Melanie Dawes is “delighted” with her appointment to the top job at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
As revealed last night by CSW on Twitter, Dawes will take up the post of DCLG permanent secretary on 1 March 2015, following Sir Bob Kerslake’s retirement in February.
Cabinet secretary Jeremy Heywood congratulated Dawes – who is currently head of the Economic and Domestic Secretariat – on her appointment and said: “With her strong track record in cross-government working and stakeholder engagement, as well as her extensive experience working at the centre of government, she will be an excellent leader of this department.”
He added: “I am very much looking forward to working with her in her new role. I also wish Bob all the very best in his retirement.”
Commenting on her new post, Dawes said: “I look forward to working with the department’s staff, ministers and partners in local government and the business community to deliver on the challenges ahead.”
Dawes was appointed by David Cameron under new arrangements announced by the Civil Service Commission in October that give the prime minister the final say on permanent secretary appointments.