We’re pleased to announce that our new Chair is Dawn Keightley!
Dawn Keightley
Ms Keightley joined the Leazes Homes as an independent Trustee in August 2017, became Vice Chair in October of the same year, and has now succeeded Bill Midgley as Chair. Mr Midgley had served his maximum term as Chair, having led the organisation from its inception.
Ms Keightley brings a wealth of experience to the position of Chair, having spent over two decades in the social housing sector, mainly working for Anchor, a national provider of supported housing, for fifteen years and latterly for a regional provider, in a range of strategic roles.
Her background is in supported housing and she is working with the NHS England Transforming Care Programme, focusing on increasing housing choices for people with learning disabilities and/ or autism. She is also the Chair of the North East Housing Learning and Improvement Network (LIN), a peer to peer knowledge transfer network across the housing, health and social care sectors that explores innovative housing solutions to support older people and people with long term health conditions.
Ms Keightley said: “It’s an honour for me to be leading Leazes Homes as it approaches its tenth year of operation and I’m looking forward to building on the very strong foundations already laid by my predecessor and the rest of the Leazes Homes team.
“Leazes Homes provides vital housing developments that support Newcastle City Council’s aims for the city and meet the needs of some of the most vulnerable in our society and I’m very proud to be involved in this.
“I’d like to thank Bill Midgley for the great work he and the Board have achieved over the last nine years, and to wish him all the very best in his future endeavours.”
Leazes Homes’ Board also gained two new members earlier this year, with the appointment of William Thompson and Ged Walsh in April.
Mr Thompson currently works as Bid and Business Development Manager for Thompsons of Prudhoe Limited, and takes the lead on bids for projects that require high-hazard complex demolition and dismantling works. He is a non-practising qualified solicitor and during his career has held several directorships and company secretary positions.
Mr Walsh currently works as the Group Director of Assets and Regeneration with County Durham Housing group and has over 30 years of experience working in the construction and housing sectors. He is a chartered surveyor and, during his career, has worked for several large social housing organisations as well as for Homes England.
They are joined by a Newcastle City Council representative, Councillor Veronica Dunn, two further independent Trustees, Mike Reynolds and Cameron Waddell, and a tenant Trustee, Mick Brady – you can read about all of our Trustees here.