Our governors come from a wide range of backgrounds and carry out their duties as governors through board meetings or committee meetings.
- Andrew McConnell OBE
Chair of Governors
Andrew is a Chartered Accountant and has recently retired as the Director of Finance at a local University.
Throughout his career Andrew has had a commitment to education, taking governance roles at schools, colleges and a university in the local area.
Andrew is a Board member of the Education and Training Foundation which is responsible for workforce development in the FE sector (and chairs its Finance Committee); and he chairs the Board of Wakefield and District Housing Ltd which is a prominent regional provider of social and affordable housing.
Andrew was invited to become a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute in 2017 and he was awarded an OBE for services to accounting and the community in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for 2015.
- Martyn Shaw
Vice Chair
Martyn is the Deputy Chief Executive at Wakefield District Housing, a Chartered Construction Manager and Charted Housing Professional. He is a customer service expert responsible for leading a large workforce across a full range of trades, ensuring his teams work within regulatory frameworks, such as those relating to Health and Safety, Gas, Electrical and those specific to the Housing sector.
Prior to working at WDH, Martyn’s early career was in the energy industry which gave him extensive project and programme management experience. His range of experience includes sales, marketing, scheduling, contact centres, planning and customer service at senior levels for over 25 years.
Prior to WDH he was working in a national role as the Operations Director at Eon Property Services, as well as running his own local business for a period of time before joining WDH. As well as this, Martyn has also undertaken voluntary roles as a Magistrate and held non-executive positions including Director of the Gas Industry Safety Group, Nottingham City Homes, Bridge Homes and as Chair of Northern Shared Services. He also works on the West Yorkshire Housing Partnership and other collaborative networks such as Wakefield’s Community Safety Partnership.
Throughout his career, Martyn has had a passion for developing people and their skills, as demonstrated by his commitment to supporting apprentices working within the trades to complete their training and progress their careers. Martyn has also been involved in a project to encourage more females to consider working within the trades to break down gender stereotypes and to promote diversity within the workforce.
In December 2023 he was appointed Vice Chair of Heart of Yorkshire and is looking forward to helping develop the organisation going forwards.
- Duncan Agnew
Staff Governor
Duncan is a dedicated lecturer of Physics at Wakefield College and has been with the college since 2014. He worked in managerial roles before starting his career in education, working in the secondary sector before moving into FE and HE, so brings a broad knowledge and experience of leadership and education to the board.
He holds a Masters in Corporate Governance and is a member of the Chartered Governance Institute of UK & Ireland working with the regional branch to enhance links between industry professionals and education. He is also Member of the Institute of Physics, serving as Treasurer on the regional committee for Yorkshire and Humberside, working to raise awareness of all aspects of physics and physics outreach.<
In his role at Leeds Beckett University, he supervises post graduate dissertation students, and has taught Risk Management, Future Focussed Management for Sustainability and Managing Organisations and People, with research interests in management for sustainability and the ethical governance of AI.
- Mohammed Ayub
Independent Member
Mohammed is the General Manager at Lightwaves Community Trust and Next Generation Youth & Community Project. He is also a Labour Councillor for Wakefield East Ward.
Mohammed is also a trustee for Lightwaves Community Trust, Young Lives and NOVA.
- Ruth Baxter
Staff Governor
Ruth is a Staff Governor for the Heart of Yorkshire Group. Her role is Inclusion Manager and SENDCo based at Selby, where she is responsible for managing a team of staff who provide additional learning support for students following both FE and HE courses, to ensure they are supported on their course, are prepared for adulthood, and have the skills to move onto their chosen career pathway.
Prior to working at Selby College, Ruth worked in primary education both as a class teacher and headteacher.
- Stuart Brenton
Staff Governor
Stuart serves as the Reception and Administration Services Leader for the Group overseeing key operational functions across Selby, Wakefield and Castleford College.
Born and raised in Castleford, Stuart studied at York St John University where he gained his undergraduate degree with honours in Business Management and Information Technology.
Before joining the Group, Stuart worked primarily as a manager in the retail sector specialising in customer service and leadership.
Stuart has worked for the Group for over seven years and is passionate about helping students achieve their goals, gain their qualifications, and reach their potential in the area in which he is proud to have grown up.
