Governance

Born 1962, Kevin is married with three children and lives in Torquay. He was educated in Surrey before joining the Merchant Navy as an officer cadet in 1980. For more than 10 years he served with a number of shipping companies. Having completed an HND in Nautical Science at the College of Maritime Studies in Southampton he qualified as a Master Mariner in 1991. Choosing to follow a career ashore he joined Torbay Council as an Assistant Harbour Master in 1991 and has progressed to his current position within the authority as Executive Head of Harbour and Marine Services, managing all aspects of Tor Bay Harbour Authority.

Kevin is a Fellow of the Nautical Institute and a past President of the UK Harbour Masters Association. He has represented the Local Government Association on maritime matters, is a member of the Council of the British Ports Association, Chairman of the South West Regional Standing Committee for the Safety of Small Craft and is a member of the National Sea Safety Working Group.

Kevin joined the Board of Governors at South Devon College in December 2006, and serves on the Monitoring Committee and Project Board.

Paul was born and raised in Birmingham, and has a wife Janet and two daughters Isabelle 12 and Victoria 9. He has an Honours degree in Applied Chemistry from the University of Aston.

Paul has enjoyed a highly successful career in the food industry. He started out as a Shift Supervisor at Geest Prepared Foods and most recently, as Owner Director, successfully sold PastaKing UK Ltd in Newton Abbot, and managed its transfer to the NGBI Team.

Paul’s success has almost always been through pulling together teams and training, developing and coaching them to achieve.

Currently he is involved in an educational charity working as a social entrepreneur!

Paul enjoys all sport, especially cricket.

The majority of Mike’s career was spent in the Army, reaching the rank of Brigadier. He has had extensive practical experience in the fields of logistics and project management. Major military projects included the computerisation of the Services’ Air Reservation System, and a complete modernisation of the Army’s UK port facility. His executive experience included command of an international logistic support battalion, a port, maritime and road transport group and the Army School of Mechanical Transport.

On leaving the Army he spent two years as Chief Executive of the Royal Star and Garter Home at Richmond.

As the Logistics and Support Services Director of Securicor Custodial Services he was part of the team awarded the contract to build and operate the first PFI private prison at Bridgend. He subsequently successfully trialled electronic tagging procedures in the UK and established the working operation for offenders in the north of England.

After leaving Securicor he spent two years as a private project consultant. During this period he assisted in the move of an East Surrey College department to a new build facility – a useful introduction to SDC’s move from Newton Road to Vantage Point. As his duties as a governor are not quite enough to keep him totally out of mischief he also works regularly as a volunteer adviser at the Citizens Advice Bureau and is a co-opted independent member of the Torbay Council Standards Committee.

Mike joined the Board of Governors at South Devon College in December 2003, is Chair of Project Board and Vice Chair of the Monitoring Committee.

Irene was educated at Sheffield University gaining a BA Honours in Economics and Business studies.

She worked in the IT services industry for most of her life, becoming the Managing Director of a 600 person company, led a management buyout of this and after many years sold this to a North American company. She joined their senior management team and was involved in acquisitions. She was finalist in 1998 and 2000 of the Midlands Business Woman of the Year.

On moving to Devon she led Quality South West, a not for profit company, focused on helping improve the performance of organisations in the South West, with a particular focus on the use of Investors in People.

She is now retired and involved in a voluntary capacity with the Citizens Advice Bureau. She is also active in Athletics as a track official and co-ordinates Exeter Harriers evening athletics competitions. She became involved with South Devon College as a Governor, having spent 8 years as such for City College, Birmingham and believing from this she could make a contribution to the success of the college.

Divorced with 2 children, one of whom is now a Mathematics teacher and the other is still at school. She enjoys sea canoeing, diving, walking and skiing. Irene joined the Board of Governors at South Devon College in December 2003, and is Chair of the Audit and Search Committees.

Patrick was a Full Time Trade Union Official from 1986 to 2005 latterly working throughout the South West Region. In addition he had national responsibilities within the NHS and served on the former NHS General Whitley Council.

Patrick left school at 16 obtained a BA degree through the Open University in 1985 and an MA Degree in Law & Employment Relations from Leicester University in 1991. He served as Pension Fund Trustee and a representative of the TUC on the Devon Strategic Partnership.

Patrick joined the Board of Governors at South Devon College in July 2008, is Vice Chair of Project Board, and also serves on the Audit Committee.

Antje Cooley, Dip CG, has a postgraduate Diploma in Careers Guidance from the University of West of England and worked as Regional Manager for the Careers Service South West Ltd. until her retirement in 2009.

Antje was responsible for the quality of the adult provision of the Careers Service (information, advice and guidance - nextstep South West Ltd.) including the matrix quality standard and OfSTED inspections and was instrumental in the company being awarded a national matrix Excellence Award for designing and delivering a competency based approach to standardising quality across all nextstep contactor and sub-contractor provision.

Previous experience include 10 years with Devon County Council as Management Consultant and Partnership Co-ordinator, writing and delivering training to NVQ level 5, helping to improve the level of skills in Devon to develop a highly skilled workforce which meets the needs of employers.

Antje has been appointed as governor in January 2010 and has an interest in quality of provision at every level, lifelong learning and helping people to realise their potential. In her spare time Antje volunteers as a Torbay Street Pastor, which is an inter-denominational church response to urban problems, engaging with people on the streets to care, listen and dialogue.

Stephen worked as Deputy Principal for 6 years as a keystone of the turnaround strategy seen through at South Devon College, taking it from a ‘Failed’ college in financial turmoil to an ‘Outstanding’ college (November 2008), strongly supporting its local communities and achieving Beacon status (July 2009). He is a passionate champion of educational opportunity.

