NALC announce the new chair

Today, the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) announces that Cllr Keith Stevens, East Sussex Association of Local Councils, has been elected as the new chair.

The chair-elect will lead NALC in representing England's 10,000 local (parish and town) councils and their 100,000 councillors. He will take over on 8 December 2021 from Cllr Sue Baxter, Worcestershire Association of Local Councils, recently appointed as a vice-president by NALC's Annual General Meeting. She will continue to play an active role in NALC's work, supporting its new leadership.

Cllr Stevens is the chair of Wartling Parish Council in East Sussex and has been NALC's vice-chair (finance) for the last four years. Before entering public service, he was a private banker with Coutts, specialising in taxation and medical finance. He is currently the chair of East Sussex Community Voice and was previously chair of the East Sussex Association of Local Councils.

Cllr Stevens, chair-elect of NALC, said: "Under Cllr Baxter's leadership, NALC has been a strong national voice and provided vital support to the local (parish and town) council sector, both before and during the pandemic. She has played a crucial role in raising the profile of our important tier of local government at a national level and in driving improvements to our services to local councils and relationships with county associations. I'm delighted Sue will be continuing to play an active part as a vice-president, enabling us to benefit from her knowledge and experience.

"I look forward to working with NALC's new leadership and committees, as well as our staff and county associations, to continue to promote and support local councils. Among my priorities will be ensuring local councils are recognised and acknowledged as the first tier of local government, continuing to improve further and develop our organisation and services and extending our engagement with local councils and growing our membership.".

Cllr Baxter, current chair and vice president of NALC, said: "I want to offer my sincere congratulations to NALC's new leadership who I know will take the organisation and sector from strength to strength. It has been a privilege to be NALC's chair for the last five years and deliver many successes and landmarks. I'm honoured to be vice-president and look forward to continuing to play my part to serve our sector."

After his reelection, Cllr Mike Drew, Avon Association of Local Councils, will continue as NALC's vice-chair (member services). Cllr Peter Davey, Essex Association of Local Councils, has been elected as the new vice-chair (finance), formerly chair of NALC's Finance and Scrutiny Committee. NALC's new leadership will formally take up their roles at NALC's National Assembly on 8 December 2021, where elections will be confirmed.