New Lord Mayor of Leeds Dan Cohen 'honoured and hugely humbled' to take on role
The next Lord Mayor of Leeds has said he is “honoured and hugely humbled” to have been proposed for the role.
Coun Dan Cohen, who was born and raised in the city, was put forward for the ceremonial job at a meeting on Wednesday (January 15).
The Conservative ward councillor for Alwoodley will step into the role in May and will hold the title for a year.
He will be joined by his wife Elayna, who will be the Lady Mayoress for the year.
“I am honoured and hugely humbled to have been proposed as the 131st Lord Mayor of Leeds,” said Coun Cohen.
“As a Leeds boy, born and bred, it literally means the world to be able to serve my city in this way - now we just need Leeds United to be promoted and all will be on the way to being perfect.
“Leeds is an amazing, vibrant, diverse and dynamic city and its citizens reflect all of those qualities in bucketfuls. For Elayna and I to have the opportunity to work for all of our city’s residents means the world.”
Coun Cohen has been on the authority since 2011. A former Leeds Grammar School student, he read law at Northumbria University, graduating in 1992.
He then went on to work for a leading Leeds law firm and has also been the managing director of a company that imports and distributes hosiery to retailers.
On the council, he chairs the Children and Families Scrutiny Board. Alongside that role, he is currently the head of in-house legal at The Cohen Foundation and is a governor at a number of schools in the city.
Coun Cohen Dan said he is a passionate supporter of education, which will form a key theme of his mayoral year.
The current Lord Mayor of Leeds is Labour Coun Abigail Marshall Katung, who represents the Little London and Woodhouse Ward.