Governor Biographies

Chair of Governors: Roger McClure

Roger McClure is Chair of the Governing Body, following important roles in further and higher education in England and Scotland. He is Chair of the Search, Governance and Remuneration Committee and a member of the Strategy Committee and the Finance and Resources Committee. Roger was Chairman of Janet (UK); Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council for further and higher education; and of the Learning and Skills Improvement Service in England; Pro-Rector of the London Institute (now the University of the Arts London); Director of Finance of the Further Education Funding Council; and of the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council; Financial Adviser to the University Grants Committee; and special adviser to the Parliamentary Education Select Committee. He has been a board and committee member of King’s College London; the City Literary Institute; the Institute of Employment Studies; and the Business and Technology Council. He also has a keen interest in gardening and orchard/woodland management as he owns and manages a large garden himself.

Vice-Chair of Governors: Dr. Heather Barrett-Mold OBE

Dr. Heather Barrett-Mold is a former Principal of a land-based college and is now an independent consultant focusing predominately on the learning and skills sector. Previously she was Chair of the IES Council (Institution of Environmental Sciences), now Vice President, and a Secretary of State appointment to the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. She was a co-opted expert for the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012. Her passion for the environment and for science is long-standing and is currently committed to preventing insect decline across London green spaces and supporting the City's strategy to move to net zero. Heather is Vice-Chair of Governors, Chair of the Strategy Committee, Chair of the Academic Committee, and a member of the Finance and Resources and the Search, Governance, and Remuneration Committees.

Interim Principal and Chief Executive: Christine Bianchin

After 15 years at the College, Christine was appointed Interim Principal and Chief Executive in March 2022, having more recently served as Vice Principal at Capel Manor since 2018 and Head of Animal Management prior to this. Christine graduated from the University of Southampton.

Clerk to the Corporation and Company Secretary: Joanne Coffey

Joanne is Clerk to the Corporation and Company Secretary for Capel Manor Limited, Enfield Veg. Co. Limited and Forty Hall Community Vineyard Limited. Jo has been with the College since 2016 and has also worked as a psychotherapist and writer.

Paulina Balogun

Paulina Balogun was appointed by the Corporation in July 2021 and is a member of the Academic Committee and the Finance and Resources Committee. Paulina Balogun has a BSc in Economics and Mathematical Sciences. Her first career was in the financial sector. She worked in Accounting and Finance Management for various organisations including the banking sector. After volunteering with GCSE students as a Business Studies Mentor, she was inspired to retrain as a Maths and Economics Teacher. She has taught across all key stages in, primary, secondary, further and higher education. She also trained teachers. She is currently Head of College for a small music sixth-form provision called SoundSkool Music College.

Dr. Sheila Cunningham

Dr. Sheila Cunningham joined the Governing Body in 2020 and is Deputy Dean, the Faculty of Health Social Care and Education, Middlesex University. Sheila originally trained as a nurse at the Royal Free hospital moving from practice to teaching, and then to leading nurse education. She has held positions of curriculum development, equality, and inclusive learning, European exchanges under the former Erasmus mobility programme. She is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and in 2020 was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship.  Within her university, she sits on a wide range of committees including ethics, Student Experience, Programme Validation and Review, and Research and Knowledge Exchange and Complaints. She teaches at a variety of levels from Level 3 to Level 8 (doctoral). Sheila is also actively engaged with her local community as a former school governor, her local church community, and also various other charities. Sheila is a Vice Chair of the Academic Committee.

Dr. Beryl de Souza

Dr. Beryl De Souza was appointed by the Corporation in 2012. She is the Safeguarding Lead Governor and a Member of the Estates Committee. Dr De Souza is an Honorary Senior Lecturer in Plastic Surgery at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. She is involved in a number of organisations including the Medical Women’s Federation (MWF) of which she is Honorary Secretary for the London region, the British Medical Association (BMA) of which she is a member of the Community Care Committee and Trustee of Enfield Racial and Equality Council (EREC) and a volunteer at The Felix Project. She has a strong interest in education and is keen on the promotion of Capel Manor College to the local communities and to a wider network. 

Peter Doble

Peter Doble is Chair of the Finance and Resources Committee and a member of the Estates and Strategy Committees. Peter comes from a farming background but has lived in Enfield for the last 20 years. He is a qualified public finance accountant (CIPFA) and has worked in the public sector in London since 1981 with just a three-year break to work in the Pacific for the then Overseas Development Administration (now DfID). He worked in the FE sector as Finance Director, Vice Principal and at times Principal from 1994 until his retirement in 2018. He has extensive knowledge of all aspects of the FE sector, particularly with regard to its finances, funding and audit requirements. He is focused on ensuring the College maintains its current strong financial position whilst investing in and developing its facilities and resources to benefit its students.

Lorna Fitzjohn

As well as being a Governing Body member, Lorna serves on both the Academic and Finance and Resources Committees. During her career, she has worked in education in primary, secondary and further education sectors as a teacher, lecturer and laterally a Her Majesty’s inspector and Director of Further Education and Skills for Ofsted. She lives and works on the family farm in Hertfordshire.

Guy Jones-Owen

Guy was appointed as a Governor in April 2018 and is now Chair of the College’s Audit Committee. Prior to this, he served as the Independent Member of the Audit committee for 6 years. Guy has had an extensive career in banking, ranging from retail to private and commercial banking and headed up Santander’s UK Merchant Acquiring division until 2017. Guy has been appointed as an Area Director at Metro Bank where he is looking to expand the branch network across North London. Guy is passionate about Capel Manor College where there has been a family connection for over 30 years.

