Members of the Governing Body

Martin is a Chartered Accountant and partner in the local firm of Glover Stanbury & Co.

After graduating from University College of North Wales Bangor with a degree in Accountancy and Financial Management, Martin trained and qualified with an international firm of Chartered Accountants in the Midlands.

After marriage to Linda in 1984 he moved to North Devon, joining the Bideford office of Ernst & Whinney. Following the change to Ernst & Young, a management buyout of the North Devon offices and merger, the firm metamorphosed into Glover Stanbury & Co. where he is a Partner. Based in Bideford, Martin's non-client responsibilities include training and Health and Safety.

The firm uses the College for staff training and Martin has previously lectured at the College and the College's Business Development Centre. His daughter attends North Devon College and his son is at secondary school. Martin is also a Governor of St. George's Infant School in Northam.

Andrew is a former student of North Devon College, having studied A-Levels in the Maths and Science department. After leaving the College Andrew went on to obtain a BSc(Hons) degree in mathematics at Southampton University.

Following graduation Andrew took up employment with KPMG Peat Marwick Mclintock and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1991. A period of time was spent working in accountancy practice before he joined Mole Valley Farmers Ltd in September 1994. This group is a large farmers co-operative based in South Molton, employing over 1200 staff and with a turnover in excess of £175 million. Andrew currently is Company Secretary and Head of Finance.

Andrew lives in Braunton. He is an active member of his local church and has in the past served on the North Devon committee of the Prince's Trust. Other hobbies include gardening, playing the organ and motorsport.

A native of Middlesex, Ro came to Devon in 1964. She is married to a local farmer and they have three adult sons, one of whom attended North Devon College's Food and Fashion Department. Ro was elected as a Parish and District Councillor in 1976, serving 15 years on the North Devon District Council and 27 years on the Fremington Parish Council.

Ro became a member of the Devon Area Health Authority in 1977 and Chairman of the North Devon Health Authority when it was formed in 1982. On the merger of Health Authorities in 1993 and 1996 she became Chairman of the combined Health Authority for North and East Devon, retiring in March 2000. More latterly, she was Chairman of the Northern Devon Healthcare Trust, retiring in 2006. From May 2000 to its abolition on 31st March 2002, she chaired the Medical Practices Committee, a London based Executive Non-Departmental Public Body that had responsibility for ensuring that there was an equitable distribution of General Medical Practitioners throughout England and Wales.

Ro's other interests include chairing Community Projects North Devon, Church activities (she is currently churchwarden of St. Mary's Bideford), equine sports and choral singing.

David became Principal of North Devon College on 1 January 2005, having previously been Deputy at St Helens College, Merseyside. He has brought with him a wealth of experience in education and management, commencing as an Instructor Officer in the Royal Navy in 1981 and following this with posts of increasing responsibility in the further education sector.

David is a Chartered Engineer, a member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers and of the British Computer Society and has an honours degree in Physics, an MSc in Information Engineering and a Post Graduate Certificate of Education.

David is passionate about meeting the learning and skill needs of the people and businesses of North Devon in a financially efficient manner, and in cutting through bureaucracy in order to provide staff with time to "think and do".

David is married with three school age children (including one at North Devon College). His interests include running, walking and English History.

Ralph has been a lecturer at the College since 1989, after gaining an honours degree in Political Science and a Post Graduate Certificate of Education. Prior to this he spent five years in the Air Force and fifteen years in the mechanical engineering construction industry, where he gained a wealth of experience in industrial relations. Having also taught in prison education, Ralph currently teaches across the spectrum, from GCSE through to the Foundation Degree programme.

Apart from bringing a rich experience of teaching to the Governing Body, Ralph has had a long term commitment to the College community. As a branch committee member for the Univerity and College Union (UCU) he has taken a keen interest in the welfare of staff at the College. For over twelve years or more Ralph has been a proactive member of the College's health and safety committee and recently he was privileged to be elected as the chair of his union at North Devon College. He takes a keen interest in all creative arts, enjoys walking and playing the saxophone.....but not at the same time.

Steven went to school in Braunton and joined Petroc in 2010 to study A level History, English Literature and Law. Steven's hobbies include reading, cycling and playing on his Xbox and he also enjoys sport, particularly football, badminton and rounders.

Steven was born in Barnstaple and has lived, and very recently worked, locally all his life which he says has given him a real interest in the natural environment. Steven considers himself especially lucky to have Braunton Burrows on his door-step.

Steven believes he has many qualities to bring to the role of Student Governor and has had previous experience as both a School Councillor and heading up his House Council. Steven is pleased that he can represent the views of his fellow students and reports regularly to the Governing Body on student life at the College.

