John Walter Jones, Chief Executive of the Welsh Language Board, will retire from his post at the end of the financial year, in March 2004.

He was seconded from the Welsh Office in 1988 to set up the advisory language Board under the chairmanship of John Elfed Jones. Prior to this he was responsible at the Welsh Office for developing language policy and for creating the first ever grants system to support aspects of the Welsh language.

The current Chair of the Board, Rhodri Williams, said:

"John's contribution to the Welsh Language Board and to the Welsh language generally has been enormous. He has had a professional involvement with the language in one of the most exciting periods of its modern history.

"The position of the language was quite different when John started his work in support of Welsh. In fact, it was he more than almost anyone else in Wales who was responsible for steering policy on the Welsh language over the past quarter of a century, in a period which witnessed the setting up of the statutory Board and the passing of the Welsh Language Act 1993 – two key milestones for the language. Another key milestone was the publication of Iaith Pawb, the National Assembly's strategic plan for creating a bilingual Wales, in which John and the Board played an all-important role in advising Assembly Government ministers and officials."

Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, former Chairman of the Board, added:

"To have John as Chief Executive when I became Board Chairman was an enormous asset. He succeeded in establishing the Board on a firm and professional basis from the outset, and in doing so he ensured that it was possible for all of us in Wales to become involved in language planning for the very first time. He was a pioneer in his era, and his knowledge and abilities are respected far beyond the boundaries of Wales."

Before his time as Chief Executive of the Board, John was responsible in the Welsh Office for developing Welsh language policy. During that period, he worked closely with Lord Roberts of Conwy.

Lord Roberts commented:

"It was a great pleasure for me to work with John during his period at the Welsh Office. It was a very exciting time so far as the language was concerned: S4C was established; a place for the Welsh language was secured in the National Curriculum, and, of course, the Welsh Language Board was set up.

"I always received sensible and impartial advice from John during his period at the Welsh Office – and I had no doubt that he was the right person to lead the Board. The success of that body over the years is proof of the wise, clear and firm leadership which he consistently gave. John has played a key part in ensuring a bright future for the language – and we are much indebted to him for his commitment to his work – and for his love of the language. There is hardly anyone that has done more for the Welsh language than John Walter."

Rhodri Williams added:

"We are very grateful to John for his advice and guidance over the years. He will be a hard act to follow here at the Board, and we wish him all the best in his retirement."