When I was appointed Chief Executive of Hackney Council, it wasn’t just a career milestone,it was a deeply personal achievement. As a child born in Hackney my leadership is fuelled
by a deep, lifelong dedication to our community.
My parents came to England from Jamaica as part of the Windrush generation and made Hackney our home with excitement and big dreams, but found it was not so welcoming.
Facing this with everlasting faith in the goodness of people, they encouraged me to see myself doing the greatest things in life, despite different experiences. My journey was often
longer, steeper, and required a deep well of resilience.
I began my 25-year career in Hackney on the frontlines as a Child Protection Solicitor. This role completely shaped my leadership style. Working closely with families in crisis taught me
deep empathy and solidified my conviction that public service must always protect the vulnerable. I then became the Director of Legal, Democratic, and Electoral Services. I didn’t
just manage compliance; I worked to make our democratic systems open, clear, and accessible to all.
I am incredibly proud to lead Hackney’s commitment to being an actively anti-racist council. For me, this often means having honest, sometimes uncomfortable conversations about
systemic barriers and actively breaking them down. My commitment to equity and inclusion isn’t something I learned from a textbook, it is the story of my life. The rhythms, struggles, and strengths of the community is woven into who I am.
I will always remember stepping up as Interim Chief Executive in 2023, at a very unstable time with our borough facing sudden leadership changes. My immediate priority was to
comfort our workforce and community. By maintaining a steady, reassuring presence, we ensured that vital frontline services never wavered. In May 2024 After a rigorous national
recruitment process, my permanent appointment was confirmed by a unanimous, cross- party vote of our elected Councillors. It was an incredibly emotional and humbling moment
given my long journey from a tiny baby to that day. My first thought was for my parents, who sadly did not get to see that day, but I carry on their dream with pride.
My journey has certainly taught me that you will not create equity, equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging with policies. Leading a workforce of nearly 5000 staff is an
immense but rewarding challenge to make sure every single person knows they matter within the workforce, and the great honour it is to serve each and everyone of our residents
in a wonderfully diverse community.
I know firsthand how lonely the corporate ladder can be. That is why I have championed targeted succession planning, career mentoring, & dedicated structural support to ensure our diverse staff can thrive in senior, high-earning roles.
We don’t dictate policies top-down. We have co-produced toolkits alongside our staff network groups from all protected characteristics, ensuring our managers
lead with empathy, fairness, and a true appreciation for diverse perspectives.
Cultivating a Borough of Sanctuary. Hackney is a beautiful, vibrant melting pot of cultures. I have the privilege of leading a workforce of almost 5,000 dedicated
individuals serving a remarkably diverse community.
Finding Our Common Ground: In times of national and global tensions, my message is unity. Our communities have far more in common than what divides us. My leadership is
focused on listening, healing, and building bridges.
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with community leaders, I voice absolute intolerance for racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-immigration hostility.
Hackney remains a proud Borough of Sanctuary where everyone belongs.
Investing in the Next Generation: Through platforms like Future Leaders UK, I sit down with young people from marginalised backgrounds, sharing my setbacks and triumphs to
show that their background is an absolute superpower, not a limitation.
The changes we are making at Hackney are receiving wonderful recognition, but what matters most is the lasting impact on our people. We are a welcoming council and I was overjoyed when the Local Government Association Corporate Peer Challenge officially praised Hackney as “an inclusive, exciting, and ambitious council”. This is a wonderful testament to the commitment, motivation and hard work of our staff.
I am championing Equity Equality Diversity Inclusion and Belonging (EEDIB) by strategically dismantling bias internally and outside of our council. EEDIB is a common
phrase coined by us. We established a Corporate Strategic Board focused beyond cold, clinical data toward human-centric delivery frameworks looking closely at the real lived
experiences of our community and workforce.
To be nominated for this award is an immensely proud yet deeply humbling moment for me. I see it as a profound validation of the community that raised me, the faith that
anchors me, & the great team that stands with me.
Dawn Carter-McDonald | Hackney, London, UK
