Current Governors

Martin Bailey

Martin has worked in construction since 1989, as an employee of major national and regional contractors. During that time he has undertaken roles as Site, Contracts and Operational and Preconstruction Manager for projects up to £20m in value.  His portfolio of past work includes construction projects on five of the College’s campuses.

Martin holds a degree in construction management, an MBA, and is a full Member of both the Chartered Institute of Building and the Society for the Environment.

He is married with two school-aged children.

Martin was appointed as a Governor in January 2020 and is a member of the Finance and Resources Committee.

Karen Burrows

Karen has been an Environment Agency Board Member for the past six years and chaired the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee. She takes a particular interest in the work of the Devon Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly area, as well as the Solent and South Downs area. Karen has a legal and commercial professional background and worked for BG Group Plc from 1985 to 2011 obtaining many years of management experience across a wide range of disciplines. Karen was Programme Manager for BG Group Plc’s Fit for the Future project from 2007 – 2011. Prior to that she was Vice President and President of BG Canada, Vice President (South and East Asset) for BG Trinidad and Tobago and Commercial Director for BG Advance. She was a practising lawyer for Linklaters from 1979 – 1985 and Deputy General Counsel for BG Group from 1997 to 1999.

Karen joined the Board in January 2014 and is Chair of the Finance and Resources Committee. Karen is a member of the Remuneration Committee and the Search and Governance Committee.

Married with two grown up daughters her interests include hiking, rowing, ski-ing, sailing and working with environment channels including the National Trust and plastic free Roseland.

Kallan Caban

Kallan is the president of the Cornwall College Student Union, and is currently studying in his second year on the LEVEL 3 ADVANCED TECHNICAL DIPLOMA IN LAND AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT.  Kallan also works full time as a cleaning supervisor at Watson Marlow, which is an international firm that specialises in pump maintenance and construction. Kallan’s previous work experience includes working as a Chef for a year and a Kitchen Porter for just over seven months. He has been a cleaner for four years and for a few months was even a deejay assistant for DJ in Cornwall.  Kallan has achieved grade 8 in Piano and recently won the Robin Knox Johnson award for outstanding technical ability in ocean science.   Kallan looks forward to being the learner voice for the further education section of The Cornwall College Group.

Peter Child

Charted Management Accountant (Fellow), MD and CEO of private sector companies, Management Consultant

Peter was Managing Director of A & P Falmouth, one of the largest private companies in Cornwall and a Director on the A & P Group UK main board and more recently the CEO of Cornish Pirates 2016 -18.

Brought up in Cornwall, Peter went to Truro School and then joined ECCI in 1974 where he qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant and was made a Fellow in 1985.

At ECCI Peter became Divisional Controller reporting at board level on performance, strategy and planning and worked in Europe, America and the Pacific. He joined A&P Falmouth as Finance Director in 1994 and was appointed Managing Director in 2003 where he worked with the management team to restructure the business, refocus on the customer, change working practices by working with the unions and develop long term partnerships with customers and the supply chain. Peter runs a Consultancy in the Cornish Marine and Renewables sector.

Peter was appointed as a Governor in 2012 and is the Vice Chair of the Board. He is a director of CCMS (2000) Limited (the College’s subsidiary company which operates Concorde recruitment agency) and a member of the Finance and Resources Committee, the Chairs’ Group (Remuneration) and Search and Governance Committee.

Married to Heather, they have three children: two grown up twin girls, Brittany who works in marketing, and Nicola, a physiotherapist; and a son Tom who is an environmental engineer in Bristol.  Peter’s interests include most sports, playing golf and walking his two dogs around the county.