Mark was brought up in Devon and lives rurally near Kings Nympton with his partner of 12 years. He has worked at Petroc since 2001 where he manages Stepping Stones and RAD. These innovative and ground breaking programmes engage with socially excluded groups and have won national praise.

Mark is an active trade unionist at a local and national level. He co-chairs UNISON's South West Regional LGBT Group and is a member of the National LGBT Committee. Marks also works with Devon and Cornwall Constabulary as an independent diversity advisor and is a trained Critical Incident Advisor.

In his spare time he enjoys reading, music and travelling but has retired from his hobby of parachuting.

Peter is a member of the Chartered Institute of Building. He was born and brought up in South Molton and was educated at Blundells School, Tiverton, before commencing studies in construction at Exeter College and Taunton College of Art and Technology. Peter has been involved in the construction industry for the whole of his career, with the family building and builders merchants businesses based in South Molton, and more recently as Chairman of the Considerate Constructors Scheme, a national body established to improve social and environmental awareness on construction sites. Peter has served on the Construction Advisory Committee at the College for a number of years. Both his son and daughter studied for their A Levels at North Devon College, prior to gaining places at University.

David lives in Bickington, Barnstaple. From 1984 to 1998 he was Head Teacher of Great Torrington Community School. As a secondary head teacher he also represented North Devon's nine secondary schools and community colleges on the College's Governing Body. From 1998 until his retirement in 2002, David was a secondary education adviser with Devon County Council, latterly with a brief for 14-19 education. Currently he does occasional work as a tutor, trainer and assessor for the National Professional Qualification for Headship in the South West.

David's two children were students at the College. David enjoys walking the North Devon countryside, occasional jogging and has an amateur interest in foreign languages.

Brian was for several decades a Schoolmaster at Great Torrington School. In the Torrington Community itself he has been involved in the Mayfair and Carnival Committees, Chairman of the Commons Conservators, Chairman of the Torrington League of Friends and Chairman of the Torrington Charities Trustees. In a wider vein Brian has been a Member of the Community Health Council, Chairman of the North Devon Ethics Committee and for a short while was Chairman of the Northern Devon Healthcare Trust. He is also a Justice of the Peace and served on the old Devon Probation Committee for a number of years.

Brian's two daughters, Susan and Catherine, were students at the College and Brian also studied here for some OU Credits.

Brian is often to be found these days teaching, training and coaxing 90 year olds, 80 year olds and 70 year olds how to use digital cameras and Adobe Photoshop on Computers and how to order groceries and goods over the Internet.

Paul is a Chartered Accountant and a Partner in the practice of Thomas Westcott

He graduated from Exeter University in 1973, with a degree in Economics and Geography, before training with a major accountancy practice in London.

In 1982 Paul moved to North Devon and married Helena, who was then a partner in a family-run hotel in Croyde. They still live in the village and are both keen gardeners. They started opening their garden in aid of the National Gardens Scheme in 2008.

Paul has been active in a wide range of community organisations, and has served as President of Barnstaple Chamber of Commerce (1994/5) and Barnstaple Rotary Club (2005/6).

He has three children, all of whom were educated at Georgeham and Braunton schools and North Devon College before going on to University.

A native of Manchester, Andrew moved to Barnstaple in the early 1960's, attending local schools and, in due course, North Devon College, as did his wife, Hilary. Their association with the college continued in the 1990's when both their sons were also students at NDC. Andrew worked locally as an Accountant's Clerk, before joining the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary in 1972. He served principally in Devon, but for 4 years was based in Bodmin, Cornwall. The majority of his service was in various roles as a detective, with his final appointment being as a Detective Superintendent, Deputy Head of the Force's Criminal Investigation Department, based at Force HQ. In this role he had particular responsibility for leading in matters related to child protection, the management of dangerous offenders and other sensitive aspects of policing, also being involved in the development of national policy.

Following retirement from the Police in 2004, he returned to North Devon where he now works as a self-employed consultant on matters related to his previous role, particularly in the area of safeguarding children.

Andrew is also vice chair of governors at Sticklepath Community School (which he and Hilary also attended as children). Amongst other voluntary activities, he chairs the Trustees of the Bethany Project in Barnstaple, which seeks to provide support for those affected by drug and alcohol misuse, and performs a similar role with Freedom Social Projects, Barnstaple. He and Hilary live in Bickington and attend Grosvenor Church, Barnstaple.

