Helen Ball
Amanda Card
Dr Jonathan Carr-West
Philip Clifford
Sophie Hosking
Shivani Menon
Cllr Keith Stevens
Helen Ball began her career in 1997, working part-time for a small East Yorkshire parish council. In 1999, she became a clerk for Beverley Town Council, one of the first councils created by referendum under the Local Government and Rating Act 1997. She later earned a first-class local policy degree from Gloucestershire University in 2007. In 2009, Helen became clerk for Shrewsbury Town Council, overseeing a large council with around 72,000 residents and a £4 million budget. Active in various boards and partnerships, Helen is also the vice-chair of the Society of Local Council Clerks.
The financial challenge of devolution Monday @ 1:55 PM
Amanda Card is a self-motivated individual who strives for continuous improvement in herself and her work. She thrives on learning new things professionally, academically, and personally. Amanda is a qualified clerk with over ten years of experience as a chartered accountant. She's also an advocate of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.
Devolution in action Monday @ 12:30 PM
Dr Jonathan Carr-West leads on all aspects of the think tank’s policy, membership and influencing work. With over 15 years of experience, Jonathan is a leading national expert on local government transformation, local democracy, and public services. Some of his particular interests are participative democracy, the evolving nature of public services, and devolution. With an extensive media profile and sector credibility, he has published on topics as diverse as localism and public service transformation, cognitive and behavioural science, and the politics of cultural memory.
The financial challenge of devolution Monday @ 1:55 PM
Philip Clifford leads the Local Government Association's (LGA) policy work on devolution and place-based growth. His work at the LGA has recently focused on urban and rural recovery, sustainable development, devolution, and constitutional reform. For much of his professional career, Philip has worked on local leadership, regeneration, and public service transformation issues. Before joining the LGA, he was part of the government’s London Thames Gateway Development Corporation. He worked with partners across London's local government on various issues, including housing investment, migration, welfare reform and devolution.
The financial challenge of devolution Monday @ 1:55 PM
Sophie Hosking oversees Cornwall Council's community and regulatory services and the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service. The directorate covers a diverse range of services, including leisure, culture, libraries, community safety, devolution and localism, registration, bereavement, housing options, and emergency management. The business regulatory services include enforcement, development management and waste collection. Sophie was formerly the chief executive of South Hams District Council and West Devon Borough Council. She has also been very involved in community affairs in Cornwall as the chair of governors for a large secondary academy school and the chair of trustees for the Cornwall Food Foundation. She is currently a trustee of the Cornwall Community Foundation.
Do devolution deals still matter? Monday @ 11:25 AM
Cllr Keith Stevens was elected chair in 2021. He is also the chair of Wartling Parish Council in East Sussex and the East Sussex Community Voice and was previously chair of the East Sussex Association of Local Councils. Before entering public service, he was a private banker for 32 years with Coutts & Co, specialising in taxation and medical finance. He also was a non-executive director of the Royal National Throat, Nose, and Ear Hospital.
:
www.nalc.gov.uk
:
@NALC_chair
Setting the tone for Power Shift 2025: Shaping the future of local governance Monday @ 10:30 AM
Reflecting on Power Shift 2025: Closing thoughts and future directions Monday @ 3:30 PM