Jamie Crisp

Jamie was born in Surrey and moved to Sidmouth in Devon when he was six. Following in his grandfather’s footsteps he joined the Armed Forces in 1986 at the age of 16, going into junior leaders training based in Folkestone, Kent. Jamie enjoyed a full 24-year military career. During his last two years he was posted to support Duchy College in the formation of the Army prep college where his love for, and understanding of, Further Education formed. In 2009, Jamie left the Armed Services to pursue a new career in education, joining the Cornwall College Group. Since joining the Group, Jamie has moved through the roles of Lecturer to Team Lead and is now Head of Duchy College, Stoke Climsland Campus. This is a role he is very proud of, in a college he feels privileged to work in.

Jamie is a member of the Curriculum and Quality Committee.

Jamie now lives in Cornwall with his wife Hannah who also works at TCCG. He is a keen sportsman and in his spare time enjoys swimming, cycling and running.

John Evans

John has more than 30 years’ experience, mainly in outstanding General Further Education Colleges in the South West.

He held the post of Principal of Yeovil College since January 2014, following a role as Vice Principal for Curriculum and Quality of Swindon College.

John also worked at Bridgwater and South Devon Colleges, as Head of Motor Vehicle, Construction & Engineering and Head of Technology respectively.

John has a wealth of experience in developing and leading improvements at each of the Colleges that he has worked.

He has spoken at numerous national conferences on how to become an outstanding college.

John has a close connection to the region and understands the role that an inspiring and outstanding college can play in the local and business community.

Dr Wilf Hudson

Dr Wilf Hudson has spent most of his working life in further education, starting as a part time teacher at South Trafford College and Openshaw Tech in Manchester teaching GCE “O” Level Biology in the 1970s.  He then worked as a full time teacher at Colchester Institute for seven years, moving on to Blackpool and the Fylde College as Head of Department for two years.

After seven years as Assistant Principal at Exeter College, Wilf joined the Further Education Funding Council and was appointed an HMI in 2001.

Wilf spent three years on secondment to the DfE as part of the post 16 Standards Unit working mainly on Science and Mathematics.  Wilf retired in the summer of 2016.

Wilf is currently undertaking consultancy work in colleges, and is a trustee for his local Citizens Advice Bureau.

Wilf chairs the Curriculum and Quality Committee, is lead Safeguarding Governor and a member of the Search and Governance Committee and Chairs’ Group (Remuneration).

Wilf’s main interests are walking, golf and reading as well as keeping up with his growing family.

Michael Hambly

Michael farms 200 hectares in a family partnership producing cereals, oil seed rape and beef. After graduating from Harper Adams he joined Cornwall Farmers, a farmer co-operative, and gained over 20 years’ experience of working in the supply sector prior to returning home to farm. Michael is a qualified agronomist and ran the grain division of Cornwall Farmers for six years before heading up First for Forage, a national trading company. Michael has held office at all levels in the National Farmers Union including four years as National Chairman of the NFU Crops Board representing growers in England and Wales. Currently he is Vice Chairman of Brussels Copa-Cogeca Oilseeds Group, Vice Chairman of the European Oilseed Alliance and NIAB TAG Technical Committee Chairman for Cornwall.

Michael has worked with initiatives to promote Cornish grain and was instrumental in developing links between Gingsters and Growers for the production of identity preserved Cornish milling wheat. He is a past Chair of the HGCA British Cereals Export Committee which promoted all UK cereal exports. Closely involved with co-operative initiatives, Michael was a founder member, past Chairman and Director of Kernow Grain and is also Vice Chairman of West Country Grain Marketing.

Michael also serves as the South Regional Advisory Board Chairman for the NFU Mutual.

Michael joined the Board in September 2020 and is a member of the Curriculum and Quality Committee.

Nick Harris

Nick is the Campus Services Manager for Bicton, Duchy Stoke Climsland, St. Mellion and Sisna Park. Nick joined the college in 2020 as Grounds Manager before progressing to the position of Campus Services Manager.

Nick was born and raised in Buckinghamshire and studied Horticulture at the Berkshire College of Agriculture. He has obtained a number of post specific qualifications in his career so far, including an ILM Level 4 in Leadership and Management.

