After working in local Government and the voluntary sector for 37 years, 23 of which have been at Chief Officer Level in three local authorities, Yinnon Ezra MBE now works with the South East Regional Arts Council as a Board Member, the Cabinet Office as an Ambassador for diversity in Public Appointments, the University of Winchester where he has been nominated as a “Fellow” and is active as a Board Member of the South East Regional Committee of the Princes Trust. He continues to support the Local Government Group (formerly the Local Government Association) on Tourism and Cultural Services as an Advisor.
Yinnon has a strong track record in finding innovative, radical and inspiring solutions to delivering Cultural Services which aim to engage communities fully. Through the senior posts he has held in the London Borough of Ealing, Kent County Council and more recently as Director of Culture, Communities and Rural Affairs for Hampshire County Council he has always been at the forefront of local government advocating the transformational power of Culture in re-generating communities. In Kent this was expressed through his early leadership of the Turner Centre project, and latterly in Hampshire re-invigorated libraries through the pioneering Discovery Centre programme, widening access for all and designing responses around those who “do not” use these services. His energetic customer focus has caught the attention of many Secretaries Of State, and is seen as best practice amongst those he has worked with and advised. His tenure as a Trustee and National Board Member of the Museums Libraries and Archives Council ends this year. He continues to write extensively on these and other issues.
In the New Year Honours of 2008, he was awarded the MBE for services to local government.