EEDA - East of England Development Agency

Deborah Cadman OBE

Chief executive

Deborah Cadman became chief executive of EEDA in July 2008.

Deborah gained her first degree in politics and started her career in the engineering department of the London Borough of Newham. Her next post required a move to Birmingham where she spent two years managing a voluntary sector project in Handsworth, developing partnerships and community strategies and gained a clear appreciation of neighbourhoods.
 
After joining Birmingham City Council as an economic development officer, Deborah worked on some of the biggest urban regeneration projects in the country. During this period she also worked on major policy projects and public and private sector ventures while gaining a masters degree in economics.
 
As head of corporate policy at Redcar and Cleveland Borough, Deborah was responsible for regeneration, social policy, partnerships and 'best value'. She was also a member of the National Charities Lotteries Board Advisory Committee in the North East. During this time she gained a second masters degree in management.
 
Deborah then transferred to central government on secondment. Whilst at the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions in its modernisation team, Deborah worked with senior civil servants on local government legislation, advised ministers and provided direct support to councils in the East of England on the modernisation agenda.
 
A move to the Audit Commission left Deborah responsible for inspections in the London region and management of corporate governance inspections in Walsall, Enfield and Hackney, working with local government to develop sustainable improvement plans.
 
Deborah held the post of chief executive of St Edmundsbury Borough Council, which gained 'excellent' performing status in 2007, and was also interim chief executive of Waveney District Council between January and March 2008.

She was awarded an OBE in 2006 for services to local government.

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