Councillors and officers have been recognised for their extraordinary service and achievements in the New Year Honours List 2024.
Joanne Roney OBE, Chief Executive of Manchester City Council, has been made a CBE, while Marvin Rees (Lab), Mayor of Bristol City Council, and Cllr Abi Brown (Con), former Leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, both become OBEs – all for services to local government.
Cllr Brown is an LGA Deputy Chairman and Chair of the LGA’s Improvement and Innovation Board, while Mayor Rees chairs Core Cities UK and is a former Chair of the LGA’s City Regions Board.
Other elected OBE recipients include Cllr Nigel Ashton (Con), former North Somerset Council Leader; Eunice Campbell-Clark (Lab), a former member of Nottingham City Council; and Cllr Carl Les (Con), Leader of North Yorkshire Council and a member of the LGA’s Economy and Resources Board.
MBEs include Cllr Bill Gavan (Lab), Mayor of Sandwell Council, for political and public service, and to the LGBTQ+ community; Spencer Drury (Con), former Greenwich councillor, for political and public service; and Cllr Dr Simon Hancock (Lab) for services to the community in Pembrokeshire.
Ian Hughes, Director of Policy at the LGA, is also made an MBE.
And Policy Advisor Helen Walton (pictured) has been awarded a British Empire Medal for services to children in care and in poverty, after organising Rochdale Borough Council’s annual Christmas toy appeal since 2013.