CIWM has announced the election of Tim Walker as Junior Vice President. Tim will formally take over the role from Dan Cooke, who will become Senior Vice President, at the presidential inauguration in June this year.
Tim is currently the Chief Executive of the arc21 local authority partnership in Northern Ireland, a role he has held since 2019. Prior to that, he headed up waste management at Belfast City Council for over two decades.
Tim is currently on the Board of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and CIWM as a Trustee. He is also a Visiting Research Fellow with Queen’s University Belfast looking at the Circular Economy, a member of the Defra Advisory Committee on Packaging (UK) and sits on the Department for Economy Circular Economy Coalition (NI).
He has several professional and academic qualifications and regularly returns home from walks with more than a handful of rubbish.
On hearing that he’d been successful in his application for Junior Vice President, Tim said: “Wow, that’s great. As a life-long environmentalist, I’ve always had an unhealthy interest in waste and CIWM has been a constant wellspring throughout my professional career.
As a life-long environmentalist, I’ve always had an unhealthy interest in waste and CIWM has been a constant wellspring throughout my professional career.
“I’ve drawn from it so much in terms of friends and colleagues, as well as from its extensive library and contacts list. I’m thrilled that I now have an opportunity to front this great organisation and contribute to its journey to a world beyond waste.”
Commenting on the appointment, CIWM CEO, Sarah Poulter, said: “I would like to welcome Tim to the role of Junior Vice President (elect) and thank him for being prepared to make the commitment required for what is such an important position.
“The CIWM Presidential Team perform an essential role in the leadership, direction and voice of CIWM and Tim’s experience and expertise will add real value, not just in his role as Junior Vice President but at every stage in his progression to becoming CIWM President.”
The role of Junior Vice President is the first step in the journey to becoming CIWM President, a process that usually takes 3 three years.
Applicants must be CIWM Fellows and must submit a personal statement and have support from either 3 CIWM General Councillors or their CIWM Centre Council. They are then invited to present to the CIWM Members’ Council in Spring, where the Junior Vice President is appointed by ballot of Members’ Representatives.