• June Barnes (left) has been appointed to the London Sustainable Development Commission as one of four social sector commissioners. June will help to deliver mayor Ken Livingstone's objective to improve Londoners' quality of life. She is chief executive of East Thames Housing Group.

  • Chris Root joins the Housing Corporation as equality and diversity advisor. Chris will be responsible for expanding this work across the sector, as well as developing the corporation's equality and diversity commitment. Chris is on secondment from the Places for People Group.

  • Kim Brown has been elected as chair of Handsworth Area Regeneration Trust – a local development agency concerned with the sustainable development of north-west Birmingham. Kim is a local resident and joined the board in July 2001. Kim succeeds Richard Clark, chief executive of Prime Focus.

    Paviter Singh Phull has been elected vice-chair and will provide support to Kim in her new role.

  • Deborah Wheatley becomes health and safety advisor at Bromford Housing Group. Deborah will be responsible for managing health and safety issues. She joins from Severn Trent Water where she was a health and safety representative.

  • Touchstone Housing Association has appointed Stewart Fergusson (left) as managing director. Stewart will be responsible for the association's activities and will become a member of the Keynote Housing Group executive team. Stewart joined Touchstone in 1977.

  • Endeavour Housing Association appoints two new housing officers. Jane Ormrod (left) will manage more than 250 properties in Hartlepool and Teesdale and two co-operatives in Middlesbrough. Jane previously worked at Two Castles Housing Association. Liz Robinson will be responsible for assisting tenants in the Stockton area. She moves from B&N Housing.

  • Peter Roach becomes chief executive of Bournville Village Trust – the oldest housing association in Birmingham. Peter was formerly chief executive of Mercian Housing Association. He succeeds James Wilson, who retires after 24 years' service.

  • Martin Knowles becomes chief executive of Three Rivers Housing Group. He has been finance director since 1999.

    In detail

    Name:
    Jim Bolton
    New job:
    Director of Arena ExtraCare, Arena Housing Association
    Old job:
    Managing director of Wellcare Developments
    First housing job:
    Improvements grant officer, Liverpool council
    How he got there:
    “I joined Liverpool council’s housing service in the mid-1970s, and was involved in housing action and general improvement area programmes before working as a district housing manager in the local authority and the housing association sectors. “From there, I became assistant director with Liverpool council, responsible for homelessness services and the community care housing agenda before moving into the independent sector with Wellcare Group.”
    Driving force:
    “To establish Arena ExtraCare as a quality provider of older people’s services and a partner of choice for the local authorities with which we work.”
    Advice:
    “Challenge and change things but at the outset be clear what it is you want to achieve.”

    • Source

    Housing Today