New North Yorkshire Council chair commits to working with all elected members

Cllr George Jabbour has become the third chair of North Yorkshire Council after members voted him into the role during the authority’s annual general meeting today (May 21).

He has succeeded Cllr Roberta Swiers, the elected member for the Cayton division who held the position for the past year, and will hold the role for the next 12 months.

Cllr David Chance, who represents the Danby and Mulgrave division on the council, was appointed as the council’s vice-chair.

Cllr Jabbour said: “It is an immense privilege to be elected as the new chair of North Yorkshire Council, which is one of the largest local authorities in the country.

“With this role does come a responsibility to bring real benefits to the 615,000 residents of our county, as well as businesses and all those people who come to visit North Yorkshire.

“Having enjoyed working with colleagues from across the council over the past few years, I am committed to ensuring that all our elected members have a voice and that we work together.

“In my role as the chair of North Yorkshire Council, I will make every effort to represent our communities from the coast to the Dales so that they are at the heart of all we do.”

Cllr Jabbour was elected as a member of the former North Yorkshire County Council in May 2022.

North Yorkshire Council was launched on April 1, 2023, when Cllr Jabbour continued to represent the Helmsley and Sinnington division on the new authority.

A former senior analyst at the global financial services company, Goldman Sachs International, Cllr Jabbour holds a range of posts including the chair of the Joint Committee of Border to Coast, which is the largest asset management firm outside of London and Edinburgh.

He is also the chair of the Howardian Hills National Landscape Partnership, as well as a member of the North York Moors National Park Authority.