Charmaine Simei will be the new Chief Executive of Tuntum Housing Association, succeeding Richard Renwick MBE who is due to retire in the autumn after almost three decades in the post.
Ms Simei is currently director of customer experience and communities at Longhurst Group and brings more than 25 years of experience in social housing and related fields including 12 years in senior leadership roles.
Voted Professional of the Year at the Women in Housing Awards 2021, she is a board member for Communities that Work, the national voice of housing providers who support residents and communities into employment.
She is also a former chair of the Centre of Excellence Community Investment East of England network and co-chair of HACT’s Racial Equality Group, having been a long-serving mentor for the Housing Diversity Network.
Tuntum is one of the largest independent black and minority ethnic (BME) housing providers in the UK.
Founded in 1988, the association owns and manages over 1,600 homes in 12 local authority areas across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, and Derbyshire.
Charmaine Simei said: “It is an honour to be appointed to lead Tuntum. The association has a strong reputation as a community-based social housing provider with a proven ability to explore and generate new partnerships rooted in diversity.
“This reflects my own career background and skill set, coupled with my deep personal commitment to uniting people and making a positive difference to everyday lives. I feel privileged to follow in Richard’s footsteps. He has done so much for Tuntum and the communities it serves.”
Junior Hemans, Tuntum chair, said: “We are thrilled to appoint Charmaine as our new Chief Executive. She was the outstanding candidate and is a perfect fit for the role.
“I also wish to pay tribute to Richard who is retiring after spending 29 years growing and sustaining Tuntum. His dedication to the association, always true to the values that inform everything we do, will never be forgotten.”
Richard Renwick MBE, Tuntum Chief Executive, said: “I am proud to hand over the leadership baton to Charmaine. Her many talents and record of achievement in initiatives promoting social justice and economic resilience are well established, alongside a capacity for teambuilding.
“These are skills that will serve her and Tuntum well in the years ahead. I wish her every success in the role.”
Ms Simei will take up her new position in October.