André, a past Chair of Governors, is a Chartered Accountant and retired from his own practice in Barnstaple. He was previously the Director of Finance to the British Medical Association and, prior to that, Director of Finance to the British Institute of Management. He also acts as a consultant to large national companies and has lectured at Slough College of Further Education. André is a member of various local organisations and charities, including Barnstaple Musical Comedy Society (President and Director) and Landkey Church. He served on the former Barnstaple Borough Council, the Greater London Council and the London Borough of Camden, and also stood at two parliamentary elections.

A Company Accountant who has held senior management positions with national and multinational companies in London, the home counties and the south west, John commenced corporate life in 1963 as an accountant with Freddies Laker's airline, British United Airway. Since then he has held senior management positions with CBS inc., Hanson PLC, British Rail and Exchange Travel. John was also an Accredited Business Adviser and Director of the Local Enterprise Agency for seven years, until his retirement in 2003.

As Chairman of the Old Heathcoat School Community Centre in Tiverton, John has helped to develop the Centre and the facilities it provides to the local community, since it opened in 1997.He enjoys being part of an active management team, is a strong supporter of the West End group for excluded school children (which is run from the Centre)and also serves on the Board of the Senior Council for Devon. John has a strong belief in self-empowerment of the local community.

Paula, a previous Chair of Governors, moved to Barnstaple from London to take a position as a Manager in a local Bank. She is married and lives locally. Paula has had an interest, as a Governor, in Adult Education for many years while in London and is pleased to continue this at North Devon College. She and her husband are members of a local church. In her few recreational moments she likes to read historical novels, walk, garden and complete needlework projects.

Adam is a freelance environmental scientist, who represents Hartland & Bradworthy ward on Torridge District Council.

Born and brought up in North Devon, he went to school in Bideford and Barnstaple. A farmer's son, he studied Human Sciences and Environmental Sciences at university, and has had a varied career in industry, consultancy and local government. He has worked overseas on waste and recycling projects. He has also been a youth mentor and run Young Enterprise projects.

He sits on the affordable housing working group at Torridge District Council, and is vice-chair of the Local Development Framework.

Adam is a keen walker and, true to his own upbringing, grows most of his food.

Jamie is currently in his second year studying A-levels in Mathematics and the Sciences at the Tiverton Campus of Petroc, and has applied to study Natural Sciences at University with the intention of pursuing a science-based career.

Jamie has lived on a small hill farm in North Devon since he was born, and has developed a passion for the outside as a consequence. He has volunteered with Devon Wildlife Trust, did work experience with The National Trust on the North Devon coastline, and happily helps around the farm and associated woodland.

Jamie is a player of both guitar and flute, enjoys riding his bike around and is still learning to drive his mum's Peugeot.

Eirene was born and brought up in North Devon and attended North Devon College briefly in her teens. She has a MA in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University, a PGCE in Physics Teaching from London University and a PhD in Ecological Genetics from Exeter University. She started her career as a VSO volunteer at the Tea Research Foundation in Malawi, continuing to the University of Malawi as a lecturer in Laboratory Technology for several years. She returned to buy a farm in South Devon in the 1970s, and to take up various teaching and research posts in and around Exeter. In the 1980s she obtained a permanent lecturing post at Seale-Hayne College which combined her academic and practical interests in agriculture and the environment very happily for 20 years until the College was closed. She recently moved back to her original home in North Devon with her daughter who attended North Devon College for A levels.

Eirene now teaches one FD module at Duchy College, and has taken on the chairmanship of Devon FWAG, and the Vice-Presidency of the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management and consequent place on the Board of the Society for the Environment. This is in addition to the management of a large inherited shrub collection, and some heifers and bees. There is still some energy for tennis, surfing and singing. As a Governor of North Devon College she looks forward to helping with the sizeable changes in store and in maintaining excellent standards of FE and HE provision in North Devon.

After university, Mark worked for a construction engineering company for two years before training to teach. The next seventeen years were spent as a teacher and senior manager in large comprehensive schools.

Joining an LEA Advisory Service in the Midlands, he quickly became involved with Further Education as Director of a European School to Work Programme and, subsequently, TVEI. After appointment to senior management posts in London LEAs, he resumed his partnership with FE as an Assistant Director (School Improvement) and Director of the "Excellence in Cities" Programme. His management role involved some 200 staff and sizeable budgets.

On "retirement" in 2006, Mark was elected to East Devon District Council and Exmouth Town Council. At District level he has special responsibility for procurement and efficiency and is Director of the Exmouth and Seaton Interpretation Centres Board. In Exmouth, where he has lived for seven years, he is a school governor.

Mark holds two Master's degrees and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. On retirement he gained the National Certificate in Occupational Safety & Health at South Thames College, so has recent experience of being an FE student. His interests are walking, travel and rail transport.