Deanne has been connected to Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners for over four years, having first served as a volunteer Commissioner then being persuaded to throw her hat in the ring for the CEO vacancy in 2023.

Prior to that she was CEO of a Grade II listed provincial theatre in West Cumbria, one of the UK's smallest and most intimate professional venues, and before that she spent 27 years in journalism, latterly as editor of two local newspapers.

Her presentation at the conference will highlight a new hospitality and coastal activities centre that opened on a brownfield site on Whitehaven's harbourside in autumn 2025, a development that was not without its challenges during construction and was the cause of many sleepless nights for Deanne and team! It's now a multi-award-winning hotel, café and community hub, where diverse groups of users have a growing sense of ownership, belonging and pride.