Tees Valley Mayor

Ben was elected the first Tees Valley Mayor in May 2017 and represents 670,000 people. Before that, he was the Conservative opposition leader on Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council where he represented the Yarm Ward.

Ben is a solicitor by profession, and was the CEO of BLK, a sport clothing company based in Stockton. He has also worked for two Teesside law firms, in commercial litigation and employment law, since graduating in law at Northumbria University.

He grew up in Ingelby Barwick and attended Conyers School, Yarm.

Email: ben.houchen@teesvalley-ca.gov.uk

Leader of Darlington Borough Council

Councillor Stephen Harker was appointed Leader of the Darlington Borough Council on 19 July 2018 after being Deputy Leader since 2011.

He was originally elected to the Council in 1995 to represent the Pierremont Ward and following the election in May 2015, he was re-elected.

As well as his work as leader, he represents Darlington Borough Council on bodies such as the Association of Councillors, Combined Fire Authority,
Association of Rail North Partnership Authorities - Rail North Ltd and Transport for the North and Darlington Partnership Board.

Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council

Councillor Christopher Akers-Belcher has more than 22 years of senior local government experience, having worked previously in finance, revenues and benefits as a local government officer at a number of North-East councils.

As well as being Hartlepool Council Leader he has a number of other Council roles, reflecting his breadth of experience, including Chair of the Council’s Finance and Policy Committee, Chair of the Safer Hartlepool Partnership, Chair of the Hartlepool Health and Wellbeing Board and Member of Leader and Mayors Group within the Local Enterprise Partnership.

Email: christopher.akers-belcher@hartlepool.gov.uk

Mayor of Middlesbrough

Mayor Budd, who has lived in and worked around Middlesbrough his whole life and raised his family in the town, became Middlesbrough's second directly-elected Mayor in May 2015.

He worked as a local bank manager for many years, helping and supporting local businesses to start up and to grow. Representing Hemlington and later Ladgate ward, Dave Budd was first elected as a Councillor in 1991, serving as Executive Members for Regeneration and as Deputy Mayor before being elected as Mayor.

Email: david.budd@teesvalley-ca.gov.uk

Leader of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council

Councillor Jeffrey has more than 25 years’ experience working in the public, private and third sectors at regional, local and national level.  Until she took early retirement in 2009 she was Executive Director of the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Assembly and also spent a year as Interim Chief Executive of the North East Regional Assembly.

She is a housing professional by trade and until September 2015 was Chair of Tees Valley Housing Ltd and a Board member of the Thirteen Housing Group.

In 2009 she was elected for Labour to Redcar and Cleveland Council in a by-election.  She represents the South Bank Ward, where she has lived for 35 years.

Email: sue.jeffrey@teesvalley-ca.gov.uk

Leader of Stockton Borough Council

Bob Cook has been Leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council since 2011 and was first elected as a councillor in 1987.

He currently represents the Norton South ward. Prior to becoming Council Leader, he was Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Transport.

Councillor Cook represents the Borough on a range of bodies including the Association of North East Councils, Local Government Association General Assembly, North East Purchasing Organisation and North East Regional Employers’ Organisation. He worked in the chemical industry for 31 years before taking up his current post of Agent/Office Manager for Stockton North MP, Alex Cunningham, in 2010.

Email: bob.cook@teesvalley-ca.gov.uk

Chair of Tees Valley Local Enterprise Partnership

Paul Booth worked in the chemical industry for more than 40 years. Born on Teesside, he started his career as an apprentice with ICI and retired in 2016 as the Chairman of Sabic UK Petrochemicals as well as its European Director for Government Policy and Public Affairs.

He is a member of the CIA Council, ex-Chairman of the North East Process Industry Cluster, one of the industrialists on the new UK CGP, and a Board Member for Plastics Europe North.

He sits on the Board of Governors for Teesside University and was previously a member of Redcar and Cleveland Technical College, NSAPI (National Skills Academy) and the TTE Training School. Mr Booth also is Honorary President for SCI (Society of Chemical Industry) in the UK.

Email: paul.booth@teesvalley-ca.gov.uk