Four new Deputy Lieutenants have been appointed with Her Majesty The Queen’s agreement by the Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Mr Barry Dodd CBE. The County is the largest Lieutenancy area in the country and the Deputy Lieutenants act as the eyes and ears of the Lieutenancy and help the Lord-Lieutenant in his role as H.M. The Queen’s official representative. The Deputy Lieutenants are well spread geographically and are drawn from different disciplines and backgrounds. What they all have in common is their commitment to communities and voluntary work across the County.

On this occasion, two men and two women have been appointed. They are listed alphabetically with a brief reference to just some of their achievements and activities. This brings the total number of Deputy Lieutenants in North Yorkshire to 47. The number allowed is based on the population of the Lieutenancy area.

Heather Hancock: Heather is a non-executive and chair across public, private and charitable organisations. She has experience at board level at Deloitte LLP, as well as CEO positions in central and local government. Heather’s current roles include chair of the Food Standards Agency, non-executive director of Rural Solutions Ltd, the country’s largest specialist rural business advisory firm; non-executive chair of Wavelength Ltd and director of Amerdale Ltd, the family real estate company. She is chairman of governors at Giggleswick School, the Senior Women in Public Leadership network (House of Lords) and the Agriculture Forum, she has recently stepped down as Chair of the Development Board for St John’s College Cambridge and member of St John’s College Cambridge Development Committee,. She is a former Chief Executive of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and held various roles within the Millennium Commission. She was appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in 2013 for services to the Royal Family.

Captain Stephen Upright RN: Stephen was born in Leeds and educated at the King’s School Pontefract and the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, where he gained a degree in zoology. He joined the Royal Navy and was selected for the Submarine Service. In 1989, he gained his own first command, HMS Opossum. In 1995, Stephen took command of the Royal Naval Submarine School in Gosport. In 1998, he took command of Vanguard Class Trident submarine HMS Vengeance. Promoted to Captain in 2002, he commanded a squadron of nine nuclear submarines based in Scotland. After three years, Stephen returned to the MoD to serve on the staff of the First Sea Lord as Assistant Director Operations and adviser on Strategic Deterrent Submarine Operations. In 2010, he became Clerk to the Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York. Stephen is an enthusiastic offshore yachtsman, a lifelong student of history and a keen countryside walker. Rounding Cape Horn, on passage from New Zealand to Uruguay, is his proudest achievement under sail.

Trevor Watson: Trevor worked in financial services within a number of organisations, institutions and businesses specialising in taxation, trust and investment. Prior to retirement he worked at director level. He is a Justice of the Peace, serving as a magistrate for 40 years, ten as bench chairman. He recently retired as bench chairman of Teesside Magistrates’ Court. He is director of Five Lamps Charity, a national social enterprise, and director and chairman of the trading company subsidiary, Conduit Ltd. This third sector business aims to deliver social, economic and financial inclusion services to transform lives, raise aspiration, remove barriers and offer choice. Trevor is a past governor of Carlton and Faceby Primary School and current school governor and trustee of Teesside High School. He is a past lay member of the Child Support Agency Appeal Tribunal.

Clare Wood: From 2001 to 2017, Clare was a North Yorkshire County Councillor representing the Hovingham and Sheriff Hutton division with its 37 villages and hamlets. From 2005 to 2011 she was Executive Member for Business and Environmental Services and from 2011 to 2017 Executive Member for Health and Adult Services. Clare has been chairman of governors of Warthill School; chairman of the Howardian Hills AONB; chairman of Ryedale Strategic Partnership; chairman of the Y&NY Waste Management Partnership and most recently, chairman of the North Yorkshire Health and Wellbeing Board; as well as other roles as a County Council representative. She is a Justice of the Peace on the York Bench (ret’d) and Patron of the York and District Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society. The eldest daughter of Lord and Lady Martin Fitzalan Howard, Clare was brought up at Brockfield Hall, North Yorkshire where she now lives. She has a son and two daughters. With her husband Simon, they collect and deal in Staithes Group paintings. Clare was also editor of the Exhibition Guide, Art Review Magazine.

For further information about the Lieutenancy and a list of Deputy Lieutenants visit the Lord-Lieutenant’s website, www.nyll.org.uk or contact The Clerk to the North Yorkshire Lieutenancy at County Hall, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 8AD amanda.fry@northyorks.gov.uk telephone 01609 532705.