Joanne Laban

Jo was appointed by the Corporation in 2019. Jo is a Councillor for Highlands Ward in the London Borough of Enfield and was first elected in 2010. Jo has been the leader of the opposition in Enfield since April 2017 and her interests are the environment, crime, leisure, regeneration, and the council's response to COVID-19.

Alex Lane

Alex Lane joined the Governing Body in December 2021 and is General Counsel at Hive Energy, a leading renewable energy developer in the UK. Alex is Vice Chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Estates Committee. He is a qualified solicitor in England and Wales having trained and completed his early career at CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP focusing on land transactions and renewable energy projects. Alex has a keen interest in education which promotes sustainability and environmental awareness. 

Mei Lim

Mei has over 16 years of experience working across primary and secondary schools and in the voluntary sector. She worked in South East London as a secondary History teacher for six years, before leaving to study a Masters in Public Policy degree in Berlin, focusing on education and social policy. Returning to the UK, she worked in primary school leadership roles and became increasingly interested in place-based, community development approaches to improve children's lifelong outcomes. She joined the Reach Foundation in 2019 to develop their cradle-to-career pipeline of support for families living in Feltham, Hounslow, and now leads two of the Foundation's initiatives: the Reach Children's Hub and the Feltham Convening Partnership. 

Ralph Luck OBE DMS FRICS

Ralph Luck is Chair of the Estates Committee and a Director of Avison Young. He was previously Director of Estates at King’s College London; Property Director at the UK’s Olympic Delivery Authority; has held several positions at English Partnerships, the UK’s former national regeneration agency, including being Regional Director for London and South East England and Development Director for the 300 acre Greenwich Peninsula, including the Millennium Dome; Chairman of the British Urban Regeneration Association; Development Director at Chatham Maritime; Senior Development Surveyor with Taylor Woodrow and a Chief Officer at the London Boroughs of Bexley, Harrow and Wandsworth. Ralph is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a Board Member of the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. Ralph was awarded the OBE for services to regeneration in the 2004 New Year Honours list.

Heather Marks

Heather is a member of the Academic and has worked in Further Education and Skills, spanning over 22 years and is a College Vice Principal. She holds a master’s degree in Education and has extensive senior management experience working in very large general further education and specialist land-based colleges. Heather has extensive experience working in Further Education and Skills as well as Higher Education. Heather has designed and developed qualifications with a focus on horticulture and floristry Level 1 Land-based qualifications. Heather’s current role involves overseeing and having responsibility for the leadership and effective management of performance for curriculum, quality, and learner services. A key part of this work is working with colleagues across the College to secure outstanding teaching and learning and high levels of learner success, whilst also delivering an efficient curriculum offer that meets employers’ needs.

Sarah Moreland MBE

Sarah Moreland is a member of the Academic Committee and the Estates Committee. Sarah received an MBE for her service to Further Education and was the GB Equestrian coach for the Special Olympics. Sarah is Executive Director of the Hertfordshire Agricultural Society (Charity) with the key event being the annual County Show, also responsible for the 70-acre site and all other events and lettings. Sarah was a former member of staff at Capel Manor College, as Interim Head of School for Animal Management & Saddlery and, later, Academic Standards Manager. She was also Head of Department for Landbased at Oaklands College, where she was involved with Riding for the Disabled, amongst various other roles over a 14-year period, including Head of Business & ICT, Senior Advanced Skill Practitioner and Lecturer LDD. Sarah holds an MA in Education & Leadership, PGCE and 3rd generation Equestrienne. 

Stephen Way

Stephen Way joined the Governing Body in April 2021 and is Vice Chair of the Search, Governance and Remuneration Committee, a member of the Estates Committee and the Academic Committee. Stephen is a Chartered IT Professional and a National Leader of Governance. He has had a career in Enterprise IT, latterly as an IT Director at an FT100 company, and specialises in enterprise architecture and digital strategy. Stephen has a long experience of Trusteeship and Governance, currently as a Trustee of The Latymer Foundation at Edmonton and Chair of Trustees for the North London Scout District. He is Chair of Governors of The Latymer School and, until recently, Prince of Wales Primary School, a governor at Highlands School and Vice-Chair of Trustees at Enfield Learning Trust. Stephen has long family connections with the Bull’s Cross & Forty Hill area and a keen interest in the environment. 

Independent Member: Tony Young

Tony Young is an Independent Member of the Audit Committee. Now retired, Tony worked for Barclays Bank PLC for 36 years in both domestic and international corporate banking, his final position there being Head of Governance, Risk and Control for the International Corporate Banking arm of Barclays Wealth. Subsequently Tony spent 4 years working as a consultant on finance and governance for a UK-based pharmaceutical manufacturer and distributor. He is Chair of Governors for a Hertfordshire Primary School and Day Care Centre, as well as Churchwarden for the Anglican Parish church of the town centre of Welwyn Garden City. 

Staff Governor: Sarah Seery MI Hort

Sarah is Curriculum Quality Manager at Capel Manor College. Sarah has been at the College for 10 years and was previously Head of School for Horticulture and Professsional Landscaping.

Student Governors:

Attends Academic Committee, Academic Board, Estates Committee, and Full Governing Body and training events.

  • Rosie Evans who is studying FdSc Animal Management and Zoology at HE Level at our Enfield Campus
  • Bradley James Hannigan who is studying Animal Care Technical Diploma (Level 2) at our Gunnersbury Park Campus
  • Cassandra Fox who is studying Advanced Technical Diploma in Floristry (Level 3) at our Enfield Campus

Reserve Student Governors:

Attends training events, invited to step up as Student Governor at the next available opportunity.

  • Kieran Careford who is studying Garden Design Certificate (Level 2) at our Enfield Campus
  • Leo O'Driscoll who is studying Animal Management Advanced Diploma (Level 3 Courses) at our Crystal Palace Park Campus