Mark Burns-Williamson OBE
Mark is one of the founder members of the Castleford Heritage Group and Trust who worked closely with the late Alison Drake MBE in helping to establish and drive things forward.
From November 2012 he was elected to be the first Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for West Yorkshire, serving two terms of office until May 2021 overseeing the 4th largest Police Force in England & Wales with a budget of around £500m.
He was appointed as a member of West Yorkshire Police Authority in 1999 and elected Chair in 2003 through to 2012 for ten consecutive years to oversee the budget and strategic direction of West Yorkshire Police. After joining the Executive Board of the national Association of Police Authorities (APA) in 2003, he was elected Chair in 2011 and also the only person to be then elected as Chair to the national successor body the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) in 2018 to represent all PCC’s with Government and within the Home Office.
Mark has spent over thirty years working for both public and private sector organisations, including West Yorkshire County Council, Wakefield Council, Citizens Advice Bureaux, CableTel Ltd, The Rugby Football League (RFL) and Halifax Plc. In the 2012 Honours List, he was awarded an OBE by HRH the Queen for services to the Community. For nearly 15 years prior he was an elected District Councillor for Castleford and Glasshoughton whilst also serving as Chair of Castleford Town Centre Partnership for 10 years and a School governor at both Wheldon Infants and Castleford Academy where he mentored some of the students. He stood down as a Councillor in 2013 shortly after he was elected as Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).
He is currently undertaking some work for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and as a recently appointed Non-Executive Chair of a pharmacy company.
Mark lives in Castleford and is an ex rugby league, cricket player and a passionate Castleford Tigers supporter, as well as being a real officianado of all things in connection with the rock group Queen.
