Eryri National Park Authority Chief Executive Emyr Williams is stepping down at the end of June after 37 years of dedicated service through various roles.

Emyr started his career with the authority in 1987 as Assistant Agricultural Liaison Officer, a role he held until 1996. He worked closely with farmers and land managers to nurture the understanding of National Parks objectives and develop agricultural practices that corresponded with the vision.

Stepping up as Agricultural Liaison Officer (1996-2007) he continued the work by implementing programmes and projects such as the Tir Eryri Programmes and the Northern Eryri 5b scheme to ensure agricultural consistency between the northern and southern regions of the National Park.

From 2007-2014 he was the authority’s Land Management Director, focussing on working with partnerships to achieve more in the long term than the authority could by itself.

He was a key figure in the purchase of Yr Ysgwrn to safeguard it for future generations, as well as working in partnership to improve provisions for visitors during Canolfan Cwm Idwal’s renovations.

In 2014, Emyr became CEO of the authority, leading numerous landmark initiatives and projects that have had a lasting impact on the future of Eryri over the last 10 years.

He oversaw the transformation of Yr Ysgwrn into an internationally recognised heritage site, celebrating the rich history and culture of Eryri, implementated several Heritage Lottery Fund projects, and the LIFE Celtic Rainforest Cymru project.

New ways of working in partnerships were established through Cynllun Eryri, focussing on working together and developing sustainable policies. He believes this is the way forward to protect Eryri’s landscapes and come to terms with the challenges facing the park.

He has a real passion for Eryri National Park and although leading it was not his original aim, he felt a duty to protect its natural beauty and cultural heritage.

He is passionate about the importance of the Welsh language and Eryri’s culture, noting it is one of the area’s special qualities, and highlighting the importance of safeguarding place names.

Through his career Emyr Williams has had to face numerous challenges including foot and mouth, climate change, austerity, Covid and depopulation. He would like to thank all staff, members and partners for their resilience and determination through these tough times and the strength shown to adopt and evolve.

In a farewell message he reinforced the need for stakeholders to work together for Eryri’s environment, its communities, and its future.