Interim chair of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Cath Denholm, has had her appointment extended, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced.
Denholm’s appointment will last until December 30, 2024, or until a substantive chair is appointed following completion of the public appointment process.
She has been a member of the committee since April 2022 and was previously the deputy chair.
Denholm’s interim appointment was made in April 2024 as an exceptional appointment without competition, following consultation with the commissioner for public appointments.
The Joint Nature Conservation Committee is the only statutory nature advisor to the UK government, working with the four nations of the UK and its Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
It provides robust scientific evidence and advice to help decision makers turn science into action for nature recovery.
Cath Denholm
Denholm joined the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) as executive director of corporate services in June 2020.
She was interim chief executive of EHRC from September 2023 to March 2024, and returned to her post of chief operating officer in April 2024.
Prior to this, Denholm worked for more than 20 years in NHS Scotland in both management and strategic roles in primary care, GP appraisal and public health.
She is also a member of the Institute of Directors and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Previously, Denholm sat on the Board of NatureScot from 2016 and was deputy chair between 2019 and March 2022.
Her overarching professional interests are human rights, public service leadership, and partnership working across sectors in order to achieve fair access for all and a nature-rich future.
