LGiU staff
Dr Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive: Jonathan leads on all aspects of the LGiU’s policy, membership and influencing work.
Prior to being appointed as Chief Executive Jonathan was Director of Policy leading LGiU’s research and consultancy, policy development and piloting, best practice dissemination, learning and development and media comment and lobbying.
Some of Jonathan’s particular interests are in participative democracy, the evolving nature of public services and behaviour change.
Before joining the LGiU Jonathan was Deputy Programme Director and Acting Head of Programme at the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Commerce and Manufactures). At the RSA Jonathan developed and managed more than a dozen major action research projects in areas including personal carbon trading, water and sanitation provision in the developing world and the economics of migration.
Jonathan is a leading national thinker on local government transformation, local democracy and public services with a substantial media profile and sector credibility. He has published on topics as diverse as localism and public service transformation, cognitive and behavioural science, and the politics of cultural memory. Contact Jonathan: jonathan.carr-west@lgiu.org.uk
Dr Andy Johnston; Chief Operating Officer: Andy is the Chief Operating Officer of the LGiU and the CEO of Local Energy, a social enterprise of the LGiU. He is responsible for the finance, HR and support for the membership of the LGiU. He leads on local sustainability and is currently running programmes on the green deal, ECO, the CRC energy efficiency scheme and adaptation to climate change, including an EU Interreg NWE project called Raingain which looks at flooding across the Netherlands, Belgium and France.
In the past he has led programmes on sustainability in higher education for Forum for the Future and the OECD. He ran the groundbreaking Masters in Leadership for Sustainable Development and was a lecturer in Business for Sustainable Development at the University of Hertfordshire. For eight years he was a councillor, chairing planning, highways and waste committees. Contact Andy: andy.johnston@lgiu.org.uk
Alan Waters, Learning and Development Manager: Alan has extensive experience of delivering training and development programmes for councillors on a wide range of topics including: community leadership; local government finance; partnership working; service delivery models; scrutiny and the impact of ‘Localism’ and the Localism Act on the role of elected members.
Alan has been an elected member of Norwich City Council for over 20 years holding a number of senior positions. He is currently deputy leader and portfolio holder for resources. Alan has been an IDeA/LGA member peer for over 10 years and is a graduate of the IDeA/LGA Leadership Academy. He is also a member of the editorial board of Local Economy, based at South Bank University.
Before joining the LGiU Alan worked for 25 years in comprehensive schools in England and Australia. He continues his involvement in secondary education as an Associate Tutor, for the School of Education and Life Long Learning at the University of East Anglia. Contact Alan: alan.waters@lgiu.org.uk
Barry O’Brien, Administrator: Barry’s role provides support for a range of areas in the LGiU including: ICT; events and learning and development; and LGiU associate membership. In addition administers the Local Government Flood Forum, which is also part of RainGain, a European funded project. Contact Barry: barry.obrien@lgiu.org.uk
Chris Naylor, Partnerships Lead: Chris’s Partnerships role includes LGiU’s growing council and associate membership, and liaison with private sector and other partners on collaborative projects.
Chris is also an active local councillor in Camden, with a background in housing and planning, and an observer on the DCLG Parliamentary Committee. He is on the board of the local BID, Camden Town Unlimited, a primary school governor, and currently helping launch a new Neighbourhood Forum. In addition Chris is a Trustee of London’s new National Postal Museum and of the Campaign for National Parks.
Prior to joining LGiU, Chris was Director of Cultural Regeneration at City University, leading a £3m ESF project on cultural employment. Before that he was Director of engage, working with DCMS, DfE and DCLG on action-research programmes developing cultural access. Previous roles include Director of the Isle of Dogs Community Foundation, and Co-founder of the Almeida Theatre. Contact Chris: chris.naylor@lgiu.org.uk
Dan Garfield, Head of External Affairs: Dan is responsible for LGiU’s relations with key parliamentarians and works to further the influence of LGiU’s policy in Westminster and Whitehall. Dan joined the LGiU in September 2008 and his previous experience includes working as a political consultant for Connect Public Affairs. He has worked on public affairs campaigns for a number of clients including housing associations, trade unions, and membership groups.
Dan is a councillor in the London Borough of Southwark, elected in 2010 and sits on the board of local regeneration charity the Creation Trust. Contact Dan: dan.garfield@lgiu.org.uk
Debra Stanislas, Office Manager: Debra’s areas of responsibility include HR, Health and Safety, membership support – including governance of the Executive Board and Members’ Assembly – and premises management.
Debra holds various management qualifications and is a member of the Institute of Administrative Managers (IAM). Contact Debra: debra.stanislas@lgiu.org.uk
Jane Sankarayya, Communications Manager: Jane manages the design and production of the LGiU’s publications and other printed material; she is Deputy Editor of the LGiU’s bi-monthly C’llr magazine and looks after the website. In addition Jane is part of the team that delivers LGiU’s seminar programme and she provides support to the Learning and Development Manager.
