The Hull and East Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (HEY LEP) has made a number of appointments to its newly formed Business Support, Employment and Skills and Infrastructure sub-Boards.

The LEP announced the appointments following a successful recruitment campaign, where the LEP was overwhelmed by both the number and quality of applications received from individuals from a diverse field of sectors and organisations across the region.

All the Boards will first meet in October and thereafter on a bi-monthly basis and will start to contribute to the evolving HEY LEP Growth and Wellbeing Strategy and begin to define their own priorities in line with this strategy.

The LEP will also continue to engage with many others, who offered their support as it develops its strategies and priorities, even if they may have been unsuccessful in their Board member applications at this stage.

The Business Support Board, to be chaired by Gill Alton OBE, will ensure that businesses can receive and access advice, access to finance and other support to sustain and develop their organisations to flourish, whatever their size and sector.

The Employment and Skills Board, to be chaired by Jayne Adamson, will focus on reducing the skills gaps in the region, delivering the recommendations of the Local Skills Report, by creating the foundations for the growth of new jobs in the region, in addition to ensuring that young people receive high quality careers advice.

The Infrastructure Board, to be chaired by Stephen Parnaby OBE, will look at future investment opportunities for the region, focussing on transport and placed-based property developments and bring together Government agencies, where required, to expedite these developments.

All the Boards will have representation from both Local Authorities in the HEY region to ensure a joined up private and public sector approach to the economic issues facing the region.

James Newman, Chair of HEY LEP, said: “I am delighted that so many high quality individuals from all sectors have volunteered to support the LEP in its vital work in developing and delivering the economic strategy for the new HEY region.

“The work that these Board’s will be doing is an important part of the implementation and delivery of the various economic strategies and funding programmes that will transform the region over the next five to ten years.

“This is an important watershed in the history of the region, with a potential devolution deal on offer and the region at the forefront of the Government’s Net Zero and Global Britain strategies. Never has there been an opportunity for this region to shine and demonstrate its private sector and entrepreneurial strengths in such a united way.’’

List of Board Members so far appointed. There will be one or two additions over the next few weeks:

Business Support Board (Chaired by Gill Alton OBE)

Jan Brumby (FEO)

Antonio C Malfense Fierro (Hull University Business School)

James Mason (Welcome to Yorkshire)

Rachel Smurthwaite (Sewell Group)

Jason Speedy (Groupe Atlantic)

Nic Dakin (Chamber of Commerce)

David Hall (Beverley Park Homes, Minster Leisure Homes, Oaks of Beverley and Halls and Oliver)

David Kilburn (MKM Building Supplies)

Madge Moore (Yorkshire Food Farming)

Employment and Skills Board (Chaired by Jayne Adamson):

Sue Balthazar (Probe Hull)

Kirsty Bark (Soncoco Trident)

Catherine Bishop (Tigers Sport and Education Trust)

Sarah Bone (Headlands School)

Laura Botham (Siemens Gamesa)

Daniel Brett (Bishop Burton College)

Mark Burley (Keepmoat Homes and Hull Citywide Developer Partnership)

Pat Coyle (Rollits LLP)

Andy Crossland (Humber Learning Consortium)

Nikki Davies (VictoriaPlum.com)

Iain Elliott (HETA)

David Gent (Active Humber)

Liz Hutchinson (DWP)

Becky Huxley-Binns (University of Hull)

James McIntosh (CATCH)

Michelle Peacock (Education Development Trust)

Mike Welsh (East Riding College/TEC Partnership)

Infrastructure Board (Chaired by Stephen Parnaby OBE)

David Garness (Garness Jones Limited)

Tony Kirby (Local Transport Projects Ltd)

Linda Martin (Sewell Group)

Richard Beal (Beal Homes)

Eman Forster (Eon Consulting)

Andrew Horncastle (Horncastle Group)

Tim Rix (JR Rix and Sons)

Dominic Gibbons (Wykeland Group)

Mark Barratt (Risby Homes)