New chief officer for housing and communities at Highland Council

Highland Council Welcomes New Chief Officer for Housing and Communities

Alison Clark has recently been appointed as the chief officer for housing and communities at Highland Council, marking one of five new appointments at the local authority. Alison, a native of Inverness, has been serving as the head of community support, contact, and engagement for the past eight years. In this role, she oversees customer services, community planning, and engagement. With a tenure of over 20 years at the council, Alison started her journey as a research officer in children’s services.

Joining Alison in the ‘Place’ service cluster, led by assistant chief executive Malcolm MacLeod, is the new chief officer for property and assets, Finlay MacDonald.

Finlay MacDonald, who has served as the council’s head of property and facilities management for the last decade, brings a wealth of experience to his new role. With a background in various property management positions within the council since 1996, Finlay is well-equipped to take on his new responsibilities.

The council has implemented a new structure comprising three service clusters – ‘People’, ‘Place’, and ‘Corporate’. Within the ‘People’ service cluster, led by assistant chief executive Kate Lackie, Fiona Duncan, Fiona Grant, and Fiona Malcolm have taken on key roles.

Fiona Duncan is now the chief officer for health and social care, having previously served as the council’s executive chief officer for health and social care. Fiona Grant, who previously held leadership roles at Thurso High School and Wick High School, now oversees secondary education in Highland. Fiona Malcolm has been appointed as the chief officer for integrated people services, drawing on her extensive experience in adult social care and legal management at the council.

Commenting on the appointments, Convener of the council Cllr Bill Lobban expressed his congratulations to all the new chief officers, highlighting their valuable contributions to the council’s senior management structure. Council Leader Cllr Raymond Bremner also commended the appointments, noting the progress of the new structure and the anticipated cost savings it will bring.

With these recent appointments, Highland Council is set to embrace a more streamlined and efficient management structure, delivering significant cost savings while enhancing the effectiveness of its leadership team.