Presidents Biography

JOHN WHITNEY Cert HE (Local Policy) Principal ILCM

John spent the first 25 years of his working life at sea as a deck officer & later ships master in the Merchant Navy & Trinity House Service.
Coming ashore in 1981 then followed a career in senior port management with Weymouth & Portland Borough Council and Chichester Harbour Conservancy, John and his wife Janet retired to the Isle of Wight in 1997.

In November 2000 John took up a post as part time Clerk & RFO to Rookley Parish Council and further part time employment with Chale & Shalfleet Parish Councils quickly followed. Realizing that formal qualifications would prove important John assisted by grants from his councils and the CTP studied and obtained a CertHE from the University of Gloucestershire. John steered his three councils through “quality” status in 2004 at a time when they were among the earliest and smallest councils to achieve this status. At this time he developed an interest in the advantages of “clustering” and published an article in The Clerk describing his experiences in applying this process.

John is an active member of the SLCC , he has represented the Isle of Wight on the SLCC National Executive since 2003, is a past branch chairman and has represented the SLCC on the IW County Training Partnership since 2003. In 2007 John resigned from Rookley & Chale Parish Councils freeing himself to take up a post on the inaugural board of the Institute of Local Council Management where he holds Principal membership status. John has discharged a national role as SLCC “champion” of clerks serving small councils for a number of years and is the newly appointed CSO and ESO for the Isle of Wight.

John Whitney was elected President of the Society of Local Council Clerks for 2009-10 at the October National Conference in Daventry, in his Conference speeches he emphasized his determination to work for improved recognition and status for Clerks that serve small councils stating that although this group accounts for over two thirds of the Societies membership they are for various reasons a silent majority. During his year John wishes to concentrate on visiting branches and has requested the assistance of branch secretaries in inviting him to meetings and encouraging Clerks serving small councils to come and discuss any problems that may exist concerning employment status or recognition of their role.