The recent special TDC meeting appointed David Ford as the new Chief Executive. David will take up his post on 21 June 2021. He will take over from the Acting Chief Executive, Jackie King, who will return to her role as Executive Head of Corporate Resources.
He is currently Director of Commissioned Services at Canterbury City Council, where he has worked for 22 years in a number of roles. David has extensive experience of transforming services, building effective partnerships and working with communities to enhance and improve local facilities and services.
During his time at Canterbury he has been responsible for a wide range of services including waste and recycling, street cleaning, housing, car parks, community venues, parks and countryside, community grants, leisure and culture. Before that David worked at Reigate and Banstead Borough Council for five years in the leisure department.
Commenting on his new job, David Ford, said: “I’m delighted to be joining Tandridge District Council as its new Chief Executive. Having started my local government career in Surrey, I’m really excited about returning to the county to work with councillors and staff to meet the challenges ahead. I’m particularly keen to get to know the local communities and businesses to understand their aspirations and how we can work together to deliver a better future for the people who live and work in the area.”
In a joint statement the Group Leaders, Councillor Tony Elias, Leader of the Council and Conservative Group, Councillor Catherine Sayer, Leader of the Independents and OLRG Alliance, Councillor Chris Botten, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Councillor Martin Allen, Leader of the Independent Group, said:
“We are delighted David has accepted the position and we are looking forward to him joining the Council in June. He will bring with him a wide and varied range of experience, along with the skills to move the Council forward and help position it for future challenges.
He will also bring stability and support for their staff, who have been working tirelessly throughout the pandemic. In addition, he is used to working in a council with a committee, rather than a cabinet system. His extensive experience working collaboratively with the community, partners and businesses, will enable the Council to make the most of any opportunities to improve and enhance the services it provides.”
This news release is endorsed by the Conservative, Independents and OLRG Alliance, Liberal Democrat and Independent groups.