Before joining the LGiU Jane worked in commercial and business to business publishing on education, voluntary sector and business regulation titles and was previously a crime fiction buyer. Contact Jane: jane.sankarayya@lgiu.org.uk
Janet Sillett, Briefings Manager: Janet commissions, edits and writes briefings. She has worked at the LGiU since 1996 and has previously led on health and social care, housing and local government finance.
She has been a speaker at many national conferences, has written extensively for sector journals and the national press and also written a wide variety of publications for the LGiU, including reports sponsored by the Department of Health, the Local Government APPG, and SCIE. Janet has worked in local government throughout her career. Contact Janet: janet.sillett@lgiu.org.uk
John Fowler, Policy Manager: John writes and commissions the LGiU’s education and children’s services briefings and manages the LGiU’s Children’s Services Network.
He has nearly 30 years experience in local government in management, performance and policy roles for seven local authorities in London and the south east. He was deputy head of education, culture and tourism at the Local Government Association from 1997 to 2002.
In recent years John has written for the LGC, Croner’s Education Now, School Leadership, Education Law Journal, Governors’ News, Governor’s Briefings, NFER’s ER Matters and the Education Journal. He has been the main author or a contributor for several books on various Acts of Parliament affecting education and children’s services. Contact John: john.fowler@lgiu.org.uk
Laura Wilkes, Policy Manager: Laura leads LGiU’s work on Community Budgeting, economic development, citizen co-production and the C’llr Awards. Laura’s projects for LGiU have included the One Norbiton Neighbourhood Community Budget, Big Society Learning Network, Civil Society Innovation Network, sustainable social care, and research and evaluation for The Big Lunch, HistoryPin, StartHere and the Role of Members in Community Empowerment. Her publications include: The Big Lunch; Riots: one year on; Paying for It; Local authorities, Big Society and adaptation to climate change; and Making Health and Social Care Personal and Local.
Before joining the LGiU in 2009 Laura worked at Havering council. She is alumni of the National Graduate Development Programme and has a Masters in Public Management. Outside work Laura is studying for a PhD on the topic of small parties and independent politicians at De Montfort University and she sits on Notting Hill Housing Trust’s Altogether Better Committee. Contact Laura: laura.wilkes@lgiu.org.uk
Lauren Lucas, Policy Manager: Lauren focuses on commissioning, housing, care and support, and cultural policy. Her recent publications include Outcomes Matter: effective commissioning in domiciliary care, and A Good Death: the role of the local authority in end of life care. She supports the LGiU’s work on the Cabinet Office Commissioning Academy, runs the adult social care ‘Thought Leader’ network, and is leading the LGiU’s research on welfare reform.
Before joining the LGiU, Lauren worked in local government, where (among other things) she set up a local history museum, coordinated a London 2012 programme, worked on Building Schools for the Future and acted as an equalities champion. She has a Masters in Cultural Policy from Warwick University and a postgraduate diploma in Local Government Management from Warwick Business School. Contact Lauren: lauren.lucas@lgiu.org.uk
Laurie Thraves, Policy Manager: Laurie leads LGiU research on planning, health, adult social care and education. He is the author of 10 major LGiU policy papers including: Care Now and for the Future, the summary report of the APPG inquiry into the future of adult social care; Localism at Risk, the LGiU and National Trust’s report on the impact of the NPPF; A Dose of Localism, LGiU and Westminster City’s Council’s report on public health; and Should We Shed the Middle Tier, LGiU, NUT and Unison’s report on the future of the local government role in education. Laurie’s reports received extensive national and specialist press coverage including from the Financial Times, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, the BBC and Sky.
Previously, Laurie worked for the think tank Reform, a Department for Education policy advice service for head teachers and the British Institute in Eastern Africa. Laurie was educated at St Hugh’s College, Oxford and the School of Oriental and African Studies. Contact Laurie: laurie.thraves@lgiu.org.uk
Lizzie Greenhalgh, Policy Researcher: Lizzie supports the LGiU Policy and Public Affairs team. Her roles include organising LGiU policy roundtables, supporting the policy team in drafting reports and helping to arrange the C’llr Awards. Lizzie also assists with LGiU’s public affairs programme. This includes supporting the activities of the APPG for Local Government and organising LGiU’s presence at Party Conferences and the LGA Conference. She also acts as LGiU’s media contact.
Before joining LGiU, Lizzie worked for a communications consultancy, providing media and public affairs support to range of clients, and as a Campaigns Assistant at Age UK. Lizzie has a degree in Politics from the University of Bristol and a Masters in Legal and Political Theory from UCL. Contact Lizzie: lizzie.greenhalgh@lgiu.org.uk
Pat Stevens, Chief Finance Officer: Pat is responsible for ensuring financial transactions are processed promptly and efficiently. She deals with any queries regarding purchase invoices or sales invoices. Contact Pat: pat.stevens@lgiu.org.uk
