A new Town Centre and Tourism Co-ordinator for Tenterden has been appointed to start on 7th September 2020 – a first for the town and a move unprecedented for a town council in the county – whose responsibilities will be to focus on creating and implementing initiatives to help regenerate the High Street, retail and visitor economy.
She is Keli Nolan-Lyons, who joins the Town Council team from the Tenterden Leisure Centre, where she has been part of the sales and marketing team and sports bursary administrator for the past eight years. She has also worked as a tour guide for Hush Heath vineyard.
Keli brings to her role a wide range of skills. She initially worked in radio and television, including stints as a presenter for Kiss FM, as a producer on BBC Radio 1, and has been in various roles in theatre and TV with stars including Bonnie Langford, Brian Conley, Noel Edmonds and Wayne Sleep.
She subsequently moved into events and artist management with companies such as the BBC, Nike, ECB and the Arts Council.
Her background in the performance and arts field led to her establishing a business as a personal trainer, working for clients in the City and media, including Channel 4 and Universal Music.
With the birth of her daughter Tileigh in 2012, Keli relocated from London to the Weald, where her husband David was born and raised.
The regeneration of Tenterden’s retail sector was the subject of a three-minute presentation to the Town Council on Monday, 10th August by James Fuller, manager of The Factory Shop and leader of the Facebook High Street Regeneration group.
After the meeting, Town Clerk Phil Burgess said: “We welcome any and all contributions to the debate about the future of our High Street and the retail sector in general, and the appointment of Keli is a clear signal of our intent.
“We had a very strong candidate list for this job, and Keli’s broad experience and people skills made her the ideal choice. It’s a vital role in what is undoubtedly one of the toughest trading periods in living memory.”
