COMMUNITY Action Northumberland (CAN) has appointed a former council chief as its new chief officer.

Andy Dean, who was head of regeneration at Northumberland County Council and director of regeneration and communities at the former Tynedale District Council, will take up the post on June 29.

He will take over the reins from the charity’s current director David Francis, who is set to retire in March next year.

CAN’s new strategy, which is to become a voice for rural communities across the county, will be implemented by Mr Dean.

Since leaving the county council in 2010, he has been running his own consultancy business, AD Practitioners.

He is also an assistant director of the Rural Services Network and will be continuing in this role.

Recently, he has established the ‘Rural Connect’ network of rural enterprise hubs across Northumberland, Durham and rural Gateshead and secured a £1.5m contract delivering business support across the rural North-East, in partnership with four local enterprise agencies and a local authority.

Mr Dean also has experience of regeneration and economic development; housing and planning; community development and engagement; business and enterprise; bid writing and funding acquisition; partnership development and delivery, and strategic development.

Chairman of CAN, Adrian Hinchcliffe,said: “Andy’s skills and experience will be of great benefit to CAN in seeking to help and benefit rural communities and rural people throughout the county.

“The trustees and staff are looking forward to his involvement.”

Mr Dean said: “I am delighted to have been appointed to this position and am looking forward to the challenge of leading CAN to assist rural communities to become more sustainable and help people in rural Northumberland to improve their daily lives.”

David Francis will continue as director at CAN until his retirement, but with specific responsibility for the work that CAN does for the Northumberland Association of Local Councils (NALC).