NEW members were appointed to the boards of regional development agencies (RDA) yesterday.
The new names, including four on the board of One NorthEast, were announced by Minister for Employment and the Regions, Alan Johnson.
The extra members include Chey Garland, the chief executive of Garlands Call Centres, based in Hartlepool.
Kevin Rowan, regional secretary of the Northern TUC, has also been appointed, along with Durham county councillor and magistrate Christine Smith.
The fourth new face at One NorthEast is Keith Taylor, who has been deputy leader of Newcastle City Council since 1998.
Mr Johnson said: "The boost in business experience is particularly important for the challenge of promoting the economic development of the regions.
"The RDAs perform a key role in driving regional economic development and the Government has given them more money and more flexibility to do this.
"I would also like to thank the outgoing board members for their hard work and commitment to the RDAs in their crucial early years."
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