Brentwood Council leader, Louise McKinlay, has been shortlisted for a "Leader of the Year" after making it to the final seven of 210 applicants.

Once the youngest ever female council leader in the country, after she was elected to the position in 2009, Leigh-born McKinlay is now up for the prestigous Local Government Information Unit award making her the only leader in the Essex Local Authority to have this achievement this year.

On November 1, she will be opening an exhibtion where professionals, young and old, will get the opportunity to network and make important connections.

The council will be hosting its Brentwood Business Showcase, with guest speakers from Google and Microsoft, and visitors will be able to have their photos taken professionally for free.

The event comes as Brentwood was voted as the top authority in the country for women's income.

Councillor McKinlay said: "Just 17% of council leaders in the UK are women, and I am proud to be one of this minority particularly in such a great place as Brentwood. There is much work to do for women still, but we are already making inroads.”

The event will also have enterpreneurial workshops and seminars.