Adding to a summer of senior leadership staff changes, at the end of August we bid farewell to our Deputy Chief Executive, Major (Retired) Melanie Young, as she set off ready to enjoy retirement.
We sincerely thank Melanie for her dedication, leadership and direction as Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Cadets and Youth for 26 years and eight months.
A well-earned opportunity to relax alongside her four-legged companions – who have also retired from Tennal Grange office life! We wish Melanie all the best for the future.
Taking up the role, our Association has welcomed Major (Retired) Lesa Horton MBE who retired from a 34 year military career in August 2024.
A warm welcome to Lesa
Having joined the military as a Private soldier, Lesa undertook military administration roles until transferring to the Army Welfare Service in 2001.
Training as a Welfare Practitioner, Lesa’s role provided specialised personnel support to military personnel and their families. This included safeguarding, substance abuse support, mental health provision, grief counselling, domestic abuse support and change management.
After promotion through the ranks and qualifying as a team manager, she led, recruited and trained future Army Welfare Workers.
Following an assignment as the Lead Senior Army Welfare Worker, Lesa decided to take on the challenge in a new area of support; combining personnel and medical welfare support at Selly Oak Hospital, supporting injured military personnel returning from overseas operations. This work saw her awarded with an MBE in the leadership of the welfare provision of military personnel.
On reaching the rank of Warrant Officer Class One, Lesa completed her career as an Area Welfare Support Officer and Commissioned as a Captain back into the world of Human Resources leadership.
Further tenures included the roles of Detachment Commander and the Head of Personnel and Financial Governance. Before retiring, Lesa’s final assignment led her to sunny Gibraltar as a Higher Executive Officer, working alongside tri-service colleagues and locally employed civilians in the strategic space of high-level administration advice and guidance, safeguarding lead and development of HR strategies and initiatives.
Lesa said on accepting the role as the Deputy Chief Executive:
“I love serving as Deputy Chief Executive of the Cadets. The organisation presents meaningful challenges and fosters resilience, leadership, and teamwork in a generation that truly has the potential to make a difference. No two days are ever the same, and both the Cadets and our incredible volunteers continue to inspire and amaze me. Of course, being roughly the same height as the Cadets does give me a unique advantage—I can quite literally meet them at their level!”
Learn more about the different opportunities open to young people and adults in the Cadet Forces.
Published 03/11/25
