On Thursday 12th December, the Devon Lieutenancy welcomed eight new Deputy Lieutenants, who have been appointed by HM The King, to assist the work of the Lord Lieutenant in Devon. The Lord Lieutenant of Devon, David Fursdon (pictured left), represents The King in the County and works closely with Devon communities, charities and businesses. At an Investiture held at County Hall, Exeter, HM Lord Lieutenant presented his new Deputy Lieutenants with their commissions.
Dinah Cox OBE DL – Dinah lives just outside Exeter, and Devon has been her home since she left her hometown of London in 2014. She is currently working as Interim CEO for the grant-making trust, Devon Community Foundation, which she chaired from 2020. She is a Non-Executive Director for Devon and Cornwall Police and a Member of the National Trust’s South West Regional Advisory Group. She is also a member of South West Water’s WaterShare + Advisory Panel which aims to boost customer engagement with the organisation and provide an independent review of their work. She has over thirty years’ experience working to influence, develop and fund social change both in paid and trustee work and in 2008 she was awarded an OBE for her services to communities as well as receiving the Freedom of the City of London. When time allows, you will find her in her garden trowel in hand.
Mark Dowie CBE DL – was Chief Executive of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) from 2019 to 2024. He initially joined the RNLI in as a volunteer at Salcombe Lifeboat Station, giving him first-hand experience of leading and volunteering within the organisation. He is a non-executive director of the Navy Board and the Sovereign Group. Mark has significant international corporate leadership experience having been a senior commercial and investment banking professional who was most recently Chief Executive Officer, Corporate & Institutional Bank at Standard Chartered Bank. Mark is also a former Royal Navy Supply Officer, serving between 1982 and 1990. In addition, Mark has owned and managed a successful marine services company in Salcombe, and he served as a magistrate in Devon. He lives in the South Hams.
Arezoo Farahzad DL – Television Producer / Director specialising in food and lifestyle programmes. Her career took her to many corners of the world and for almost a quarter of a century she immersed herself in the cuisine, culture and traditions of Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. She now hosts a monthly ‘International Dinner’ in Plymouth that regularly attracts over 100 people from 25+ nationalities. She also chairs Plymouth Centre for Faiths and Cultural Diversity, a unique Plymouth educational charity that brings to life the practice of world Faiths and Cultures in both schools and the wider community. PCFCD’s annual Interfaith Festival has now become a firm fixture in Plymouth’s civic diary. Born in Iran, Arezoo moved to the UK at the age of 9 with her parents. She herself is learning the spiritual path of the Bahá’i Faith.
Dr Peta Foxall CBE DL – Peta has lived in Devon for the last 20 years, moving here from London to work at the University of Exeter. Her expertise and interests span the public and charitable sectors, focusing on healthcare, higher education and the natural environment. She is an advocate for volunteering in local communities and a supporter of youth social action. She is a life member of Devon Wildlife Trust and was the national Chair of the Wildlife Trusts 2017-2022. She is currently the Senior Independent Trustee on the Board of the NHS Confederation.
Andrew Kennon DL – lives in East Devon. He was a House of Commons Clerk (parliamentary official) for nearly 40 years, in wig and gown in the Chamber giving procedural advice and leading the select committee system. He moved to Devon with his young family in 1992 and commuted weekly. Recently he has been a Judicial Appointments Commissioner, dealing especially with High Court selections. He has been a member of the Independent Monitoring Board at HM Prison Exeter since 2017 and has started volunteering at a National Trust chapel. Sailing is his main hobby.
Paul Netherton OBE DL – lives in East Devon and was previously Deputy Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police and is nationally regarded as an expert on civil contingencies, resilience and risk management. He was the national police lead for civil contingencies for over ten years, head of UK national maritime security and chaired the South West strategic group in response to Covid. He was president of the Christian Police Association and has led the Faith and Police initiatives building links between faith communities and the Police Service. In 2020, Paul was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty for his work in relation to Police and civil contingencies and in 2021 was awarded the title of Honorary Member of the Public Health Faculty by the Royal College of Physicians for his role with the Covid Pandemic.
Reverend Prebendary Professor Gina Radford DL – Gina is a part time Vicar in rural Devon looking after seven villages on the edge of Dartmoor, a job she began in June 2019. She trained as a doctor, and has had a long history in public health at local, national and international levels. Prior to her current role Gina was Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, and had a particular interest in work and health, working closely with DWP colleagues. Gina is also a Non Executive Director with HSE and DWP. When not working her hobbies include walking, “running” with her collie dog, being outdoors and reading. Her particular areas of interest are health, faith, the arts, anything outdoors and to do with nature animals.
Teresa Turner DL – With a background in business and accountancy, Teresa has been closely involved with charities for most of her career living in North Devon for nearly forty years After a period of commercial experience, Teresa worked for a professional accountancy practice for many years. She was audit, corporate and charity partner in a regional firm before setting up her own practice, subsequently joining a leading South West firm. Commercial roles included finance director for a property developer, freelance FD and credit insurance underwriter. Currently a Trustee for Calvert Exmoor and listening volunteer and trainer for another charity, past voluntary roles included various trusteeships, school governor, in both state and private sectors, and two terms as Trustee and Treasurer of the North Devon Hospice.