Councillor Ray Gooding is the new council Chairman. The news was confirmed at a meeting of the Full Council in May.
Councillor Gooding previously served as Vice-Chairman while Councillor Jill Reeves was Chairman. He has been the County Councillor for the Stansted division since 2005. Previously, he has held the roles of Cabinet Member for Children and Families and Cabinet Member for Education and Skills.
He has sat on several committees. These include chairing the People and Families Policy and Scrutiny Committee and Chairman of the Scrutiny Board. He has also served on flood and coastal committees, adoption and education panels, and other outside bodies. He continues to serve as a trustee of the Active Essex Foundation.
Councillor Gooding is a Mechanical Engineer by profession. He was the Senior Partner in an Engineering Consultancy for more than 20 years. As a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers, he has played an active role in developing young engineers to achieve their full potential.
He also has a keen interest in encouraging participation in sport. As well as this, he is an advocate for the role of music and arts in supporting community wellbeing. These areas will be his focus during his term of office.
Speaking on his appointment, Councillor Gooding, said: “It’s been a pleasure to work with Councillor Reeves as Vice-Chairman over the last couple of years. I look forward to my term in office as the new Chairman of the council. It is an honour to take up this role and I look forward to serving the residents and communities of Essex. One of my priorities as Chairman will be to focus on the role of the voluntary sector in Essex and the benefits it brings to the county.”
Councillor Carlo Guglielmi is the new Vice-Chairman of the council.