THE first person of ethnic origin to become Chairman of Suffolk County Council has taken office.British Guyana-born Harold Mangar, who represents Ipswich Bridge ward on the authority, succeeded fellow Labour councillor Ron Sudds yesterday, after being elected unopposed.
THE first person of ethnic origin to become Chairman of Suffolk County Council has taken office.
British Guyana-born Harold Mangar, who represents Ipswich Bridge ward on the authority, succeeded fellow Labour councillor Ron Sudds yesterday, after being elected unopposed.
Mr Mangar, whose father was Caribbean Asian and whose mother was Eurasian, was raised in the South American former colony, moving to Ipswich in 1955.
He started work at Reavells in Ipswich, and later studied at the London School of Economics, gaining a certificate in industrial relations and trade union law.
He joined the Race Relations Board, dealing with complaints of racial discrimination in employment and housing, before being appointed senior complaints officer for the Commission for Racial Equality. He was seconded to the Home Office specialist support unit, training police officers in race and community relations, retiring in 1996.
Before his election to the county council in July 1999, Mr Mangar spent time in Bosnia, working for the Organisation for Security and Control in Europe as registration supervisor and international trainer.
The Conservative opposition on the council yesterday elected Cosford councillor Jeremy Pembroke as its leader, succeeding Sue Sida-Lockett who has stepped down after five years.
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