New Deputy Lieutenant for Buckinghamshire

The appointment reflects Chris' positive contribution to Buckinghamshire in his time with and at the helm of the county council.

Deputy Lieutenants are appointed by the Lord Lieutenant, at their discretion, subject only to Her Majesty The Queen not disapproving of the granting of the commission.

Their role is to assist the Lord Lieutenant in supporting voluntary and community activities in Buckinghamshire.

They also participate in civic and social activities including citizenship ceremonies and armed forces events.

Speaking about the appointment, Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, HM Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire said: "I am delighted to appoint Chris Williams as a Deputy Lieutenant for Buckinghamshire.

"As a hard working and highly respected head of the county council for 16 years, Chris has devoted a large part of his working life to improving the lives of local residents and communities. This appointment reflects the commitment he has shown to serving his local community over the years."

Chris M Williams was born in a small village in Mid Wales and educated at Llandrindod Wells County Grammar School. He studied town planning at Coventry University and obtained a Masters degree from the University of Sussex.

He began his career in local government as a town planner with Glamorgan County Council. He worked as Head of Strategic Planning for Berkshire County Council. He was the County Planning Officer of East Sussex from 1989 to 1996 and served as the President of the County Planning Officer Society in 1994-1995. He led 2 reviews of the Regional Planning Strategy for the South East of England

Chris joined Buckinghamshire County Council in 1996 as Director of Environmental Services and was appointed as Chief Executive in 2000. He was one of the longest serving Chief Executives in the country, retiring from the post in 2016. During his time as Chief Executive, Chris led peer reviews of other county councils and also held the role of Chief Executive of South East England Councils, a body representing 74 local authorities.

Chris now works as a Management Consultant specialising in health and social care advice to other Councils and Health Authorities. He has also taken on the role of Chairman of the Bucks and Milton Keynes Natural Environment Partnership which is active in all major planning issues in the county. He does voluntary work with Action for Youth and with Forest School Camps - a national children’s education charity. He is also a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Sussex.

Chris lives in Aylesbury and is married with two daughters and two step-sons.