Speakers

Luc De Rooms

City of Antwerp

Luc works for the City of Antwerp, Belgium. He has 35 years’ experience in Environment and Waste and is an expert in prevention campaigns. He has worked with all kinds of containers and garbage bins, as well as automatised collection and planning by fill level sensors. Luc is familiar with both Belgium and European legislation about public procurement. He has experience in inventing, planning, coaching, and managing projects.

This year, he is working on a project called "Innovative Waste Management towards a circular economy". This involves looking at collection, sorting and recycling more plastics, waste transport on water, and urban Pre Composter.

Sally Loudon

Chief Executive, COSLA

Sally was appointed Chief Executive of COSLA in January 2016.  Before this, she was Chief Executive at Argyll and Bute Council, and has over 20 years’ local government experience in a range of senior roles at a number of local authorities. Sally has also held key office bearer positions within SOLACE (Society of Local Authority Chief Executives) Scotland, and with ALACE (Association of Local Authority Chief Executives).

Sally is a key player in the Scottish Local Government world. She has a real desire to get local government back to its rightful place in the governance of Scotland and is also very much a champion of the role Councils can play in terms of Community Leadership.

Tim Sadler

Executive Director of Community Services, Oxford City Council

Tim is Executive Director of Community Services at Oxford City Council, one of the four-person team that has transformed the council from CPA weak to earning the MJ Top Achieving Council, IIP Gold award and APSE Council of the Year Award 2015. Tim currently works on Environmental Services, Leisure, Parks and Communities, Community Safety and the Council's aim to become a future European Green City.

With 20 years' experience of working at Chief Officer level in local government, Tim has helped to turn failing services around at Oxford. He is now focused on place shaping and delivering great outcomes for the city and its people. 

David Bentley

CIPFA

David is a professionally qualified Quantity Surveyor with over 35 years’ experience in the Public and Private Sectors. He has been with CIPFA for 17 years where he holds the role of Head of Asset Management within the CIPFA group, with an overall responsibility for construction and highways-related networks. David is known as one of the leading UK experts on property and asset management within the public sector.

Before joining CIPFA, he was involved in the management of corporate procurement functions within two large unitary authorities, together with research and policy development for ‘Best Value’ at a strategic level.

Claire Mansfield

Head of Research, NLGN

Claire oversees the NLGN research programme. Her particular interests include; place shaping, community engagement, and local government’s relationship with other public services and local stakeholders.

Previously, Claire worked as a Support Officer for a Local Involvement Network (LINk) in London and carried out research for the Social Inclusion Unit of Cork City Council.

Claire holds a PhD (NUI) in Social Sustainability, an MA in Geography (Sustainable Development) and a BA in Mathematics/Geography from University College Cork (NUI).

Dermot O'Hara

Director of People Strategies, LGSC

Dermot is Director of People Strategies with the Local Government Staff Commission for Northern Ireland. Within this role he has led on the preparation, development and implementation of the People and Organisation Development initiatives, supporting councils in developing best practice at a regional level. Dermot has previous experience in developing and implementing business improvement, performance management frameworks, and deploying strategic improvement tools such as the EFQM Excellence Model. He has served as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Health and Social Care Trusts and has experience in promoting and supporting good governance, with a focus on performance across a range of organisations.

John Kelpie

Chief Executive, Derry City and Strabane District Council

John Kelpie is the Chief Executive of Derry City and Strabane District Council. This newly-formed Council serves a larger geographical area and has a range of additional powers, functions and responsibilities to its predecessor councils.

John led on the creation of the new organisation, designing an innovative, flexible and responsive staffing structure with a clear vision; to develop a thriving, prosperous and sustainable City and Region with equality of opportunity for all.

This vision will be achieved by focusing on economic, environmental and social well-being, and regeneration. The Council will work to address and target poverty, social exclusion and disadvantage through its new processes and functions.

Professor Steven Griggs

De Montfort University

Steven is Professor in Public Policy at De Montfort University. Steven’s research investigates local democratic governance, the delivery of local services, and the mobilisation and evolution of community campaigns (with particular reference to the field of environmental politics). He has undertaken policy development work with a number of local authorities and public sector organisations, as well as undertaking national policy evaluations and contributing to senior management leadership programmes.

He is currently participating in an ESRC comparative research study on the impact of austerity on cities and collaborative governance across eight countries.

Steven was one of the founding editors of the international journal, Critical Policy Studies.