Eamonn Boylan, Chief Executive of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), has been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to local government.
Chief Fire Officer Dave Russel is also named on the list, receiving the King’s Fire Service Medal – the highest honour that can be awarded to fire service personnel.
The list has been published today (Friday 29 December) and follows King Charles’ inaugural New Year’s Honours list for 2023.
OBE for Chief Executive’s 42 years in local government
Eamonn Boylan has received an OBE in recognition of his 42 years of public service, and a career spanning roles in local government in Stockport, Manchester, Sheffield and London, including as Deputy Chief Executive of the Homes and Communities Agency.
Eamonn has been a pivotal figure in Greater Manchester’s pioneering devolution journey, becoming Chief Executive of the newly formed GMCA in 2017 before also taking the helm at Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) in 2019.
His leadership of the GMCA has seen him spearhead Greater Manchester’s Trailblazer devolution deal, signed with the government earlier this year, which secured new responsibilities for the city-region to develop policies and programmes that work for the local context in skills, transport and housing, as well as a commitment to a single settlement budget.
Amongst his most significant achievements has been realising the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s vision for an integrated London-style public transport system – the Bee Network.
Earlier this year he announced his intention to retire after the May 2024 Mayoral elections.
Eamonn Boylan OBE said:
“This is an honour that I share with the brilliant people I’ve worked alongside here in Greater Manchester and throughout my time in local government.
“When I joined the GMCA in 2017 I could not have foreseen the challenges that we would face, but it has been the privilege of my career to see the strength and the spirit of this city-region prevail at every turn. This past year in particular, with the signing of Greater Manchester’s Trailblazer devolution deal, has demonstrated just how relentlessly this place is working to transform public services for the better, and deliver for people at every stage of life.
“As I look ahead to my last few months at the GMCA and TfGM, I will take immense pride in all that we have achieved here. Those achievements are the foundations of this honour, for which I am sincerely grateful.”
