Soon-to-leave council chief lands new role

Donna Hall will take up a voluntary position as chair of thinktank the New Local Government Network of which she is already a member. She will succeed Dame Jane Roberts once she quits Wigan in February.

Ms Hall said: “It’s an absolute honour. I am so impressed by the team’s innovative, cutting edge, high-quality thought leadership that we all need more than ever over the next few years. I hope that by working creatively together we can support councils to in turn give strength and confidence to their communities.”

NLGN director Adam Lent said: “Donna has built an extraordinary reputation as a transformational leader making Wigan Council a beacon of creativity for the whole public sector.

"Everyone at NLGN is extremely proud and excited that she will be bringing her insight to the increasingly close work we do with NLGN members as well as our thought leadership output.

"In particular, her experience of rethinking the relationship between the public sector and the community will be indispensable to our vision of transformation.”

Ms Hall was to leave in July but the date was brought forward to suit both her and the council which is now searching for a successor.