class player – but for everyone – with an urban extension to build badly-needed new homes. Name: Adam Paynter Age: 35 Title: Deputy leader, Cornwall CC and environment and heritage portfolio holder. Biggest achievement: Delivering and implementing a £500m integrated waste management contract. Personal Ambition: To make Cornwall a ‘green peninsula' with sustainable energy production at the heart of economic development. Name: Megan Nurse Age: 36 Title: Assistant chief executive – policy and performance, Tameside MBC. Biggest achievement: Being part of the team that has helped the council to secure recognition as one of the very best authorities in the country. Personal ambition: As long as I'm enjoying what I am doing, I don't think about my career in terms of position or status. Name: Iquo Ema Age: 39 Title: Marketing and communications account manager at Hull City Council. Biggest achievement: The successful re-brand and launch of a new set of telephone and broadband tariffs to the consumer market while working at Kingston Communications. Personal ambition: I'm learning to play the saxophone. I'd like to be a solo artist or work with a band. Name: Geethika Jayatilaka Age: 33 Title: Ward councillor for Kings Cross at Camden LBC. Biggest achievement: Putting children and families at the heart of the 2006 budget as cabinet member for children. Personal ambition: To make Camden a more equal borough and a better place to grow up or grow old or simply live life. Name: Joanna Sumner Age: 39 Title: Assistant chief executive (policy and performance), Hackney LBC. Previous post(s): Started at Hackney as head of leader's office in 2002, not long before the leader, Jules Pipe, became the directly-elected mayor that year. Biggest achievement: Six years' work that has contributed to turning Hackney LBC from local government pariah into a three- star, strongly improving council. Name: Chris Leslie Age: 35 Title: Director of NLGN since September 2005. Previous post(s): Previously parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Constitutional Affairs (2003 to 2005). Biggest achievement: Piloting the Constitutional Reform Act through the House of Commons in 2004, championing the creation and location of the new UK Supreme Court to be opened in Parliament Square next year. Name: Parmjit Dhanda Age: 36 Title: Parliamentary under-secretary of state, Department for Communities and Local GovernmentPrevious post(s): Assistant Government whip, 2005-06; parliamentary under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills, 2006-07. Biggest achievement: The new challenging diversity programme for the fire service. Personal ambition: To ensure the preventing violent extremism work that we do is on everybody's agenda. Name: Nathan Elvery Age: 39 Executive director of resources & customer services London Borough of Croydon. Previous post(s): Assistant director of finance. Westminster Biggest achievement: Inspiring my team to four star use of resources. Personal ambition: to become a chief executive Name : Richard Stokoe Age : 33 Title: Head of news for the LGA. Previous post(s): Head of press for GLA Lib Dem group; head of communications for Simon Hughes' mayoral campaign. Biggest achievement: helping to turn the LGA media team into one of the best press operations in the country. Personal ambition: To look back on my life when I die and say I had no regrets. Name: Nick Kavanagh Age: 39 Title: Executive director, change and transformation, Knowsley MBC. Previous post: Assistant chief executive. Biggest achievement: Becoming executive director of a large authority at 38. Personal ambition: To spend more time with my little girl, Holly. Name: Phillipa Cook Age: 33 Title: Head of communications, Knowsley MBC. Previous post(s): Service communications manager, Knowsley Council. Biggest achievement: A successful career transition from private sector consultancy work to deliver in the public sector. Personal ambition: To create bigger and better opportunities in my personal and professional life. Name: Nathan Yeowell Age: 31 Title: Head of office, LGA Labour Group Previous post(s): Political analyst, BBC News; parliamentary researcher; research analyst, Cardiff University. Biggest achievement: Maintaining the influence of the Labour Group within the LGA in spite of disappointing local election results. Ambition: Labour local government working with Labour Government to help promote greater fairness and economic opportunity. We need to celebrate this partnership – and continue to campaign on its successes. Name: Natalie Tarry Age: 30 Title: Director of research and deputy director of the Social Market Foundation. Previous post(s): Research manager at NLGN, researcher at the European Parliament. Biggest achievement: Getting to grips with the idiosyncracies of English local government, despite being German and becoming a big fan. Personal ambition: Continuing to convince the centralisers around Whitehall that only a revitalised local government with real powers will reconnect the public with the political process. Name: Michael Bennett Age: 33 Title: Assistant director general, SOLACE.Previous post(s): Senior research fellow, Scottish Local Authorities Management Centre, University of Strathclyde; Biggest achievement: Professionally, being part of a successful SOLACE team that has transformed its capacity to influence the UK local government environment and which provides excellent service to our members. Personal ambition: To break four hours in my next marathon. Name: Corin Thomson Age: 30 Title: Programme director, improvement and performance, LGA. Previous post(s): Senior policy consultant. Biggest achievement: Influencing the development of the new performance framework, so that it genuinely frees up local government and enables them to deliver better outcomes for local people. Personal ambition: To keep on travelling the world until I run out of places to visit. Name: Louise Tonkinson Age: 32 Title: Head of communications for Calderdale MBC. Previous post(s): (Acting) Head of communications for Leeds City Council. Biggest achievement: Teaching underprivileged children in Israel, having my children, and my journey from a three-week temporary contract as an assistant press officer through to head of communications in just seven years. Personal ambition: To have no regrets, to design and build a home in Tuscany (complete with vineyard) and see my children grow up happy and healthy. Name: Andy Sawford Age: 32 Title: Chief executive, LGIU Previous post(s): Director, Connect Public Affairs, providing policy and influencing consultancy advice to local authorities. Biggest achievement: founding the All Party Parliamentary Local Government Group. Personal ambition: to make the LGiU Britain's leading think tank, recognised for achieving a fundamental shift in the balance of power between central and local government.
