Name: Doreen West (Chair) Chair of Search Committee
Occupation: Education & Management Consultant
Company: Bennett West Associates
GB Membership Start Date Dec 1998 Re-election Dec 2010
Background, Doreen’s educationalist background is in Nurse Training and Nurse Management. Skills & She is Co-Director of an International Electronics and Communications Company Interests: and also the Director of a Recruitment Agency for Senior Placements.
Doreen is a member of the Fellow of Chartered Institute of Management and has a Bachelor of Education. She is also a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and Vice Chair of North London Research & Ethics Committee.
Doreen is the Chair of Board of Hillingdon Carers and also a Director and Trustee of Hillingdon Voluntary Services. In her capacity of Chair of the Corporation of Uxbridge College Doreen is a Committee Member of the Association of Colleges.
Doreen is a Life Member of the British Red Cross, holding the Queen’s Badge of Honour.
Name: Funke Abimbola
Occupation: Senior Solicitor
Company: IBB Solicitors
GB Membership Start Date Dec 2010 Re-election Dec 2014
Background, Funke is a senior solicitor at IBB Solicitors in Uxbridge and specialises in Skills & corporate law. She advises many businesses within the Uxbridge and West Interests: London area and regularly presents at seminars and writes articles on business law topics. In addition, Funke is an active participant in a number of local initiatives and events including the Park Royal Partnership.
Funke’s outside interests include keeping fit, travelling, going to the theatre and spending as much quality time as she can with her partner and family.
Chair of Finance & Property Name: Steven Cochran Committee Occupation: Company Director
Company: Graf Mortgage Corporation
GB Membership Start Date March 2009 Re-election March 2013
Background, Steven worked for Clydesdale Bank for 20 years in various roles in Scotland, the Skills & North of England and London. He moved to Allied Irish Bank in 2005 to run their Interests: Corporate Business in North / West London in Watford and then from their UK headquarters in Uxbridge. He was appointed Head of Deposits in 2010 until leaving in March 2011 to become a director of Graf Mortgage Corporation. GMC specialises in short term bridging finance to property investors, raising funds through it’s associated company UK Secured Finance Fund.
Steven completed an MBA at Ashridge Business School in 2008 and is a fully qualified Chartered Banker and Fellow of the Institute of Bankers in Scotland.
Steven is married with three daughters and lives in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. He is keen on most sports, particularly cricket, golf, tennis and football and is an avid reader.
Name: Mike Cox
Occupation: Managing Director
Company: Cox Costello & Horne Limited
GB Membership Start Date Dec 2010 Re-election Dec 2014
Background, Mike is originally from Bolton in Lancashire and graduated from Brunel University Skills & in 1981. He is a Chartered Accountant and lives in Uxbridge with his partner and Interests: 2 children.
In 1997 Mike set up his own firm of Chartered Accountants in Rickmansworth where he employs up to 30 staff, 10 of whom are training to be accountants.
Between 2002 and 2010 Mike served as a local Councillor representing Ruislip Manor, he is currently a governor of Whiteheath Junior School in Ruislip and is also a trustee of HSG Swallows, a local charity based in Greenford providing help to children wanting to be Gymnasts.
As well as an active interest in local and national politics Mike admits to supporting Bolton Wanderers and playing golf very badly.
Name: Mike Crane Chair of Student Affairs
Occupation: Business Development Broker
Company: University of West London (previous position)
GB Membership Start Date Dec 2008 Re-election Dec 2012
Background, Mike has ten years experience working in the public sector working within both Skills & the Higher and Further Education sectors, including six years at Uxbridge Interests: College holding the position of Community Outreach & Development Manager.
Prior to employment with Uxbridge College Mike established a community based Adult Learning Centre in the South of the London Borough of Hillingdon delivering programmes of academic learning and personal development for those experiencing or at risk of social exclusion.
Mike is a strong believer in the rights of individuals to access opportunities to enhance their personal growth and provide them with the skills needed to function effectively within society. He is a trustee of two faith based charities within Hillingdon working with adults who are homeless, and or recovering from alcohol/drug dependency.
Mike is a keen musician enjoying both participating in and listening to classical music. He is a persistent if inexperienced allotment owner, enjoying on occasions the fruits of hours of labour.
Chair of Performance & Name: Beverley Crooks Standards Occupation: Widening Participation
Company: Brunel University
Email Address: [email protected] GB Membership Start Date Dec 2007 Re-election Dec 2011
Beverley Crooks is an advocate and practitioner for socially inclusive education Background, with a major commitment to promote university to under-represented groups to Skills & fulfil their academic potential. Beverley has taught in primary and secondary Interests: schools before becoming a local authority curriculum adviser and school
inspector. On joining the widening participation (WP) department at Brunel
University west London, Beverley has been instrumental in the development of
mentoring schemes to assist students under-represented in higher education to
gain graduate-level employment.
Beverley is the author of a range of publications on including:
Aymer, C. & Crooks, B., (2010), Overcoming Barriers to Social Work Education:
Meeting the WP Target. London FACE Crooks, B. (2011), Was David Cameron
Right? Black Caribbean Males in HE, What Are Universities Doing to Widen
Participation? London FACE.
Crooks, B. (forthcoming 2011), Mentoring Matters. London AGCAS
Chair of Human Resources & Name: Anne Davey Remuneration Committees
Occupation: HR Director
Company: Arora International Hotel Company
GB Membership Start Date Dec 2007 Re-election Dec 2011
Background, Anne is an experienced Human Resources professional with over 25 years Skills & experience in the Hospitality sector. She has successfully led both start-up and Interests: established business situations.
