Council and democracy

Council fills top management positions

Director of finance, Nathan Elvery, takes on increased responsibility as executive director of resources and customer services and Hannah Miller, currently director of adult services, will be head of the newly combined adult services and housing department. Dave Hill, currently with Merton, will be joining in three months' time as executive director of children, young people and learners. (See separate press release.)

Tom Jeffrey has already arrived from Sutton to become Croydon's executive director of community services. 

All of the new appointments have been confirmed following member interviews.

Nathan Elvery became the youngest finance director in London when he joined Croydon in 2004 at the age of 35. He had previously been assistant director for finance and business at Westminster where he had been responsible for one of the country's largest customer services initiatives.

Hannah Miller rejoined Croydon as director of social services in 1998 after a three-year spell with the London Borough of Islington where she had been the chief social services officer. She had originally joined Croydon's social services department in 1985 - the year she and her family moved into the borough.

Her appointment will coincide with the retirement of Mike Davis, who has been the council's director of housing since 1998 and who will be retiring in late summer after a 36-year career in local government.

Widely recognised as an outstanding housing director for Croydon and highly regarded within London housing circles, Mike has led a housing service that is one of the very best in the capital. Croydon has consistently achieved 3-star recognition by the Audit Commission. His achievements include delivery of the decent homes programme across Croydon's council housing stock so that the borough is on track to achieve 100% coverage by 2010 and ensure housing needs such as homelessness are met in a high-demand borough. He has overseen the re-start of Croydon's council house building programme and has also been responsible for high levels of satisfaction from tenants for the quality of the services they receive. Most recently, he has been overseeing the recovery process from the fire at Marston Way.

Educated in the borough, Mike returned to Croydon in 1994 as assistant director of housing. He took on the top post when his predecessor, Dorian Leatham, left to become chief executive of Hillingdon. Previously he had progressed up the housing management ladder, undertaking posts at Camden, Haringey and Ealing Councils. He had started his housing career with Kensington & Chelsea.

Said deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for housing, Councillor Dudley Mead: "Mike Davis has been an outstanding director for this authority and the borough. He is a senior officer who is completely trusted by members to deliver their priorities. We will miss his calmness under pressure and professional approach. We wish him all the best on his retirement and in his plans for the future."

Said Mike Davis: "I will be very sorry to leave Croydon. I have enjoyed my job here immensely and working with members, residents and my colleagues, we have secured many improvements for our customers over the last decade. I wish the council every success in the future and I am confident that my team will flourish in the new adult services and housing department."

Said Jon Rouse, chief executive: "In my short time at Croydon, Mike has become one of my most trusted colleagues. I will miss his experience and wisdom. However, the increasing number of households in council housing who are requiring social care support and resources means it makes sense to bring these two departments together, and with the creation of the new service we have been fortunate to be able to appoint an executive director who we are confident will combine social care and housing expertise to great effect.

Also leaving the council before the end of the year, to pursue opportunities as a consultant, will be Phillip Goodwin, who has been director of planning and transportation since 1994.

Elected to the Royal Town Planning Institute in 1980, Phillip has spent more than 30 years in public sector planning, beginning his career with Bromley in 1978 before progressing to Westminster where he became a principal planning officer in 1985. He joined Croydon three years later and was assistant director responsible for forward planning and special projects before taking over the top position. 

Several of the landmark projects that have changed the face of Croydon have taken place during his period as the council's planning chief. These have included the opening of Tramlink, the building of Croydon Clocktower, the safeguarding and development of the Grants building as well as conceiving, launching and driving the Vision 2020, which has itself led to much of the town's current regeneration activity. The achievements of his department were recognised when the council won Beacon status for town centre regeneration in 2001-2002.

For much of his time as director, the department was one of the top performers in the country and, in 2007, secured the highest planning delivery grant (PDG) in the UK for its work on planning, and the highest local implementation settlement (LIP) for transport-related work in London.

Said Phillip Goodwin: "Now that the council intends driving regenerative activity through the URV partnership it is timely for the council to formally bring planning and regeneration together. With an announcement on the future of the Gateway site expected later this summer, and the Park Place scheme heading towards a new impetus, it's therefore become an ideal time to pursue a personal ambition I have been considering for some while. In many ways I will be sorry to be leaving Croydon when so much is still happening. But I can take enormous professional satisfaction from the way the town has developed in recent times. The next phase of projects will maintain the town's dynamism and I look forward to seeing the seeds sewn during my period as a chief officer bear fruit for many years to come."

Said Jon Rouse: "Phillip, too, has been an outstanding public servant and will be leaving Croydon with a very impressive legacy. He can be justly proud of developing the vision which has paved the way for so much of what is being built today. This will be the springboard for a new focus, with the synergies of planning and regeneration being brought together to anticipate and meet the town's future needs. We wish Phillip well as he takes his considerable public sector experience into a new direction as a consultant.

"I am also pleased that we have now filled four of the streamlined, five-strong, top management posts. The appointments are strong and will equip Croydon to achieve its goal of become one of the country's highest performing councils."