Deborah is a trustee for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). She is Chief Executive at Birmingham City Council.
Deborah has more than 30 years’ experience in public services. Prior to her appointment at Birmingham City Council, Deborah was Chief Executive of the West Midlands Combined Authority.
She was previously Local Government Advisor to the Ministerial Team at the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, Head of Policy at Redcar and Cleveland Borough and Audit Commission's Best Value Service Lead Inspector for the London region.
Deborah also has extensive Chief Executives experience of all levels of Government (National, Regional, Metropolitan, Borough, District) which includes Chief Executive for St Edmundsbury Borough Council and East Suffolk Council, the East of England Regional Development Agency and Suffolk County Council.
She was born and bred in Birmingham and attended the Loughborough University and the University of Birmingham. Deborah has a degree in politics as well as a master’s degree in economics and a further master’s degree in management practice.
Deborah received an OBE in 2006 for services to local government. She was recently high commended in the Chief Executive of the Year category at the Inclusive Companies Awards 2019.
She is a trustee of the Joseph Rowntree Trust and Joseph Rowntree Housing Foundation, and as a dedicated and passionate female advocate at the forefront of the public sector, Deborah recently won the First Women Award for Public Service.
Deborah is also a Commissioner for the Smart Government Commission and recently joined the Reform Advisory Board and Resolution Foundation as an advisor.
Deborah is listed in Local Government Chronicle’s ‘100 Most Influential in the Sector’.