The Right Worshipful Mayor of Newport
Councillor Ray Mogford is the 392nd mayor of Newport.
Councillor Mogford was born and brought up in Newport. He attended Hartridge High School and later joined the Royal Air Force studying avionics. After leaving the RAF he worked in the semiconductor industry, retiring in 2022.
Since being first elected to the council in 2012 councillor Mogford has served on many council committees, including the planning committee and the governance and audit committees.
Most recently he has been chair of the democratic services committee and is on the board of governors at Langstone and Llanmartin primary schools.
Councillor Mogford will be joined by his wife, Sallie, as mayoress.
He said: “Sallie and I are very excited to take up the positions of mayor and mayoress and look forward to a very active year.”
Deputy mayor
Councillor Chris Reeks will hold the role of deputy mayor for 2024/25 with his wife Jane as deputy mayoress.
Councillor Reeks has been a Newport City Councillor since 2022. He owns and runs a manufacturing business in the city which aims to support and grow the local economy.
Councillor Reeks said: “I very much enjoy being able to help and support the residents of Newport as a whole, and always aim to make a difference where I can to people’s lives.’
Inviting the mayor to an event
The mayor has a civic duty to represent and promote the city of Newport.
To invite the mayor to an event, please complete an online invitation form as early as possible (minimum of three weeks in advance).
Please note that the mayor has a busy schedule and it is not always possible to attend events at short notice.
For event protocol and advice please email us.
Mayoral Chains of Office
The Coat of Arms of Newport forms part of the mayoral chains, of which there are two, one for the mayor and one for the mayoress.
In March 2002 Newport became Wales’ newest city, created to mark the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. The existing mayoral chains were adopted by the city and are now worn by the mayor and mayoress of the city of Newport.