Chairman and Vice Chairs of the Alliance

Chairman - Councillor John Dean

The Chairman of the Alliance Executive Board is Councillor John Dean, who is also the Leader of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. This aligns the Alliance with central government's requirement for local government politicians to adopt a stronger, more visible leadership role in public partnerships.

John has been a borough councillor since 1991and is Councillor for Brookmans Park and Little Heath. He has been Leader of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council for three years.

Speaking about the Alliance, John said: "The work of the Welwyn Hatfield Alliance is vital to delivering the quality of life to which residents and workers in the borough are entitled. Since the introduction of the Alliance in 2003, it has gone from strength-to-strength and the organisations that come together to form the Alliance all do incredible work. Partnership work can be challenging, but – when you see the results – very rewarding. I believe the Alliance has an important role to play in sustaining and developing our community and I am proud to be chairing such a positive and progressive Local Strategic Partnership."

Vice Chair - Sue Beck

Sue Beck is the public health partnership manager for East and North Herts PCT.  Previously , she worked for Welwyn Hatfield PCT from June 2004 and so knows the area well. Sue has worked for the NHS for 13 years.  During that time, her different roles have always had a strong partnership focus, working with both the statutory and voluntary sectors across Hertfordshire.

Sue said: "The Alliance provides us with a great way to work to address both the issues and opportunities that our local community faces which need a multi agency approach. Within the Alliance we have organisations who bring commitment, skills, enthusiasm and vision to addressing these issues both strategically and operationally. I am very proud of what the Alliance has achieved so far and I know that together we can achieve so much more."

Sue Beck is currently on secondment and due to return in June 2009. 

Vice Chair - Christine Novelli

I have been involved with the Alliance since it first started, with a desire to see the local church, and faith, back at the heart of the community. With this motivation, and a passion for all to have the opportunity to reach their full potential, I got involved with the District Children’s Trust Partnership (formally the Children and Young People’s Partnership), taking the lead for the Every Child Matters target of ‘making a positive contribution’.

I have also been an active member of the Welwyn Hatfield Interfaith Group since 2004 and have chaired the group for the last three years. I have many years experience working in the voluntary and community sector as Community Liaison for Herts International Church, and as co-director of the Assembly Angels, a Christian organisation which takes a good citizenship programme into local schools.

It is a very exciting time for voluntary and community sector groups to be so well established within the Alliance, bringing a tremendous opportunity to see partnership working at its best. The spectrum of organisations committed to the LSP reflects the expertise from grass-roots level to strategic operations. We are achieving so much more for Welwyn Hatfield by working as a team. I look forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.