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THE main reason for the Wokingham Borough Council meeting on Thursday, May 24 was to install a new mayor and nominate their deputy.
This year, in a unanimous vote, Cllr John Kaiser was elected as Borough Mayor, taking over from Cllr Rob Stanton who now retires from the council altogether.
Cllr Kaiser’s deputy is Woodley-based councillor, and fellow Conservative, Cllr Bill Soane.
As the borough’s first citizen, the mayor chairs council meetings, and will attend hundreds of civic engagements, including the primary schools’ carol concert in December.
His charity of the year is the Me2Club, which enables children and young people aged five to 19 who have additional needs and disabilities to attend mainstream activity clubs, thanks to a network of trained volunteers.
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Cllr Kaiser has represented Barkham since 2011 and was Mr Stanton’s deputy.
He said: “During my time as Deputy Mayor I have learned that the role of Mayor is unlike any other role you are likely to encounter while serving as a councillor. One minute you can be opening a major construction project and the next awarding the prizes at a local school or even helping resident’s celebrate their 100th birthday.
“I have been at the sharp end of politics during my time with the council and sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of the important things which are life enhancing for the vulnerable in our borough.
“Some of the events I attended as deputy Mayor, made me feel proud to be part of the council. Others have made me feel very humble as you see the effort put in by the council’s employees and the many volunteers who ensure nobody is left out, and as many as possible get to share in the good things Wokingham Borough provides.
“I am amazed at the diversity and how inclusive activities are in all our towns and villages, all of which go to make Wokingham Borough a great place to live.”
Cllr Kaiser spent most of his working life in senior management with many years at board level. He worked for companies as diverse as Wincanton (Unigate) and Virgin, and in addition he set up and ran his own company for eight years. He spent the last seven years of his working life in change management involved in start-ups and company restructuring.
Cllr Kaiser has been a Wokingham Borough councillor for some seven years after retiring from permanent employment. Spending a number of years as executive member for planning, highways and affordable housing, he has also served on the planning committee for most of his time as a councillor. Cllr Kaiser is also a parish councillor for Arborfield and a volunteer for the National Trust.
John is married to Gillian, has three grown up children and one grandson, and has lived in Wokingham for over 30 years.
Cllr Soane has represented Loddon ward since 2014. Cllr Soane has also been a Woodley Town Councillor since 2007 and served as Woodley Town Mayor in 2013.
Born and brought up in the London’s east end, Cllr Soane moved to Essex in 1970 after marrying his wife Hilary before moving in 1983 to Woodley. They have two daughters and four grandsons who all live locally.
He is a member and past president of the Loddon Vale Rotary Club and has served on Woodley Carnival Committee for 28 years, 10 of those years as chairman. He was also a member of the Woodley War Memorial Project, which was successful in having a memorial erected in the town.
