Meet the Governors

Dr. Barbara Spittle
Acting Chair of Governing Body

Barbara has extensive experience as a governor in the FE sector having served on college corporations since 1997. As a local resident she is committed to the ongoing success of Brooklands College and currently chairs the Search and Governance Committee and is a member of the Curriculum and Performance Review Committee.

Following a career in local government and consultancy she taught strategic management in business schools.

Christine Ricketts, Principal/CEO
Governor

Jeanette Bell
Governor

Jeanette started her career in education as a teacher of mathematics and brings extensive educational experience at a senior leadership level. She has acted as Designated Safeguarding Lead for a number of years and is currently the Head of School at a mainstream secondary school in Surrey.

Jeanette is a member of the Curriculum and Performance Review Committee.

Lee Chantry
Staff Governor

Lee joined the college 4 years ago after leaving the Early Years and Primary Phases of Education. In college Lee leads on the Equality and Diversity Impact Group and also sits on several other committee’ s including safeguarding.

Within the Governing Body, Lee is a member of both the Resources Committee and the Curriculum & Performance Review Committee.

Samuel Dundas, Student Governor

Fred Gray
Governor

Fred retired from ICI as Corporate Restructuring Manager having held various senior finance and business roles. Fred is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and a Fellow of the Association of Corporate Treasurers. Fred has wide experience both as an Executive and Non-Executive Director mainly in the UK, Canada and Australia. He has served on Audit Committees in the private, public and voluntary sectors. Fred joined the Governing Body as a Governor in 2018 and initially joined the Audit Committee of which he became Chair. Fred then moved to Chair the Resources Committee.

Dr. Andrew Gilchrist
Governor

Andrew joined the Governing Body in 2020 and is Chair of the Audit Committee, having previously undertaken the same role at another FE college for a number of years. He works in the life assurance industry and is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.

Melanie Harding
Governor

Melanie brings cross sector experience across education in central and local government, private and voluntary sectors, with expertise in capital programmes, place planning, special educational needs, service and business development.

Mary Hughes
Governor

Mary is Vice- Chair of the Curriculum and Performance Committee, a member of the Audit Committee and the Safeguarding Governor.

Her professional life has been exclusively in education as a lecturer and senior manager in Further Education.

Hilary Omissi OBE
Governor

Hilary has spent most of her career in National, Regional and Local Government and various Non-Departmental Public Bodies, working on policy and operational work relating to children’s services, education and training. She also spent a period with Prince’s Trust, undertaking a special project for HRH the Prince of Wales, subsequently joining the South East Regional Council and becoming an Ambassador for the Trust. More recently she has undertaken a number of interim and consultancy roles in the Charity and Public Sectors. Hilary has significant experience as a Non-Executive and is currently Deputy Chair of a Careers Guidance Charity as well as being a Governor of Brooklands College. Hilary was awarded an OBE in 2006.

Jackie Pearson
Governor

Jackie is Chair of the Curriculum & Performance Review Committee. Jackie joined the College in 2013 and brings a wealth of experience in education. A former Head Teacher, Jackie gained acclaim from the DfE as Head Teacher of the “Most Improved School 2004-2007 for 5+A*-C and the Children’s Champion Award in 2008.

Judy Peck
Academic Staff Governor

Robert Pickles
Governor

Bob retired in the summer of 2020 after 32 years employed by Canon UK & Ireland, headquartered in Reigate. He held a series of senior roles at Canon, most recently as Head of Corporate & Government Affairs. Since retiring, he has been able to focus on a number of volunteer roles: he is a Trustee on one charity board, a governor at Orbital South Colleges Group, and brings very relevant experience, knowledge and connections as Chair of the Surrey County Council’s Employment and Skills Board. This board aims to represent the skills needs of Surrey employers, and to facilitate better relationships between local employers with skills stakeholders including education/training providers and other skills organisations.

Bob loves walking in the Surrey Hills as often as possible.

Paul Stedman
Governor

Paul is an experienced executive in the Construction Industry. He has a broad range of experience in the Construction Management and strategic planning of major projects. He has also worked overseas and in the UK in all types of development from industrial to luxury residential apartments. He is motivated in assisting undergraduates and apprentices enter and progress through the business. Paul is Chair of the Resources Committee.

Nicholas Woolf OBE
Governor

Nicholas Woolf is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser. He has a lifelong commitment to education and training through a series of appointments with his firm and externally. He has held a number of leadership and financial positions both in the public sector and the third sector, as well as non-executive positions. He has been involved in the audit and governance aspects of all of those organisations. Locally he was a trustee of Princess Alice Hospice in Esher for more than 10 years, including being chairman for 7 years. He was appointed OBE for charitable services in the 2018 New Year’s honours.