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MAYOR OF GODALMING

COUNCILLOR TOM KIEHL

Tom Kiehl is a cultural and community leader who has taken up the office of Mayor of Godalming for the 2026-27 civic year.

Tom has dedicated his professional and personal life to unlocking barriers to potential and opportunity. A firm believer in the power of creativity to achieve social cohesion, Tom is excited to be a figurehead for Godalming in what promises to be an eventful year for the town.

First elected to Godalming Town Council in a by-election in June 2022, Tom was re-elected to serve as a councillor for the Central & Ockford ward the following year. Tom has acted as Chair of the Council’s Environment & Planning Committee. In this role Tom has led and coordinated the Council’s response to local planning applications, and ensured key initiatives to tackle the climate emergency are taken forward. Tom has also represented the Council on external bodies, such as the St Mark’s Community Centre Management Committee and the Go Godalming Association, and acted as Deputy Mayor for the 2025-26 civic year.

Further Information

Tom has enjoyed a 25-year professional career at the heart of the UK’s political system. Initially as a researcher and adviser in the House of Lords for over a decade, Tom has subsequently achieved much success as a campaigner and advocate influencing central and local government, as well as national and devolved parliaments. His appointment as Chief Executive of UK Music in 2024, the music industry umbrella body, was the culmination of a number of notable achievements on behalf of the sector. This includes Tom masterminding into law the Live Music Act 2012, organising a successful Judicial Review of copyright law in 2015 and securing millions in support for the sector during the COVID pandemic.

Tom’s professional work has been recognised in a number of ways, including as winner of the 2012 Parliamentary Researcher of the Year Award, and inducted to the Billboard UK music industry Power Players’ list. He is also a member of the government’s Creative Industries Council and Soft Power Council.

Tom was born on the south coast of England in 1980, leaving to study European Politics at the University of Kent in Canterbury.  Following graduation in 2001, Tom relocated to London for work.  He first lived in Godalming in 2009 before moving to Farncombe in 2010. Having moved back to London for the next 10 years, where in 2016 he married Victoria (now also a local councillor on Waverley and the new West Surrey Unitary Authority), Tom returned to Godalming in 2021, this time with a young son in tow too!

Tom first fell in love with visual beauty of Godalming as a child when staring out of train windows on day trips to London from the south coast. He firmly believes that Godalming is the best place in the country to work, rest and play, and is inspired by the town’s friendliness and sense of community spirit.

As Mayor, Tom’s chosen charities are ChoirBLAST, who unlock the joy of performing through community choirs across the town, as well as Home Start Waverley, for the vital work it does in Godalming to support families with young children experiencing challenging circumstances.

FIND OUT ABOUT THE CURRENT GODALMING TOWN MAYOR, PAST MAYORS AND HOW TO INVITE THE MAYOR TO YOUR EVENT.

 

You can find the programme of Mayoral engagements by clicking here.

The role and duty of the Deputy Mayor is to deputise, as required, for the Mayor.  When chairing Full Council the Deputy Mayor assumes the Mayor’s role and powers in relation to that meeting.

In undertaking engagements, the Deputy Mayor’s role is to act as the Mayor’s representative.

Except for civic occasions and Full Council meetings, the Deputy Mayor has no role when the Mayor is present ie. if the Mayor attends an event as Mayor the Deputy Mayor may only attend the same function as a Councillor.  Except for the aforementioned occasions, the Deputy Mayor must not wear chains of office whenever the Mayor is present.

If you wish to invite the Mayor to your event please click here to complete a request form.

If you have a more specific enquiry regarding the Mayor, please contact the Support Services Executive, Lynne Purnell.

Please Note

  • In speeches the Mayor of Godalming is referred to as ‘Town Mayor’.
  • The partner of the Mayor is known as the Town Mayor’s Consort, and may be a spouse, partner or other nominated person.
  • If formal photographs are taken at the event, a copy would be appreciated for the Mayor’s portfolio.
  • Please note the Mayor will normally wear the chain of office unless your event is informal and you specifically request “no chain of office”.

The Mayoralty in Godalming has a long history, you can view the photographs/images (that we have) of Town Mayors going back to 1786.

List of Past Mayors of Godalming
List of Godalming’s Wardens

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