Who's Speaking?

Amelia Walker is the Head of Centre for Service Transformation at the LGiU, a leading thinktank for local democracy.

John Tizard was appointed as the first Director of the Centre for Public Service Partnerships, at the University of Birmingham, in January 2008.

Ged began his career in Local Government with Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council in Merseyside in 1983.

Gavin joined Swindon Borough Council in 2004 and has been Chief Executive for over 3 years. Gavin is a Board Member of the national think tank the New Local Government Network, (NLGN), and more recently was appointed Vice Chair of the South West Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership.

In August 2008 Sheila was appointed Chief Executive of Leicester City Council. She is committed to working on One Leicester, the new city strategy that will take Leicester through the next 25 years. 

Chris Leslie is MP for Nottingham East, having been elected in May 2010. Prior to this Chris was the Director of New Local Government Network, leading their work as an all-party not-for-profit public policy thinktank since 2005.

Rosie was appointed as Minister of State at Communities and Local Government on 8 June 2009, a role she will undertake jointly with her responsibilities at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Rosie is also Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber, a position she has held since January 2008.

On 14 May 2010 Bob Neill MP was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at Communities and Local Government.

George Garlick was educated at Dartington Hall School and Hull University, obtaining a BA in Philosophy in 1978. After qualifying as a teacher, he taught in the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency’s college in Riyadh for two years before returning to England to become legally qualified.