The National Association of Memorial Masons, who made their chief executive officer, Barri Stirrup, redundant last year, have appointed a National Communications Officer to work from their head office in Rugby.

Taking up the post this month (September) is David Glover, who comes from Rugby and has worked in the concrete sector of the construction industry for more than 20 years, lately running his own independent consultancy business for precast and glass reinforced concrete.

He was a member of the council of the Glass Fibre Reinforced Concrete Association and, as chairman of their publicity and conference committee, organised some international conferences for them.

He emphasises that at NAMM he is not in charge but part of the head office team with Angie Wakelin, Liz Perryman and Mandy Gostling. "I haven\'t come in to run the organisation," he says. "This is a membership organisation and should be run to assist the members."

He says his priorities at the moment are getting out into the field, re-establishing regional meetings and recruiting new members - NAMM currently have about 250 members. He will also be looking at the NAMM newsletter, developing the NAMM conference and organising an exhibition in association with the conference next year.

NAMM held an exhibition they called Memtex in Telford in 2002. David Glover anticipates holding the next in Telford as well, although he says it might not be called Memtex. He says NAMM will still support the Natural Stone Show at ExCeL in 2006 and the Funeral Services Exhibition if it held again.