Pat Oxley of a Pickering B&B 17 Burgate, has completed the lineup of business leaders on the Board of the York, North Yorkshire & East Riding Enterprise Partnership.
Her position was confirmed at the recent meeting of the Board, which also saw Board Member David Kerfoot MBE accept the newly created position of Vice Chair.
Pat’s addition to the Board filled a gap for a representative from the tourism sector, a priority sector for the work of the Enterprise Partnership at an opportune time. The Partnership are working with Visit England, the national tourism agency, to drive innovation in the sector.
Barry Dodd, Chair of the Partnership said:
Clearly there is a lot of talent in the tourism sector to draw on in making a selection.
We chose Pat for several reasons, not least the excellent service she offers at 17 Burgate and her experience of being a small business in a large industry. However beyond this, what she brings to the table is an innate understanding of the relationships between businesses in the tourism ecosystem. This is something we’re keen to make the most of as we develop our approach to supporting the sector.
The LEP recognises that tourism is a busy sector, with a number of important players, but feels it has something distinctive to contribute.
Pat Oxley said:
Our role is to help tourism & leisure businesses do better business, as simple as that.
We’re not a marketing or membership organisation. We have no desire to duplicate the roles being effectively carried out by others, we are here to add value and make the most of the potential of this fantastic part of the world for business and the economy.
The addition of David Kerfoot as Vice Chair is a recognition of his contribution to the LEP and his understanding of the possibilities and perils of working in a public-private partnership.
David Kerfoot added:
I was delighted to be asked to become Vice Chair as I’m really proud to be a member of the Board.
I think we have laid a great foundation in our first year to support business growth in our area. I see it as my role to help ensure that we rigorously pursue our goal of doing a few things well and make a real difference.