NORTH Ayrshire Council’s chief executive Elma Murray is among three North Ayrshire people to be rewarded in the Queen’s 2018 New Year’s Honours List.

Also recognised in the list are Elaine Davidson McIntee from Irvine, who has been awarded a BEM, and Joyce Helen White from Saltcoats, who is to receive an OBE.

Elma Murray is to receive an OBE for services to local government, education and the economy.

Joining North Ayrshire Council from Glasgow City Council in 2009, Elma has worked with both Labour and SNP administrations, overseeing 6,500 staff members.

In a local government career spanning three decades, she has held several senior positions including chairperson of SOLACE, director of the Improvement Service, depute director of Finance and head of Service Reform at Glasgow City Council, and head of IT Services at North Ayrshire and at Strathclyde Police.

She has said: “North Ayrshire is one of the best places in Scotland to live and work, and it is an immense privilege to serve as the council’s chief executive.”

This year, she was appointed the new chair of Young Scot, Scotland’s youth information and citizenship charity.

She said at the time: “Young Scot is an amazing organisation that is doing so many different things to help the young people of Scotland.

“I’m passionate about empowering young people and I’m excited to be working with my fellow board member, vice chair Abbie Wilson and the team at Young Scot to create even more opportunities for the young people of Scotland.”

Louise Macdonald, chief executive of Young Scot, said Murray brought with her “a wealth of experience in creating exceptional services that benefit young people and overseeing major digital projects”.

“Both are hugely important areas for Young Scot right now and in the future,” she added.

Mrs McIntee, a physiotherapy technical instructor at Irvine’s Douglas Grant Rehabilitation Centre, receives her BEM for 111 services to holistic rehabilitation in Ayrshire.

Mrs White, who is the chief executive at West Dunbartonshire Council, is to receive her OBE for her services to local government, further education and the Girlguiding movement.