LGIU unveils new Executive Board Chair and Vice-Chairs

The Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) is pleased to announce that its Executive Board has elected three new Vice-Chairs to serve until 2027.

Cllr Abdul Jabbar (Deputy Leader, Oldham Council), Cllr Tracey Dixon (Leader, South Tyneside Council) and Cllr Mark Nuti (Cabinet Member, Surrey County Council) were voted into post at the Executive Board’s most recent meeting in January. The newly elected Vice-Chairs will act as ambassadors for LGIU within the sector to support and enhance member engagement and advocacy.

This follows the election of Cllr Neil Nerva (Cabinet Member, Brent Council) as the LGIU’s Executive Board Chair at the organisation’s annual Members’ Assembly AGM in October. As Chair, Cllr Nerva will provide leadership and direction to the Executive Board and work in partnership with LGIU’s Chief Executive to support the LGIU to achieve its aims.

The LGIU is run by its local authority members. Every member organisation has the opportunity to send a representative to the Members’ Assembly. Executive Board members are then elected from the Members’ Assembly. The Assembly and the Board set our priorities and provide us with guidance, advice and insight.

Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, LGIU, said: “Given the strategic developments across local government reorganisation in England at the moment, the LGIU is proud to have a cross-section of local authority members on its board to support our mission. Our newly elected Chair and Vice-Chairs bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the table to support LGIU in delivering for the future of local government in England. We are excited to be working together to continue to support our local authority members and equip them with the tools they’ll need to tackle the challenging times ahead.”

Cllr Neil Nerva, Executive Board Chair, LGIU, said: “As a long-serving member of the LGIU’s Executive Board, it is a real honour to have been elected as Chair of the LGIU during such a critical time for the sector. I’m looking forward to working with my board colleagues in the months ahead to set the foundations for continued success for the LGIU and its ongoing support for councils across the UK.”

About LGIU’s Executive Board

	About Cllr Neil Nerva - Chair, LGIU Board Neil grew up in Brent and has lived in Queens Park for over 25 years. An experienced back bench councillor, Neil joined the Brent Cabinet in 2020 and is now Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health, and Leisure and a partner member of North West London ICB . Neil promotes partnership work and a one public purse approach to reduce health inequalities and improve wellbeing . Neil is passionate about making local government a key driver for public service reform
	About Cllr Abdul Jabbar - Vice-Chair, LGIU Board Cllr Jabbar has served as a Oldham MBC councillor for more than 30 years and been a trustee of the LGIU since 2016. Over the last 14 years, he has held the Finance and Human Resources Portfolio with responsibility for a gross budget of over £600m and more recently the Finance and Low Carbon Portfolio.
	About Cllr Tracey Dixon - Vice-Chair, LGIU Board Cllr Tracey Dixon was elected to South Tyneside Council in 2002. She has held many portfolios including Culture and Leisure, Area Management & Community Safety and Adult Social Care and Health, which she continued to lead on when she took on the role of Deputy Leader. In 2020, she became Leader of South Tyneside Council and has led the authority through the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis.
	About Cllr Mark Nuti - Vice-Chair, LGIU Board Cllr Mark Nuti has been a borough councillor for 10 years and a Surrey County Councillor for the last 8 years. He has held a range of cabinet portfolios including communities and adult social care and is currently Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, and Public Health. He is a strong advocate for local government’s vital role in ensuring the wellbeing of our communities be that in health, infrastructure or the local economy.