Council Directors recognised in Queen's Birthday Honours

Council Directors recognised in Queen's Birthday Honours

Published Wednesday 17th June 09

Two of Manchester City Council's top tier female directors have been recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours List this year.

Vicky Rosin, Strategic Director Neighbourhood Services has been awarded an MBE for services to local government, and Virginia Tandy, the Council's Director of Culture has been awarded an OBE.

Vicky Rosin MBE has worked in local government for over thirty years, in both service and central policy departments. An honours graduate in History and Politics, her early work experiences were in social work, working with children in the Midlands and Liverpool. Upon joining Manchester Council Vicky worked in the chief executive's policy teams , going on to work in the education service, becoming Head of Early Years and Play. In 2001 Vicky took on a key role in heading up the Council's Commonwealth Games Unit that was responsible for coordinating those Council services that contributed to the successful delivery of the 2002 Commonwealth Games. After the Games Vicky was responsible for ensuring that the legacy of the Games was captured for the city, through the development of an integrated Marketing and Events strategy. In 2003 she took up the post of Director of Libraries and Theatres before becoming Assistant Chief Executive with responsibility for Culture in 2005.

Vicky's latest role is that of Strategic Director for Neighbourhood Services. She is also the lead officer for Council support of Manchester International Festival.

Virginia Tandy OBE has over twenty years' experience of working in cultural development in the North West of England. Following a first degree in History of Art and postgraduate studies at the University of Manchester, she has worked in a variety of roles in local authorities, the charitable sector and in the North West office of the Arts Council.

In 1994 she was appointed Director of Cornerhouse, Manchester's international centre for contemporary art, film and publishing, and in 1998 she took up the post of Director of Manchester City Galleries, where she has overseen a £35 million expansion and refurbishment of Manchester Art Gallery, which opened to critical acclaim in 2002. She led the creation of Manchester's Cultural Strategy and currently leads development teams at Director level within the museums sector in both Manchester and the North West region, delivering Renaissance in the Regions - a nationally funed transformational programme for regional museums and galleries. She has also headed a national women's leadership network for museums.

Virginia has also been involved in a range of boards and committees, including membership of the Arts Council's Lottery Advisory Panel; Chair of Manchester's Creative Industries Development Service; Board Member of the National Museums, Libraries and Archives Council; and Member of the UK Cultural Heritage Skills Advisory Panel. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and from 2006 to 2008 was President of the Museums Association, the professional body for the sector in the UK.

In 2008 she was appointed Director of Culture for Manchester City Council - a role that gives her responsibility for the strategic development of the cultural and creative economy of the city.

Councillor Mike Amesbury, Executive Member Culture and Leisure, Manchester City Council, said: "I wholeheartedly congratulate Vicky and Virginia on their prestigious honours. This recognition supports their day to day achievement and recognises their skill, expertise, and wealth of experience that they each bring to their jobs and also their dedication to helping make Manchester the vibrant, forward-thinking, international city that it is."

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