Party of Wales Gwynedd Councillors' Group

Dyfrig Siencyn, Plaid Cymru Gwynedd and Gwynedd Council Leader

Councillor Dolgellau Ward

Dyfrig Siencyn was born and bred in Dolgellau and although he lived in a smallholding at Llanfachreth for a period, Dolgellau continues to be his home. He has spent most of his career with Farmers Marts a co-operative auctioneer company as a chartered rural surveyor and an animals, furniture and antiques auctioneer. He was Chief Executive of the company that is firmly rooted in the old counties of Meirionnydd and Caernarfon from 1988 until he was appointed Plaid Cymru Deputy Leader of Gwynedd Council in 2014. In 2017, he was elected by the Plaid group of county councillors to Plaid Cymru's Gwynedd Leader and Leader of the County Council.

He began his political career as Plaid County Councillor for Dolgellau ward in 1996 and has chaired several scrutiny committees over the years. He was a member of the Snowdonia National Park Authority from 1996 to 2017. During his time as deputy leader he had responsibility for the Welsh language, community safety and the county's corporate services.

Some of Dyfrig Siencyn’s current roles include Vice Chair of the North Wales Ambition Board, Co-Chair of the Rural Forum, Chair of the Trawsfynydd Overview Board and Vice Chair of the Gwynedd and Anglesey Public Services Board.

He has two sons, two daughters and six grandchildren and continues to farm a handful of sheep at his former home at Llanfachreth. He also enjoys cycling.

Dafydd Meurig, Deputy Leader of Plaid Cymru Gwynedd and Gwynedd Council

Councillor Arllechwedd Ward

Born in Aberystwyth but growing up in Dyffryn Ogwen, Dafydd Meurig began his career in the BBC before moving to run various businesses within the media and publishing. He was elected a Gwynedd Councillor in 2011.

He has been active within Dyffryn Ogwen for many years and has a keen interest in the ability and skills of communities to find solutions to the challenges faced by people within their own villages and areas.

He is one of the founders and current Chairman of the Partneriaeth Ogwen (partnership) that develops local community projects - which includes Ynni Ogwen, a community-based green energy company that generates clean electricity for local use.

One of the achievements he is most proud of as a Councillor was persuading the Welsh Government to fund a flooding scheme worth over £2 million to protect the village of Talybont situated in his Ward, from flooding (as occurred in 2011 and then again in 2015).

Since 2015 he is a member of the Council's Cabinet team with responsibility for environmental matters and in 2018, he was appointed Plaid Cymru Deputy Leader of the Council.

He is married and has four children.

Elin Walker-Jones, Plaid Cymru Gwynedd Chair

Councillor Glyder Ward, Bangor

Dr Elin Walker Jones has lived in the Bangor area for almost 20 years, but she was raised in Carmarthenshire. She works as a Clinical Psychologist for Children with Learning Disabilities and Autism at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, working in the counties of Conwy and Denbighshire, and she has also spent a period lecturing psychology at Bangor University. She has worked within the health care sector for over a quarter of a century and also has experience of working in the education sector and with other public bodies as well as the third sector.

Elin's career began as a politician when she was elected County Councillor for the Glyder Ward, Bangor in 2011. But her interest in Plaid Cymru, the Welsh language and social justice dates far further. During her political career, she has been a Gwynedd Autism Champion, has been a founding member of Menter Iaith Bangor and the Parkrun in Penrhyn, Bangor.

She is married with four children and is a keen runner and chef.

“Bangor, the city and its people are very important to me and my family. This is where the children were raised, and it has ensured that we are deeply rooted to Gwynedd now. It is a great privilege for me to be elected as Plaid Cymru's Gwynedd Chair.”