Appointment of Board Members to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive

Date published: 01 June 2015

Social Development Minister, Mervyn Storey MLA, has appointed Jim McCall, Kenneth Millar and Derek Wilson to the Board of the Housing Executive.

The appointment term is from 1 June 2015 for a period of up to five years and remuneration is £6,740 per annum.

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive is a Non-Departmental Public Body, established by the Housing Executive Act (Northern Ireland) 1971. Under this Act, the Housing Executive took over the housing responsibilities of 65 separate authorities and became Northern Ireland’s overall housing authority. The Housing Executive is also one of Northern Ireland’s largest public sector organisations. With a net expenditure of £841million in 2013/14 and a staff of approximately 3,000, the Housing Executive makes a substantial contribution to better health, education and wellbeing through housing.

In making the appointments, the Minister said: “I welcome the appointments of Mr McCall, Mr Millar and Mr Wilson to the Board of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. They bring a wealth and diversity of experience which is essential to support the delivery of our challenging housing agenda.

“I wish them well in their appointments and trust they will find the work challenging and rewarding.”

The appointments have been made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland’s Code of Practice.

Notes to editors: 

  1. The appointment term is from 1 June 2015 for a period of up to five years or until such other date as the Department may determine. The new board members will be paid £6,740 per annum for their services.
  2. The appointments have been made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland’s Code of Practice. A selection panel which included an independent panel member, as required under the Commissioner’s Code, considered the suitability of all candidates. The final decision on the appointments rested with the Minister.
  3. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland requires the political activity of appointees to be published. None of the appointees have declared any political activity in the last five years.
  4. Mr McCall is a Non-Executive Director/Northern Ireland Trustee for Diabetes UK. He was formally Director of Acute Hospital Services with the Southern Health and Social Care Trust from 2007-2008. Since 2008 he has been the Managing Director of a major nursing home business in Northern Ireland and has worked with housing providers in relation to specialist support housing and options for young people leaving care. He is also a Lay Advisor to the Northern Ireland Care Tribunal and has held this public appointment since 2006, for which he receives seasonal payments.
  5. Mr Millar served on the Board of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive from 2010-2015 and chaired the Risk and Performance Committee from 2012-2013 and was a member of the Audit Committee from 2014-2015. He previously worked from 2002–2014 as a self employed management consultant with assignments in the public sector, including human resources, organisational reviews, leak inquiries, structural reviews, non departmental public body reviews and job evaluations. Mr Millar holds a public appointment post as a Board member of the Agri-Food and Bioscience Institute from 2012 to 2017 for which he receives £37,50, (plus £300 per day for occasional Committee work if on non board days).
  6. Mr Wilson has over 34 years experience working in the Financial Services industry within Northern Ireland at managerial and senior managerial level. Since 2005 he has held the position of Head of Mortgages for the Ulster Bank Group in Northern Ireland and since 2011 this included the Republic of Ireland. He has served two terms as Chairman of the Council of Mortgages Lenders in Northern Ireland and is now into his third term. He is currently a member of the Northern Ireland Housing Supply Forum. Mr Wilson does not hold any public appointments.
  7. Media enquiries to DSD Press Office on 028 9082 9233. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Office via pager number 07699715440 and your call will be returned.

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