Our chief executive, Kate Davies, has been awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, for her services to housing.
Kate, who will celebrate 18 years with Notting Hill Genesis later this month, was told the news in April and has had to keep it secret from family, friends and colleagues until today (Wednesday).
She said: “I am completely overwhelmed to receive this honour, especially in the Queen’s Jubilee year. It is a challenging time for housing associations and we aren’t always flavour of the month, so it is heart-warming to see the contribution we make to the housing sector and the country reflected in this way.
“While I feel immense pride, I do recognise the real strength of this organisation comes from the amazing staff we have at all levels who are so committed to improving the lives of residents and strengthening the communities we serve. We can’t and don’t get everything right, but our heart is always in the right place, which I think is reflected in this award.”
Kate had been chief executive of Notting Hill Housing since 2004 and was appointed chief executive of the merged organisation four years ago. Prior to this she served as chief executive of Servite Houses and director of housing in Brighton and Hove.
She has previous experience in local government and the private and voluntary sectors, and is currently a non-executive director with the National House Building Council and TopHat Enterprises Ltd.