Cllr John Davies
Leader: Welsh Local Government Association
Councillor John Davies has been Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council since the June, 2004 elections. He became a member of the Authority in 1999 and represents the Cilgerran electoral division.
A former director of the WJEC examination Board and Welsh Books Council, for nine years he was the rural voice on the Electricity Consumer Council and subsequently became a member of Energywatch Wales. Since 2008 he has been the Leader of the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA).
In recognition of his efforts to Local Government in Wales he was anointed the title of ITV Wales Local Politician of the Year in December 2008.
Between 2004 and 2008 he was the WLGA spokesman for Education and Lifelong Learning and was a member of the Welsh Assembly Government ministerial advisory panel for School Standards and Improvement. Until 2008 John represented Wales on the National Employers Organisation for School Teachers. He is a member of Dyfed-Powys Police Authority and is a Governor of Ysgol Y Preseli, Crymych, of which he is a former pupil.
Over the years John has been involved with the media in Wales having been a regular contributor to current affairs programmes both on television and radio. In 2010 he was appointed by the Culture Secretary as a Board Member of S4C Authority.
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Steve Thomas CBE
Chief Executive: Welsh Local Government Association
Steve Thomas is Chief Executive of the WLGA, taking up the post in March 2004. Steve’s first job upon leaving school was to work in the aptly named Marine Colliery in Ebbw Vale as a miner. He has worked in local government since 1989 and subsequently undertook the project management of the reorganisation of Islwyn Borough Council leading up to the establishment of the new unitary authority, Caerphilly County Borough Council, in 1996.
The WLGA is the representative body for the 22 unitary authorities in Wales as well as the 4 police authorities, 3 national park authorities and 3 fire and rescue authorities. Steve is a well known figure within Welsh public policy and is a frequent contributor to the media, setting out the case for all areas of local authorities in Wales. He sits on a huge range of national bodies and is the Chair the Prince’s Trust Cymru. Steve has a First Class Honours Degree in History and Politics and a Masters in Public Management. In November 2010, he was presented with a CBE (arising from the Queens Birthday Honours List 2010) for services to local government.
For more information contact: Barry Williams