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Great Places appoints outgoing chief executive of Cumbrian landlord as chair
North West landlord Great Places has appointed Cath Purdy, the outgoing chief executive of South Lakes Housing, as its new board chair.
Great Places appoints outgoing chief executive of Cumbrian landlord as board chair #UKhousingMs Purdy, who is due to retire next month after a decade in charge of the Cumbrian housing association, will lead the board from September.
The 26,000-home landlord said she will become its first female chair and will take over from Mervyn Jones, who has been in the role since last year.
Ms Purdy has 35 years of experience in social housing. Prior to joining South Lakes in 2015, she was deputy chief executive of Thirteen Group. Other previous roles include chief executive of Housing Hartlepool and chief executive of Vela Housing Group.
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A well-known figure in the sector, she has also served as board director of HouseMark and held the same role on the boards of the National Housing Federation, the Chartered Institute of Housing Council and the Northern Housing Consortium.
Ms Purdy said she was “very much looking forward” to starting in the role, adding: “I have long admired Great Places and the fantastic impact it has across the communities it serves.
“Despite current challenges, there are a great many opportunities, and I look forward to working with the board, Alison and team to ensure that we continue to be the best we can.
“I have big shoes to fill, as Mervyn will be a hard act to follow. Under his leadership, Great Places retains a strong reputation nationally and is a well-respected partner in strategic operating areas.”
Mr Jones said: “I’m delighted that Cath has been appointed as my successor. She’s an excellent fit for the role and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the organisation.
“Her energy and vision will help Great Places continue on its journey of delivering great homes, great communities and great people, and making a positive difference to the lives of our customers.”
The Manchester-based landlord also announced that it was welcoming four new board members to its team. They are: Archana Makol, Caroline Osler, Mark Patchitt and Dean Clegg.
Earlier this year, South Lakes announced that Ms Purdy’s replacement would be Pam Mastrantonio, who will start in August.
Great Places also has a new chief executive, Alison Dean, who rose through the ranks at the organisation and was appointed to the top job last July.
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