- Jason Brook
Co-Opted MemberJason was born in Dewsbury and educated at Heckmondwike Grammar School and Huddersfield University, with an undergraduate degree in Law. He has worked in local government, with the exception for two years, since 1996 and worked within the internal audit profession since 2004. He has been the Service Manager for Internal Audit and Risk at Wakefield Council for the last six years, having previously trained and educated with the support of Leeds City Council through the distance learning programme via the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors.
Jason is married with two stepsons, who have been educated in Wakefield, and a kitten who keeps everyone on their toes. He is excited to give something back to the local community he now lives in by being part of the Audit and Governance Committee for the Heart of Yorkshire.
In his spare time, he likes to travel, read, and walk and follow his teams in football, rugby league, and American football.
- Nigel Brook
Independent Member
Nigel was born in Castleford and educated in Knottingley and Pontefract before studying Physics at Durham University. He then qualified as a CIPFA Accountant at Liverpool Polytechnic while working in Manchester. He worked for various local authorities in the North of England before becoming Finance Director at Greater Manchester Police then Assistant Chief Officer at West Yorkshire Police. He received his OBE for his work on national police finance.
After retiring Nigel has used his skills and experience in his local area. As well as being a Governor with Heart of Yorkshire College Trust and chairing the Audit & Governance Committee, he is also Chair of Wakefield Citizens Advice, Trustee of Theatre Royal Wakefield, an Independent Member of Wakefield Council’s Audit & Governance Committee and a Member of his church PCC.
In his spare time he plays table tennis and bowls. He is chair of the Castleford & Pontefract Table Tennis League.
- Claire Corneille
Independent Member
Claire Corneille is the Director of People and Talent at Bradford Children and Families Trust, where she is accountable for the development and implementation of the Trust’s people and culture vision and strategies, and the leadership of the people and talent services.
Prior to her role in the Trust, Claire worked for over 25 years in the public sector. Initially working on the development and implementation a range of NHS Workforce policies, whilst working in the Department of Health and Social Care, and more recently in a range of HR leadership roles, in a Government Arms Lengths Body, Local Government and in an Ombudsman. She has extensive experience of developing and embedding a range of operating models, including the implementation of HR Business Partnering, has managed large scale and complex organisational change and led a range of HR functions.
Claire is a values driven individual who is passionate about people, ensuring that they have a voice which is heard, and understood, and that everyone has an opportunity to be the best they can be.
- Louise Elkington
Independent Member
Louise is an experienced post-16 SEND education practitioner. She has over 11 years of teaching and leadership within general and specialist FE provisions. In addition, she has a broad range of experience in Learning and Business Support roles in primary, secondary and special education organisations and Supported Internships.
It’s fair to say that she is a passionate supporter and advocate of improving the educational and employment outcomes of young people with SEND.
Prior to working in Further Education, Louise worked in Customer Service and Marketing within the Packaging, Print and Direct Marketing Industries for 14 years. This gave her solid grounding in Customer Service both in English and in French which she still holds close today. Louise worked with colleagues and customers across Europe which broadened her experience of Customer Service and working with teams across the continent.
- Dmitry Fedotov
Independent Member
Dmitry’s experience in the youth work sector has taken him throughout most of South and West Yorkshire. He works for The Youth Association – the UK’s oldest youth work charity with a proud history of developing some of the most innovative work in its field.
As Operations Director, Dmitry manages the organisation’s people and projects, including its community-based provision across seven local authority areas in Yorkshire. Dmitry is also responsible for building and maintaining strategic partnerships with the larger grant funds providers and local businesses.
- Annabelle James
Co-Opted MemberDr Annabelle James is a Principal Lecturer at Teesside University and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She has over 25 years’ experience of working in Higher Education in teaching, pastoral and management roles and has previously worked as Subject Group Lead and Head of Department.
In her current role, she deals with marketing and recruitment across the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Law. Her academic background is in Law and Legal Education, with an undergraduate degree in Law, a Master’s by Research degree in Law and Criminal Justice, both from the University of Leeds and an Education Doctorate awarded by Teesside University. She is also working towards an MBA with Psychology at the University of Wrexham.
Annabelle’s interests include reading and sport. She is one of the Run Directors for Wakefield Thornes 5k and Junior parkruns. She also has black belts in kickboxing and karate. She is owned by a fluffy ten year old cat called Henry.
