Gemma Davies, Director of Economy and Housing at Cheshire West and Chester Council, has been appointed to the Institute of Economic Development (IED) board of directors.

Having worked in the public sector for the past 16 years, Gemma recently re-joined Cheshire West and Chester after leaving the local authority at the end of 2016. She went on to lead the Economic Growth service at Shropshire Council for nearly four years, and was previously seconded as Programme Director to develop the Cheshire and Warrington devolution deal on behalf of the Economic Prosperity Board, working with Chief Executives of the three local authorities and Local Enterprise Partnership.

“Through these roles I have gathered extensive experience working with businesses, communities and partners over what has included times of significant change and complex challenges, and I feel I can contribute to the IED from a professional and positional (as I am relatively new in post) perspective,” Gemma explained. “One area of focus, and where I can bring fresh ideas, is inclusive growth. We are one of the first local authorities to declare a poverty emergency, and we have a sub-regional inclusive and sustainable growth commission, so there is a natural fit with the Institute’s work. That push on community wealth, and commitment not to leave anyone behind, is a response not just to poverty but also encouraging the conditions for an economy that does not set out to create inequalities.”

As well as inclusive growth, Gemma is “heavily involved” in economic renewal and recovery plans, homelessness strategy and climate change. “Generally there is a real opportunity to think about the priorities within our sector: what really matters, how we work and what we do with our time,” she said. “What we have seen in the profession is people working together more than ever before. Historically there has been some silo working, but the pandemic has accelerated some of the trends that were already happening in coming together. Whether it is collaboration on housing benefits, business rates or healthcare, there is a real joined-up approach taking place in local authorities. I am a strong partnership advocate and have sought to build trust, respect and credibility in that work.”

Pointing to the IED as a valuable partner, Gemma revealed: “I have never used IED membership more than I have in the last eight months. It has provided exposure to fundamental topics that we have been grappling with as a profession and supported the changes that members are facing in their environment. It also recognises the pace of that change, and ultimately helps to inform practitioners’ day-to-day roles as well as policy around areas such as spatial planning and future employment. Overall, the IED facilitates the opportunity to take a step back to look at and discuss the challenges. We are back in emergency response mode through the national lockdown, and have a new round of business support grants to administer, but it is also important to take time out for strategic thinking and the IED galvanises that.”

In particular, Gemma pinpointed how the IED’s “commitment to digital platforms is really paying off for the membership” as part of this strategic and thematic focus. “The webinars that the Institute has facilitated especially have provided an opportunity to hear about projects around the country, and whether we are discussing Covid-19, Brexit, town centres or the rural economy, they have delivered value for members,” she said. “For me, the digital platform supports much better engagement with the Institute because in normal times I would not necessarily have the time to attend a physical event. This is something we can look to build on going forward to ensure even greater engagement.”

Gemma’s vision is for the IED to be seen as “an organisation that is accessible to anyone in the profession, regardless of position or gender, and where people can share their experiences with others”. She added: “When I initially joined the IED I thought it was focused on hard economics, but now I can see it is much broader, extending to social and environmental economics which are highlighted by the inclusive growth agenda and councils’ climate emergency responses. Economic development as a function has moved on in name, with some teams re-badged under business growth or inward investment for example, so we also need to recognise that through our work.”

The Institute of Economic Development (IED) has added Kettering Borough Council’s Principal Regeneration Officer to its board of directors. Greg Ward, who re-joined Kettering last year after 10 years away with South Northamptonshire Council where he worked as Senior Economic Growth Officer and Economic Development Officer, has also previously held posts at Northamptonshire County Council and Newark and Sherwood District Council.

A full member of the IED since 2013, Greg describes himself an economic development “generalist”, covering a broad range of related disciplines from inward investment and town centre regeneration to employment initiatives and promoting the visitor economy. “Throughout my career I have been involved in development, from sport to community to education to economic development, but have always had a passion for making things better with good ideas,” he said. “I believe the time is right to capitalise on the collective knowledge and capability the IED possesses, through its members, to help shape the economic environment in an uncertain future. I am honoured to have the opportunity to support this as a Director.”