He has an array of experience in estate management roles, working on private household estates, the independent education sector and most recently, the FE sector with TCCG.
Nick was a retained firefighter for Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service for five years, during which time he gained an array of skills such as HGV driving and use of rescue and firefighting equipment.
Nick lives in Devon with his wife. He is a keen golfer, walker and dog lover.

Tracey Hooper

Tracey has held senior appointments in both the public and private sector, most recently leading the development of a number of companies owned by Cornwall Council. As Company Secretary for the Cormac companies she was responsible for strategy, business planning and delivery of a range of business support functions including corporate governance, organisational and people development, health and safety, fleet management, ITC and corporate social responsibility. She has extensive experience in establishing partnerships, joint ventures and collaborative arrangements, having set up numerous joint delivery models. Before joining Cormac Tracey worked in transport and logistics.

In 1995 Tracey read transportation at the University of Plymouth and became a Chartered Member of the Institute of Transport and Logistics in 2001. Tracey also holds an MBA, is a member of the Institute of Directors and achieved Chartered Fellow of the Institute of People Development in 2016.

Tracey is the lead Governor for E, D & I, and deputy Safeguarding Governor. She is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee and the Curriculum and Quality Committee.

Tracey currently produces performance ponies to national level from her own equestrian yard, alongside sheep farming. She is married and in her spare time enjoys show jumping and working hunter classes and walking in the Cornish and Devon countryside with her husband and dogs.

Patrick Newberry

Patrick joined the Board in November 2017 and was simultaneously appointed as an Audit Committee member. He rejoined the Board following a short break in February 2020. A chartered accountant by profession, he spent 25 years as consulting partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers until his retirement in 2013. At PwC he worked mostly in the financial sector, holding various roles including Global Leader of Insurance Consulting and Commercial Managing Partner of PwC’s UK Consulting Practice. He also served as a member of PwC’s Supervisory Board.

He is a past President of the Management Consultancies Association and is a non-executive director of Al Rayan Bank PLC and Shepherd & Wedderburn LLP and is a Commissioner of Historic England. He chairs the audit committees Historic England, Al Rayan Bank and Shepherd and Wedderburn.

Married with four children, he enjoys sailing a classic yacht and researching and writing architectural history.

Patrick is the Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee and member of the Remuneration and Search and Governance Committees.

David Sharples

David is currently the Customer Service Manager and has worked at Cornwall College for 16 years.  He started at the College in 2003, where he worked with the Prince’s Trust Team before progressing on to the role of Schools and Communities Liaison Executive, and now manages the Customer Services Team.

David was born and brought up in Cornwall before progressing onto Coventry University to study Sociology.  On returning to Cornwall, David completed his Cert Ed at Cornwall College Camborne, along with the CIM Certificate in Marketing.

David became a Board member in August 2013 and was re-elected by professional services staff colleagues in October 2017. He is a member of the staff forum.

Anne Thomas

Anne is chief executive of Cornwall Care, a charity that has sixteen homes, 1400 staff and more beds than the NHS in Cornwall. With many years’ experience in the social care sector, she is a keen and active advocate of the industry – believing a more holistic approach to adult health will help change perceptions and achieve positive change.

Since taking up her current role in 2018, Anne has led on a programme of organisational development and improvement to ensure that Cornwall Care delivers the highest standard of care designed and delivered around the needs and wishes of people requiring care and support.
Anne is interested in the synergy and opportunities for the sharing of ideas, governance and partnerships between like-minded organisations whose mission is to meet the needs of local people of all ages to ensure that people in Cornwall can live their best lives locally.

Anne worked as a nurse before moving on to senior posts in adult health and social care management in Surrey and Wales. These included six years as executive director for Linc Cymru, an organisation that specialises in housing, care and support needs for the elderly and vulnerable.

Dr Ian Tunbridge OBE

Dr Ian Tunbridge has extensive experience of Higher and Further Education, and particularly of HE in FE, marketing, enterprise and widening participation. He is Principal Consultant at the HE-FE Partnership Brokerage and was until recently a Teaching Associate at the University of Exeter.