- Jayne King
Independent Member
Jayne is based in North Yorkshire, and recently retired as Director of Finance at the British Library after eight years. Prior to this, she had a long career as the Director of Finance for a large Metropolitan Probation Trust.
Jayne is values driven and has a passion for ensuring high quality and value for money in public services. Her long accountancy career has spanned further and higher education, social housing and care, criminal justice, libraries and culture.
Jayne is also a Trustee and member of the Board of Think Ahead, an organisation that recruits, trains and promotes the mental health workforce, ensuring the right professionals can deliver the right support at the right time. She also Chairs the Think Ahead Finance, Audit and Resources Committee.
Jayne is a Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant and has an MBA from the University of Durham. She lives in North Yorkshire and enjoys playing table tennis, photography and travelling.
- Alex Miles
Co-Opted Member
Alex is the Managing Director of a Yorkshire training provider network and a consultant in the Further Education sector, helping organisations to maintain and improve their quality, performance, leadership and management, safeguarding and compliance arrangements.
Alex is passionate about education and training, especially apprenticeships. Alex aspires to ensure young people and adults can access opportunities to further develop themselves and gain skills and experiences that allow them to become employable, successful and beneficial contributors to our society.
Being a member of the Group’s Governors is an exciting opportunity to provide support and challenge to a high-quality College Group and gain insights into the Further Education sector to enhance her knowledge and skills.
- David Powell
Independent Member
David followed his father, a Senior Lecturer in Graphic Design, into FE, starting as a part-time hourly paid lecturer in Travel and Tourism at Stafford College of Further Education in 1986.
He moved into senior management and then, via staff development, into teacher education in 2005 when he became a Lecturer in Teacher Education at Craven College.
David joined the University of Huddersfield as a Senior Lecturer in Teacher Education in 2009 and until April 2020 was the Director of the Education and Training Consortium, an initial teacher education (ITE) partnership between the University of Huddersfield and over 20 FE colleges. Since May 2022, David has been the course leader for the University of Huddersfield's Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education, its ITE programme for the university's new teachers.
David is chair of the Board's Curriculum and Quality Committee.
- Vijay Teeluck
Independent Member
Vijay has worked in a variety of educational settings and joins us with experience of the HE sector. As a lecturer of Applied Mathematics, she provides support to students within the STEM subjects at university but also takes part in the Royal Institute’s programme of Masterclasses which aims to encourage school pupils to study mathematics.
Initially, after completing her PhD, Vijay settled into providing Maths Support at a leading university in Yorkshire, here she was able to provide support to students from non-traditional backgrounds. Her commitment to providing the best educational experience possible motivated her to undertake a MA Maths Education and has allowed her to remain abreast of current issues in teaching and lecturing.
She enjoys several activities which include cooking, travelling and horticulture.
- Neil Warren
Independent MemberWith a career spanning some 38 years, Neil is currently the Executive Director of Resources at WDH, with the strategically lead for Finance, ICT and Corporate Services functions.
A Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Neil also has a Master's Degree in Finance and Accountancy.
Before joining WDH, he was Chief Finance Officer and Section 151 Officer at Wakefield Council, and prior to that Head of Finance for Children's Services and, latterly, Head of Corporate Finance at Leeds City Council.
Born in Crofton, Neil now lives in Sandal and is married with two children.
Neil is passionate about the area and is also a co-opted member of the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board's Audit and Governance Committee; and the member representative on the Joint Advisory Group for the West Yorkshire Pension Fund.
- Sam Wright
Principal & CEO
Sam has worked in Further Education for 28 years. She became Principal & CEO at Wakefield College in February 2011 and took over as interim Principal and CEO at Selby College on 1st January 2022, just prior to the merger.
Sam became the Principal & Chief Executive of the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group following the merger between Selby and Wakefield Colleges on 1st March 2022.
Sam started her career in Further Education as a lecturer and then worked as a middle and senior manager, with a focus on curriculum and quality. She is inspired by the opportunity to improve lives and help individuals to achieve their potential through learning, as well as further developing excellent relationships with key partners and employers to inform the Group's strategy, curriculum development and delivery.
- Mohammed Ayub