About

The aims of the MDA are to enhance the profile and identity of the North Wales / North West border region; to maintain and develop the area’s competitiveness; to support key business sectors alongside skills, employment and inclusive growth; and to continue to exert influence to bring about improved economic infrastructure for the region.

The Board

The Board is supported by a Strategy Group comprising senior officers from each of the member organisations. The members of the Board are:

• Cheshire West and Chester Council (Accountable Body)
• Flintshire County Council
• Liverpool City Region (represented by Wirral Council)
• Welsh Government
• Wrexham County Borough Council
• Wrexham University
• Transport for Wales

Chair and Vice Chair

The Board’s Chair and Vice Chair roles are usually undertaken in rotation by the four Local Authority members, alternating between Wales and England; if the Chair is from Wales, the Vice Chair is from England and vice versa.

The Chair and Vice Chair are voted in by MDA members every two years at the AGM. The current Chair and Vice Chair took up their seats in July 2024. The Chair is Cllr Dave Hughes, Leader for Flintshire County Council. The Vice Chair is Cllr Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council.

The Mersey Dee Alliance (MDA) members are working with key stakeholders across the Mersey Dee region; Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington, North Wales Corporate Joint Committee, North Wales Regional Skills Partnership, North Wales Mersey Dee Business Council, West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce, Higher Education and Further Education providers, to realise the shared ambition of unlocking the significant growth potential of our already successful and diverse economy.

Chair

Councillor Dave Hughes, Leader of Flintshire County Council

Vice Chair

Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council

President

Lord Barry Jones has been the President of the MDA since November 2015; a role created to help promote the area, the partnership and its priorities to key stakeholders. Lord Jones has been tireless in his efforts to do just that. He has been effective in securing meetings with senior key officials and MP’s within UK Government and the profile of the MDA and its ambitions is now more widely known and understood as a consequence.