Tim is a Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner and has been a member of the Institute since first entering the profession as a student EHO in 1972. He was elected as a Fellow in 2000.
The three main priorities for his presidency are encouraging research, promoting the values of Environmental Health Practitioners to employers and raising the profile of mental health as part of public health.
Mr Everett said: ‘As EHPs we’ve got to start sharing our knowledge and the value of what we do, not least with directors of public health, now that we are part of the public health workforce. We’ve got to fight our corner about the value of environmental health. Part of that is ensuring that our qualifications and training are preparing people for the demands of the modern world and that they can adapt to change.
‘We’ve tended to focus on the relationship between the environment and physical disease and overlook the mental health aspects. But it’s a reality that those living in low-quality and insecure accommodation, and the most polluted environments, are more likely to have mental health issues. One in four of the population will receive some kind of treatment for a psychiatric issue over the next year but mental health issues are still stigmatised.’
Mr Everett’s background is in local government but he has qualifications in housing, law and management, as well as environmental health, and professional interests ranging across mental health, pollution, resilience, community safety and infectious disease. He is also an observer of the economy and serves as the CIEH’s official recession tracker.
CIEH Chief Executive, Graham Jukes, said: ‘I’m extremely pleased that Tim has taken the reins of the CIEH presidency as we consolidate and grow our engagement with the new models of public health and address the changes in direction for our members. We have worked together for a number of years and he will bring significant gravitas to this important role. He has a strong public health background and understanding of where it all fits into the bigger picture’.
Mr Everett’s last Local Government post was as Strategic Director for Adur and Worthing Councils, where he was responsible for their joint Environmental Health, Housing, Planning, Regeneration and Leisure Services. He was the Chair of a statutory Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership and a member of the West Sussex Safeguarding Board and its Serious Cases Review Panel.
During his 13 years at Sutton LBC he was responsible for all regulatory services, corporate health and safety and the school meals service. His department won a Beacon Council award in 2002 for Better Regulation initiatives, and he was the lead officer in achieving EMAS accreditation across the Council. As head of their corporate policy unit he led a successful Best Value programme and gained a top score for the first full corporate assessment. He has worked for three other London Boroughs and the City of Swansea.
He was an adviser to the Local Government Authority from its creation until 2009 on environmental health and was a member of the national Air Quality Forum. He has regularly represented local government in meetings with the UK Government and the European Commission.
Mr Everett has been a CIEH Trustee from 1994-2000 and again from 2012. He was President of the London Centre from 1999-2004 and was the CIEH Executive Director of Professional Services from 2009 - 2011.
He is a listener for the Samaritans and an adviser at his local Citizens’ Advice Bureau, and carries out training and research on environmental law issues.