Born in Birkenhead, he attended school there before studying Geography at Jesus College, Oxford. He then qualified as a Chartered Accountant and worked in industry before joining the Education Sector in 1992.

Stephen worked at Plymouth College of Further Education as Director of

Finance and Administration and Deputy Principal, and has been a Strategic

Education Consultant for the Tribal Group. In 2007 he received the College

Finance Director of the Year Award. He has three children all engaged at various levels of education from nursery to higher education. As well as family he also enjoys social sport, the countryside and living in Devon where he has been a resident for over 20 years.

John is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants having qualified in 1974. He has extensive business experience particularly related to developing business strategies supported by specific specialisations in finance and property management.

John worked for the Nationwide Building Society for 10 years undertaking a number of senior management roles before joining Bond Pearce LLP as Chief Executive in 1989. During his time at Bond Pearce John was actively involved in developing the business from an annual turnover of £6m in 1989 to almost £50m by 2009.

In recent years John has been involved with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) at both Local and Regional Board level with particular emphasis on capital projects. Significantly he had some involvement from an LSC perspective in the College's relocation to Vantage Point.

John's role within the LSC provided an insight into the FE Sector and an appreciation of the importance of vocational education and the commitment of all those involved in the Sector.

John has recently retired and enjoys sport and country walking.

John joined the Board of Governors of South Devon College in December 2008 and serves on the Project Board and Monitoring Committee.

Jim is the Programme Co-Coordinator and Lead IV for Engineering. He has been a Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering for seven years, an Advanced Teaching Practitioner for five years and has been a member of the Environmental Sub Group committee and Teaching and Learning group for five years.

Jim has also been a Mentor to many members of staff undertaking their PGCE with various Universities.

Jim has been a member of the Governing Body since October 2007 and is a member of the Monitoring Committee which is responsible for approving broad College policies relating to personnel, accommodation, curriculum and quality issues, and financial matters.

Alan Hart has spent a long career in broadcasting. He was the editor of BBC TV's Grandstand programme, and executive producer of many Olympic Games and other major sporting events, before becoming Head of BBC Sport in 1977. Four years later he was promoted to Controller of BBC1, and among the many programmes he commissioned were EastEnders, Fools and Horses, Black Adder and Crimewatch. He then became the BBC's Controller of International Relations, before becoming a founder and first chairman of Eurosport, the major pan-European channel.

He recently gave up his connections with Eurosport, but still has contracts with the BBC and Irish Television as a consultant.

Away from broadcasting he is involved with several charities, including chairing Friends of South Devon College. After travelling the globe, he is delighted to be part of the outstanding team at South Devon College.

Alan joined the Board of Governors at South Devon College in March 2005 and serves on the Monitoring Committee.

Edward McGrachan trained as an apprentice in engineering before attending University to gain Professional qualifications as a technical designer becoming a Chartered Engineer in 1980. He has had an international career as Project Director living in North America and Europe directing major engineering projects for international companies in Defence, Telecommunications and Construction, completing his career in Devon where he has now retired from full time work.

Edward is a Member of the Institution for Engineering and Technology and promotes engineering as a career for the next generation either through professional or vocational training. He is a member of the Council for Children and Young People for the Diocese of Exeter, and he serves on the Diocesan Board of Education and contributes to regeneration of Church of England VA school buildings in Devon. He also volunteers as Trustee for the Citizens Advice Bureau in Torbay.

Edward joined the Board of Governors at South Devon College in April 2009 and serves on Project Board.

Rob is a solicitor and Partner with Kitsons Solicitors in Torquay. He is a partner in the Litigation team dealing with all aspects of litigation but particularly alcohol, entertainment and gaming licensing as well as motoring offences. He has been Assistant Deputy Coroner for Torbay and South Devon since 1992. He appears regularly in courts throughout Devon to defend as well as to prosecute. Rob also lectures regularly on licensing topics to solicitors and licensed trade audiences in Devon and Cornwall.

In his early career Rob qualified and taught as a modern languages teacher and has remained involved in the education system throughout his life. Rob enjoys gardening, amateur dramatics, travel and walking in his spare time.

Rob joined the Board of Governors in December 2009.

I have been a Torbay Councillor since May 2000, and have been a business woman, most of my adult life.

Firstly in a small way in a catering operation and a Greengrocery Business in 1967.

During 1968, together with my husband, I owned and worked a considerable size farm shop operating for some 12/13 years. During the year 1980, our premises became a Trusthouse Forte Little Chef Restaurant which we continued to own and receive an income for some 15 years. We then went on to sell the property for development.

From 1981 I did the administration work for my husband’s transport company, together with running my own small accountancy practice in Worcestershire.

In 1986 we purchased the Dainton Hotel and Restaurant at Goodrington, Paignton. This we successfully ran for some 14 years, and built up a fine business. Due to my Husband’s ill health the Dainton was sold.

For the past 7 years I have become a Director in my own event catering Company namely J and J Catering (Devon) Limited.

I believe the many experiences in business have stood me in good stead throughout my life, especially the number of people I have employed, which in itself is a unique experience. In business one has to support oneself, operate a successful business and of course have a duty to keep ones staff gainfully employed. In my business life, I have always been a hands on operator, and there is no better way to know one’s own business and all its needs.

I have joined the Governing Body of South Devon College in July 2008 and serve on the Search Committee.

Paul has been a member of the support staff in the Hospitality and Catering Section since April 1996 and has been a member of the Governing Body since October 2006.

Paul is a member of the Project Board, the committee which is currently overseeing the University Centre building project. Paul is also a member of the Audit Committee which is responsible for monitoring the College’s internal controls and management systems, and proving advice in relation to this to the Governing Body.