John takes over from Geraldine Howley, who has held the position for the past two terms and has served on the board for a total of six years.

The CIH board will recommend John’s appointment to the organisation’s Annual General Meeting in October. Following a vote of the membership Geraldine will formally step down enabling John to take on the role.

A well-known figure in housing John is currently chief executive officer at Circle Voluntary Housing Association having worked in the sector for over three decades. A Fellow of CIH John is a long-standing member of CIH’s governance structure sitting on CIH Northern Ireland’s advisory board from 2016 to 2022, becoming chair of the advisory board for Chartered Institute of Housing Ireland in 2022. In addition, John became a trustee in 2019 and a member of CIH’s Audit and Risk Committee in 2017, which he then went on to chair.

On being appointed to the role, John said: “I am honoured and excited to take on the role of chair of CIH’s governing board. I am deeply committed to building upon the strong foundation laid by Geraldine. Working closely with the board and management team at CIH, I plan to drive continued growth and excellence for our sector and particularly our members. Together, we will navigate the evolving landscape, collaborate with stakeholders on the issues that matter, and seize opportunities that will deliver value for our members.”

Geraldine Howley said: “I am thrilled to be handing over the role of chairing CIH to such a committed housing professional. John has been a key member of the board in recent years and is very well placed to step into the chair’s role.

“I have immensely enjoyed my time as CIH chair and delighted that I will leave the organisation in a much stronger position than it was only a few years ago, I’m grateful to John and my board colleagues and CIH’s employees and members for all the hard work and effort they have put into this enormous transformation. It has been one of the greatest honours of my working life to chair CIH. I intend to remain involved in my professional body and I excited to see where John and the board take the organisation next.”

Gavin Smart, CIH’s chief executive, added: “We are delighted to see John as the new chair designate of our governing board. He brings tremendous energy and enthusiasm to the role as well as extensive relevant experience.

”I look forward to working with John, and the rest of the governing body, to ensure CIH continues to be a successful, accountable, strategic, modern, inclusive and dynamic organisation that is both prepared to face future challenges and fit for purpose.”