Press Release: Deborah Denner elected new chair of Open City with Dav Bansal and Elle Dodd as vice chairs

Deborah Denner, incoming chair of Open City

Design review champion, architect and founder of Frame Projects, Deborah Denner to be next chair of the charity.

The Open City board of trustees are delighted to annouce that Deborah Denner, founder of Frame Projects, has been appointed as next chair of the charity.

Denner, who is well-known across the industry for her leading role in running successful design review panels was elected at an Open City board meeting last week. She will take over from the current chair, Crispin Kelly, in March and lead the Open City board in its governance and oversight of the 30-year-old organisation including driving Open City’s expansion into the West Midlands and the Open House London Festival.

In recognition of his remarkable and long-standing service to Open City and its communities, Kelly was awarded a Golden Key celebrating his contribution to making cities more open, accessible and equitable. Other golden key holders include chair of the London Society Leanne Tritton, architect Kate Macintosh, president of the RIBA Muyiwa Oki and food writer Jonathan Nunn.

Denner said: ‘It’s been a real joy to be a trustee for the past two years, and I’ve got huge respect for the staff at Open City. For a small charity it has amazing impact, both in celebrating city making, and taking practical action to broaden diversity in the built environment professions through its education programmes. As chair I’m looking forward to supporting plans to expand this work to the West Midlands and beyond.’

Crispin Kelly, outgoing chair of Open City

Phineas Harper, chief executive of Open. City said: ‘I’m delighted Deborah has been elected chair. She has enormous energy and wisdom which will be invaluable in taking Open City to new heights. I also want to say an a huge thank you to our incredible outgoing chair Crispin Kelly who has helmed Open City for a number of years including through the most difficult period of the charity’s 30-year history as the pandemic forced so much of our programme to radically change. Open City not only survived the pandemic but is now more socially impactful than ever in large part thanks to Crispin’s sage and supportive chairing. Thank you, Crispin!’

Dav Bansal and Elle Dodd elected vice chairs of Open City

Birmingham-based architect Dav Bansal, and Sheffield resident and Director at Collaborate Elle Dodd have also been elected as vice chairs of Open City.

Bansal, who leads the Birmingham studio of Glenn Howells Architects will support Open City’s expansion of young people’s programmes in the West Midlands while Dodd, who was previously head of policy at Liverpool City Region and a senior advisor in the Foreign Office, will support year-round governance across the charity.