Experience

Forestry England

• United Kingdom
• Government Administration
• 300 - 400 Employee

• Director, The National Arboretum

  • Jul 2015 - Present

  Westonbirt The National Arboretum at Westonbirt, Gloucestershire was founded in the 1850s by Robert Holford and passed into the care of the Forestry Commission in 1956. It covers 240 hectares and has over 15,000 specimen trees representing over 3000 taxa (species, varieties and cultivars) set in a Grade I historic landscape. Our mission is to connect people with trees. Our objectives are to develop the scientific value of the collection, offer a first class visitor experience, provide opportunities for… Show more The National Arboretum at Westonbirt, Gloucestershire was founded in the 1850s by Robert Holford and passed into the care of the Forestry Commission in 1956. It covers 240 hectares and has over 15,000 specimen trees representing over 3000 taxa (species, varieties and cultivars) set in a Grade I historic landscape. Our mission is to connect people with trees. Our objectives are to develop the scientific value of the collection, offer a first class visitor experience, provide opportunities for learning and participation and to respect the natural and cultural heritage of the site. I lead a team of around 40 staff and over 250 volunteers and manage the arboretum in partnership with the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum (FOWA) charity. We are restoring and improving the facilities of the Arboretum via a £6.5m development project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, FOWA, FC and many corporate and private donors. The project is building a Welcome building, tree top walkway and tree management centre; restoring the Downs open landscape; providing traditional and digital interpretation and offering outreach programmes to the young and old.. Show less



Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

• United Kingdom
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Trustee

  • Jul 2015 - May 2018

  Westonbirt Forestry Commission nominated trustee to charity with 30,000 members who are supporters and season ticket holders of the National Arboretum. I encouraged revision of the articles of association to recognise operational activity undertaken by the charity's staff. The revised articles also removed FC nominated trustees to avoid any perceived conflicts of interest, as the FC as managers of the arboretum are the main beneficiaries, so I stood down as a trustee.



Forestry Commission

• United Kingdom
• Government Administration
• 700 & Above Employee

• Head of Sustainable Forest Management, Forest Services

  • Jun 2011 - Jul 2015

  Bristol, United Kingdom Responsible for protection and improvement of England's woodlands and forests. SRO for operation of FC England's English Woodland Grant Scheme, and legacy grant schemes with annual grant budget of £30m; also operation of regulatory systems as previously. As founder member of the Forest Services Board, helping establish its mission to protect, improve and expand England's forests and woodlands.Led organisational transformation to address the needs of SR10 including restructuring of… Show more Responsible for protection and improvement of England's woodlands and forests. SRO for operation of FC England's English Woodland Grant Scheme, and legacy grant schemes with annual grant budget of £30m; also operation of regulatory systems as previously. As founder member of the Forest Services Board, helping establish its mission to protect, improve and expand England's forests and woodlands.Led organisational transformation to address the needs of SR10 including restructuring of national support functions and local grants and regulations administration from 17 to 5 offices. Responsible for the national Sustainable Forest Management team supporting the operation of grants and regulatory functions, Strategic Development Team (until 2013), and administration hubs. Led and championed the work recommending the merger of the EU Common Agricultural Policy funded woodland and agri-environment grants to create a new environmental land management scheme, initiated FC work to join with Natural England and Rural Payments Agency to develop a new CAP IT system and oversaw eventual launch of 'Countryside Stewardship' in 2015. As lead for FC England tree health functions established an expanded multidisciplinary team, with Area based tree health officers, national contract management, GIS, IT, and communications capability. Continued to lead work on Phytophthora ramorum of larch; led FC work to eradicate Asian longhorn beetle (ALB) in Kent; gained ministerial support for a 3 year £4m pilot programme for control of oak processionary moth (OPM) in London including direct control and novel surveillance techniques including pheromone trapping; led the FC England response to Chalara dieback of ash including rapid survey, grant support and ongoing monitoring, established ongoing monitoring for ALB and plane wilt, led the government response to Oriental Chestnut Gall Wasp in Kent and Hertfordshire in spring 2015..

• Head of Grants and Regulations

  • Apr 2009 - Jun 2011

  Bristol, United Kingdom SRO for operation of FC England's English Woodland Grant Scheme and regulatory systems, as previously. Annual grant budget of £30m. Relocation from Cambridge to Bristol and creation of new support team in Bristol. Introduction of new grant types including Woodfuel Woodland Improvement Grant. From late 201 additional responsibility for operational tree health issues and the Phytophthora ramorum control programme in larch.

• Head of Grants and Regulations

  • Jan 2005 - Mar 2009

  Cambridge, United Kingdom SRO for operation of FC England's grants systems: English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS), and legacy Woodland Grant Scheme (WGS); and regulatory systems: licencing of tree felling, and Forestry Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) . Development and launch of EWGS and its supporting IT system GLOS. Migration of the Farm Woodland (FWS and FWPS) legacy grant systems from Natural England to the Forestry Commission.

• Forest District Manager, North York Moors

  • Jan 1997 - Dec 2004

  Pickering, North Yorkshire Responsible for the management of 20,000ha of public forest estate in the North York Moors National Park and surrounding areas. Including: creation of 500ha of new woodlands in the Tees Valley; production of 120,000 tonnes of timber per year; managing the Dalby the Great Yorkshire Forest 300,000 visits per year, including concerts and events; master planning the Dalby Forest Project a £4.5m development of visitor facilities including visitor centre, car park, business units, community space and… Show more Responsible for the management of 20,000ha of public forest estate in the North York Moors National Park and surrounding areas. Including: creation of 500ha of new woodlands in the Tees Valley; production of 120,000 tonnes of timber per year; managing the Dalby the Great Yorkshire Forest 300,000 visits per year, including concerts and events; master planning the Dalby Forest Project a £4.5m development of visitor facilities including visitor centre, car park, business units, community space and cycle trails in partnership with Ryedale District Council and Yorkshire Forward; establishing Friends of Dalby Forest; redevelopment of the Keldy Forest Cabins.