He was Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External) at the University of West London and was Acting Principal for Reading College in its transition from university to free-standing college status.

Before this, Ian was Executive Director of the Combined Universities in Cornwall, where he led the latest expansion of HE in Cornwall through a collaborative venture between the University of Exeter, University of Plymouth, University College Falmouth, Cornwall College and Truro College.

Jane Warren

Jane is an interim director and business change consultant and has worked with a large number of predominantly public sector organisations over the last 20 years.

Her professional background is in the ICT/Digital arena and she has a wealth of experience delivering IT and information solutions often involving multiple organisations and stakeholders.

Most recently Jane worked as Digital Programme Director across the NHS in Sussex. She also spent several years as a performance auditor with the Audit Commission, providing external assurance services to organisations across the NHS, local government, police and probation sectors.

During the early part of her career, she worked within the education sector and she is a passionate advocate of high quality education for all.

She enjoys singing in her local community choir and takes part in a number of public performances each year.

Jane was appointed as a Governor in October 2019 and is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee.

Geoff Warring

Geoff recently retired from Imerys where he was Financial Controller of the calcined kaolin business based at St. Dennis.

After education at Polperro CP, Liskeard GS and St Austell College of FE, he joined the then ECC as a management accountant trainee. His career has included working in the light engineering, baby food and pharmaceutical industries.  In the latter he also became involved in the strategic planning of worldwide Ibuprofen manufacture for Boots and global planning and PR for the launch of an anti-obesity drug for BASF.

On returning home to Cornwall in 2002 he joined Imerys whilst buying a B&B business with his wife Suzanne in Falmouth and these ran in tandem until the business was sold in 2009.

Geoff joined the Board in 2017, and is a member of the Finance and Resources Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee.

Geoff has two grown up children who live and work in Plymouth.  He is treasurer of his local community hall and he enjoys walking, travel, reading and almost every sport, if only in a watching capacity these days!

Pat Wilde

Pat was born in St Helens, Merseyside but moved to Devon in the early 1980s.  In July 2019, she retired from a successful 35 year professional management career in Higher Education, encompassing academic governance and compliance, student administration and quality assurance.   She served as a member of the Academic Registrar’s Council and on a variety of sector groups relating to her professional interests.  Her time at the University of Plymouth covered the ground breaking days of partnership work in the region, with Cornwall College being one of its pioneers; and she is delighted to be able to continue that relationship by joining the Corporation Board.

Pat lives in Ivybridge, Devon, with her husband, daughter, three dogs and a cat. She is a volunteer at St Luke’s Hospice, Plymouth, sings in a local choir and has recently discovered the joys of owning an allotment.

Debbie Wilshire

Debbie has over 25 years’ experience at director level in education and third sector organisations in both executive and non-executive roles. She has been the Chair of a range of organisations including charities, schools/MATs, and a housing association. Debbie runs her own consultancy providing leadership training and strategic development facilitation. She has a keen interest in how executive and non-executive/elected colleagues work more effectively together to deliver organisational benefits for stakeholders. Throughout all her activities, Debbie’s focus has been on how to support individuals, teams, organisations and communities develop well-grounded confidence to maximise their impact on creating a fairer and better society. Debbie worked in TCCG between 2001 and 2014 in a senior leadership capacity.

Ellen Winser

Ellen was one of the first women members of the Stock Exchange and the first in London to be taken into partnership by her firm. After taking five years out to go long distance sailing with her husband, Ellen became chairman of two publicly quoted companies, one in London and the other in Plymouth. She has served on various commercial and charitable boards including the National Maritime Museum Cornwall and the South West Regional Development Agency.

Ellen was on the governing body of Truro and Penwith College for 17 years and is currently Chair of the Board for Truro and Penwith Academy Trust (TPAT).  For services to further and higher education, Ellen was appointed MBE in the 2012 New Year Honours. From 2014-2017 she was Vice Lord Lieutenant for Cornwall.