St Leonard’s Hospice has appointed David Smith as the new chair of its board of trustees.
He succeeds David Dickson, who served in the role for seven years and has been a trustee for nine years.
David Smith brings a wealth of expertise in both the charity and healthcare sectors.
He joined the St Leonard’s board in January 2024 after a successful career as a Chief Executive in the charitable sector, most recently at Teesside Hospice.
He has extensive experience as a trustee and is currently on the board of trustees for Hospice UK.
He said: “I am thrilled and delighted to be appointed as the chair of such a fantastic charity.
“As a York resident, who has spent most of my career working in charities and hospice care, this is an incredible privilege.
“I’m very much looking forward to working with the team and my fellow trustees to make sure everybody across York and North Yorkshire gets the hospice care they need.”
Chief executive at St Leonard’s Emma Johnson said: “We are delighted to welcome David as our new chair.
“His knowledge of both the strategic and operational requirements of hospice care and the wider healthcare and charity sector means he is well placed to lead our board.
“I also look forward to his support for myself and the wider leadership team at St Leonard’s as we look to our future and achieving our vision that everyone across York and North Yorkshire living with a life-limiting illness has access to the best possible care and will be supported to die well.”
She also paid tribute to outgoing chair David Dickson. “His commitment and dedication to focusing on patients and families and enhancing the care they receive has been instrumental in shaping the success of St Leonard’s that we see today.”