The next boss of the Department of Infrastructure has been announced.
Nick Black will become the chief executive of the department when the current boss, Ian Thompson, retires.
Mr Black is currently the chief executive of the Department of Community, Culture and Leisure. As such, he has been heavily involved in the current bus dispute.
He has been the boss there since 2010. He joined the Manx government in 2000.
His former roles included being chief health and safety inspector at the former Department of Local Government and the Environment, secondment to the former Department of Transport, director of motorsport and chief operating officer in the former Department of Tourism and Leisure and chief officer of the Isle of Man Office of Fair Trading.
Mr Black said: ‘I am looking forward to getting to know the Department and its staff and to keeping up the progress of the Minister’s priorities
‘I will be sad to leave the excellent teams at DCCL but am confident that my successor will have their full support.’
The Minister for Infrastructure, David Cretney MHK, said: ‘I am very pleased to be able to announce this appointment. Having worked with Nick Black at DCCL I believe he is a dedicated and conscientious officer who is well aware, as I am, of the challenges facing all government departments.
‘He follows an excellent chief executive in Ian Thompson who together with his senior management team has been at the forefront of adapting to changed financial circumstances facing government and has quietly been making the department into a much more efficient organisation.
‘I have led this politically with the support of my departmental colleagues and that work continues.’
In January, the Isle of Man Examiner revealed that the future of the Department of Community, Culture and Leisure was under review under plans to reduce the scope of government.
The department is responsible for a number of different services, including buses, the National Sports Centre and the Villa Marina, all of which are subsidised by the taxpayer.
