The Cumbria Association of Local Councils (CALC) has appointed Dr Sian Thornthwaite as its new Chief Officer, who will be taking over from Sonia Hutchinson upon her retirement.
CALC represents town and parish councils across Cumbria, supporting them in their day-to-day work as an essential part of the structure of local democracy and acting on behalf of the communities they represent.
Sian joins CALC from the Strategic Investment Board in Belfast, where she was responsible for supporting and advising Northern Ireland local authorities and central government departments across many policy areas including agriculture, justice, education and transport.
She trained as a transport planner and worked in senior consultancy roles with local authorities and central Government departments in the UK and overseas.
Mary Bradley, Chair of CALC’s Board of Directors said:
“Sian…brings a breadth of business, strategic policy and operational experience combined with local knowledge…
Sian Thornthwaite said:
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to join CALC at this time, when Cumbria faces both challenging issues and exciting opportunities.
I am pleased to be returning to my home county of Cumbria, and I look forward to getting to know our local councils, and to working with the team at CALC.”