Alison is Chief Executive of Torfaen County Borough Council, the Welsh Unitary Authority for the Eastern Valley of South Wales, which includes, Cwmbran, Pontypool, and Blaenavon.
Alison grew up in Herefordshire and went to Exeter University to read Law. After qualifying as a Solicitor she did her Solicitor’s articles in Ross-on-Wye before spending two years practising criminal law in Sheffield. She then joined West Glamorgan County Council in 1987 as a Solicitor.
After a further brief spell in private practice, Alison returned to West Glamorgan as a Child Care Lawyer and specialised in that area of law until Local Government Reorganisation. She joined Neath Port Talbot CBC as Assistant Director of Social Services and Housing where she acted as Social Inclusion Advisor to the WLGA. She joined Torfaen CBC in 2002 as Assistant Chief Executive (Customer Focus & Relationships) and was appointed as Chief Executive in November 2004.
Alison recently completed a seven year term as a Non-Executive Director of the Institute of Customer Services. She is also a Council Member of the Prince’s Trust Wales, a Council Member of the national Canals and Rivers Trust and a founder member of the Welsh Public Services 2025 think tank.
Alison is also lead Chief Executive for the South East Wales Regional Partnership Board, which is responsible for co-ordinating collaboration for the ten local authorities making up the South East Wales region.
She was Chair of SOLACE Wales in 2009/2010.
Alison is the secretary and chair of the Welsh Public Sector Employers Group and a member of the Welsh Government Workforce Partnership Council.
She was one of the founders of the Gwent Frailty Programme and chaired the programme board until implementation in April 2011. She is currently chairing a task and finish group piloting regional arrangements for tackling domestic violence in Gwent.
In the 2011 New Year Honours Alison was awarded the CBE for services to local government.