APPROACHABLE, tenacious and with an ability to relate to all people is how West Devon?s new mayor Jayne Hill was described at a special ceremony this week. Mrs Hill, a food technology teacher, who represents the Okehampton West ward, was elected mayor after five years as a borough councillor. She takes over the role from Christine Grills, who has served on the council for ten years. Chagford representative Peter Hill is the new deputy mayor. A local Conservative, Mrs Hill, is keen to be a role model ? holding down a full-time job, with a family and carrying out her duties as mayor. A mother of two daughters, she is vice-chairman of the council?s environmental and community committee and has played a leading role in the provision of West Devon?s new leisure centre, Parklands in Okehampton. She said: ?Through the work that I carry out I want to encourage people to take an interest in their community and local government. ?You can work and serve your community. It?s a juggling act at times but very fulfilling and I love it.? A keen supporter of young people, she has chosen the West Devon Youthwize project as her charity for the year. Mrs Hill was proposed by Cllr Margaret Garton, who said she had all the qualities and skills that would make a good mayor. ?She has a sense of vision and can see the bigger picture for West Devon ? as well as attention to detail. ?She is good natured, approachable, authoritative without being authoritarian, full of common sense and a good listener with an ability to relate to people whatever their backgrounds.? Cllr Garton also described her colleague as ?very tenacious? when she believed in something ? for example, the new leisure complex for Okehampton which involved months of detail in order to turn the dream into a reality. Outgoing mayor Christine Grills said she had thoroughly enjoyed her 12-month term: ?There have been some marvellous moments which I will never forget,? she said. Mrs Grills was praised for her enthusiasm, dignity and courtesy. Cllr Ted Sherrell said no event was too distant or too modest for her to attend during her year as mayor in which she clocked up many miles.
