A new chairman has been elected to Suffolk Coastal District Council.
Councillor Susan Harvey, who represents the Kirton ward, was named as the district’s first citizen at the council’s annual meeting last week.
She will act as council chairman for the next 12 months, taking over the role from Bob Snell.
Tower ward member Mark Newton was made vice-chairman.
The role of chairman is largely ceremonial to represent the district at a number of public engagements.
Mrs Harvey, a mother of three grown-up children, has lived in Kirton for 38 years and became a Suffolk Coastal Councillor in 2011, having previously served for 30 years on Kirton and Falkenham Parish Council.
For 23 years she also ran a successful upholstery business in the village, and is a trustee for the local NASSAU Trust as well as part of the team running Kirton’s Community lunch club and Community tea shop.
She has chosen to support Alzheimer’s Research and Home-Start during her time as chairman.
On her appointment, Mrs Harvey said: “It is a great privilege to be elected as chairman to represent such a fantastic area of Suffolk, the county where I was born and bred.
“I am thrilled to be in this position to promote all the good things about Suffolk Coastal.
“I am a family person...I firmly believe the strength of this area is our communities. Our supportive communities do not happen by accident. We have to work to develop and maintain our communities.
“While I am Chairman, I will be working to develop community spirit everywhere and make sure that those with quieter voices also get their chance to be heard.
“I am also a big supporter of the drive by Suffolk Coastal to provide more affordable housing, which allows us to keep families and their children in the village.
“I also think it is important to cater for the older people in our villages, by providing accommodation that they can downsize to and remain within their own communities, with their circle of friends, in their later years.”
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