With “lots of passionate economic development professionals”, Greg paid tribute to the role the IED has played during the Covid-19 pandemic and called for the Institute to grasp the opportunities that will undoubtedly emerge. “Seeing the response of the IED in times of crisis, and knowing its role, has increased that sense of belonging and its relevance to the wider world,” he explained. “It has proven itself to be a flexible, portable organisation, not least in virtual provision such as webinars and CPD. Whenever there is a crash there is either despair or opportunity. We are at a crossroads in terms of our choice of pushing what economic development can do, broadly or specifically, but in my view we have a real opportunity to demonstrate the relevance of our sector.”

Greg said there was a “route in from the knowledge base” which could be exploited. “Even before Covid-19 I have used IED papers to shape strategy and economic development initiatives, whilst having signed up to various IED CPD over the years this has been really useful and given me a chance to see how others are setting up too,” he revealed. “Going forward, I firmly believe in translating academic research, studies and business intelligence into practical initiatives that can be delivered into the marketplace, complementing the important lobbying work that the Institute is so well known for.”

Highlighting the IED’s call for economic development to be a statutory function as a prime example of that, Greg added: “Economy and business needs good support, more so than ever, and there is a window of opportunity to think differently. With good leadership and good planning we can have a vision in business and for the economy for better futures, and apply this more closely with local authorities and bigger commerce through effective collaboration.”

As well as the enhanced “professional overlay” with organisations championing the key issues, Greg identified a need for the IED to “retain what it is doing well and move forward with relevant offerings”. He concluded: “For what we get in return, membership is very good value for money – but there are always opportunities to innovate. Having also worked in the commercial world I can bring new perspectives from that too.”

Mark Livesey, Chief Executive of The LEP Network, has been co-opted on to the Institute of Economic Development (IED) board of directors.

Under Mark, who previously held a dual role as Chief Executive of Marketing Cheshire and Deputy Chief Executive of Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, The LEP Network champions the impact and value of LEPs in building local economic growth and prosperity across the country. To date, the 38 LEPs have delivered £15 billion of private sector investment, supported over 196,000 businesses, created over 180,000 jobs and helped to build over 100,000 homes, as well as equipping three million people with the skills that employers and business want, highlighting their critical importance to the UK economy.

Mark’s predecessor Warren Ralls, now a Director at the British Business Bank, also previously sat on the IED board – and Mark said he was “very pleased that the Institute had reached out to The LEP Network to continue the relationship”. He explained: “It is an important and critical time for countries and regions, both in terms of economic recovery and growing the economy, and we want to work directly with the economic development profession to do that. Local Industrial Strategies have pivoted to economic recovery plans, and our objective going forward is to feed these into the UK Industrial Strategy, and plug in the economic development profession to help us to achieve the goals that we have set out as an organisation.”

A former senior civil servant at the Department for Communities and Local Government, where he headed up the High Streets, Town Centres and Coastal team, ran the Housing and Planning Minister’s Private Office and led the national review of Business Improvement Districts amongst his roles over 17 years, Mark is well placed to understand the inner workings of Whitehall. “Economic development is front and centre of all our thinking,” he said. “Whilst issues such as the green agenda or skills may be discussed, LEPs and officials are thinking about these in a holistic way. From housing, skills, transport infrastructure and digital connectivity, economic development brings these issues together in the same conversation; and LEPs working with the IED can also ensure that discussion is rooted in place.”

Mark said there was the potential for The LEP Network and the IED to come together even more to represent economic development at a national level. “By virtue of channels of communication we can develop a common mission and narrative,” he revealed. “We do not need to reinvent the wheel, and should utilise our collective intelligence to make a difference. The LEP Network is closely aligned to the work of the IED and it is a huge benefit to developing a national approach and in doing so help influence government’s thinking. Working together there is more chance to implement the changes that benefit the economic development landscape.”

Having already proposed a £30 billion ‘Recovery and Rebuild Deal’ through The LEP Network’s submission to the Comprehensive Spending Review, which includes delivering a place-based rebuilding programme to level up and close the opportunity gap, Mark said that “Covid-19 recovery and economic development must be locally led”. He added: “This is such a critical time for local economies and LEPs have a fundamental role to play in ensuring local partners, including economic development professionals, work together to respond to the changes that the pandemic – and Brexit – will bring.”