Vice-Chair Mellissa Thomson elected to lead Orkney Islands Council’s key committee after Kristopher Leask steps down to serve as an MSP; further appointments to the valuation joint board agreed.

Councillor Mellissa Thomson, previously Vice-Chair, has been elected Chair of Orkney Islands Council’s Enterprise and Infrastructure Committee at the General Meeting held on Tuesday 30 June.

The change follows Councillor Kristopher Leask’s resignation from the chair after his election in May as a Highlands and Islands regional list MSP. He remains a councillor for Kirkwall West and Orphir.

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Cllr Thomson represents the North Isles ward and has served as an Elected Member since 2022. She lives on Eday with her family, where she farms beef and sheep.

She also chairs the Orkney Ferries Board, will now chair the Council's Harbour Authority, and is a director of the Eday Development Trust.

Speaking on her appointment, Councillor Thomson said: "I was absolutely delighted to have been appointed this morning. Enterprise and Infrastructure is a huge part of the Council, and I am honoured to be involved in it.

"My background in farming and fishing means this committee's work, from piers and harbours to roads, is something I understand from day-to-day life on the isles.

"I want to thank those who held this role before me for the foundation they've built, and I'm grateful for the trust my colleagues have placed in me."