Anne is currently the Human Resources Director for Arora Hotels and is responsible for developing a strategy to recruit, develop and retain the best people for the future business requirements.
Anne is a very sociable person and prides herself in her strong interpersonal skills both at work and privately. She enjoys cooking, walking and skiing. At the weekends she enjoys watching her children compete in sporting activities.
Name: Andrew Davy
Occupation: General Manager
Company: The Pavilions, Uxbridge
GB Membership Start Date Dec 2010 Re-election Dec 2014
Background, Andrew has 27 years of retail experience with WH Smith and Homebase in Skills & stores, head office and field roles. His major interest is in change management Interests: and people development. Andrew has a passion for customer service and currently sits on the Customer Care Committee of the British Council of Shopping Centres (BCSC). He was Runner Up in the Shopping Centre Manager of the Year competition 2010 which was run by Shopping Centre Magazine.
Andrew has been in shopping centre management for 4 years, starting in Southampton and moving to Uxbridge 18 months ago.
He lives in Hampshire with wife and three dogs and enjoys scuba diving, sailing, sea fishing and motorsport.
Name: Julie Kelly
Occupation: Payroll Officer
Company: Uxbridge College
GB Membership Start Date Mar 2009 Re-election Mar 2013
Background, Julie has been employed as the Payroll Officer, in Human Resources, at Skills & Uxbridge College since February 2003. Interests: Until recently Julie sat on the College’s Audit Committee but has now transferred to our Student Affairs Committee and she is also the Governor representative for the College’s Children’s Centre.
Julie is interested in the local community and education having previously been an active member of a local primary school’s PTA and Julie sat on their Governing Body Committees.
Name: Nasim Khan
Occupation: Director
Company: Triton Media
GB Membership Start Date Dec 2010 Re-election Dec 2014
Background, Nasim has extensive experience in export sales across EMEA markets within Skills & office equipment industry. Interests: His main skills are negotiation and developing long terms partnership programmes with sales side clients and with his new business, supply side vendors also.
Nasim currently runs a business involved in the supply of blank recordable media, data backup tapes and hard drive solutions to SME and broadcast industries.
Nasim’s interests are mainly following sports, especially cricket and football.
Name: Anita MacDonald
Occupation: Councillor
Company: London Borough of Hillingdon
GB Membership Start Date May 2011 Re-election May 2015
Background, Anita studied piano and voice at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Skills & Drama and has performed across the UK and abroad as a pianist, singer and Interests: accompanist.
Anita also has an educational background as a senior manager in a Secondary school and Head of 6th form, before moving into politics. She stood for Parliament in May 2010 for Ruislip, Northwood, Pinner Constituency, coming second.
She directs her own music company, and judges several National music industry competitions.
Name: Bonnie Martel
Occupation: CTL: Learning Support
Company: Uxbridge College
GB Membership Start Date April 2008 Re-election Apr 2012
Bonnie has worked at Uxbridge College since 2001. She works in a cross- Background, College role, as the Team Leader for the Learning Support Service; organising Skills & and providing support for learners with specific learning difficulties and Interests: disabilities studying on mainstream courses who require additional learning
support. Her work involves completing full needs assessments of students with
disabilities who apply to College, making recommendations for support, teaching
on a one to one basis and leading a large team. Bonnie is a member of the
Training & Development Committee and is often involved in the delivery of
training for staff, both at new staff inductions and at Whole College Training
Days, usually concerning disability and equality issues.
Outside of College, Bonnie does much voluntary work as a warranted Guide
Leader and Assistant Cub and Scout Leader. She also has a connection with
Rotary, having been sponsored by the Rotary Club of Uxbridge to go on a Group
Study Exchange to Australia in 2005.
Name: Nick Simkins Chair of Audit Committee
Occupation: Partner
Company: Chantrey Vellacott DFK LLP
GB Membership Start Date Dec 2007 Re-election Dec 2011
Background, Nick has worked in and around the education sector for the last 14 years, Skills & advising many FE & HE Institutions in a range of finance, funding, audit and Interests: governance topics. A qualified Chartered Accountant, Nick is a Partner at the Birmingham office of Chantrey Vellacott DFK, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors, providing a range of services to both the public and private sector clients.
Nick has a wealth of experience of working with College governors, clerks and senior managers providing practical advice, training and technical guidance. Nick is an associate for the Association of Colleges and Learning and Skills Improvement Service delivering training for Governors on financial and governance topics.
Nick understands the needs and challenges facing all those involved in the education sector, having acted as a seconded Finance Director at a midlands FE College.
Nick is chair of the audit committee and is passionate about seeing the College progress in the challenging times ahead.
Nick is married with two teenage children both still in full time education and likes to spend his spare time, playing golf very badly and travelling.
Name: Tracy Reeve (Clerk)
Occupation: Clerk to the Corporation
Email Address: [email protected]
GB Membership Start Date April 2009 Re-election n/a
Tracy graduated in 1984 with a degree in Economics and then joined the Civil Background, Service. A variety of jobs within the Manpower Services Commission and Skills & Department of Employment followed. These were in public facing roles within the Interests: Jobcentre network as well as policy roles at Regional and Head Office level. Her
final role was at the Office of Manpower Economics where she was supporting
the Armed Forces Pay Review Body.
The move to the world of Further Education came in 2004 when she joined an
agricultural college in Berkshire as Clerk to the Corporation. Tracy successfully
completed the ICSA Certificate in FE Governance in 2005 and subsequently took
on her second clerking role at Uxbridge College in 2009.
When not working, she lives with her husband and two teenage children in
Berkshire. She enjoys swimming, reading, sings in her local Rock Choir (with
109 others), and is a member of a not-very-successful pub quiz team.