AoC National Chairs' Council

AoC National Chairs' Council is committed to working in an open and transparent way. It publishes the minutes of its meetings. See the Council minutes.

The Council maintains networks in all AoC’s regions. These networks aim to engage with governors and collect their views to inform AoC policy and initiatives. The Council’s regional network provides Governors with feedback and information from AoC and other organisations. These networks run events to support and develop governors’ understanding of issues within the sector.

If you would like further information about AoC National Chairs’ Council, please email AoC’s Governance Team or call 020 7034 9900.

AoC Regional Member (Chair)

Julie Dougill

South East Region

I am currently the Chair of Governors at Plumpton College, an innovative specialist Land Based College in Sussex of over 2000 students, and the college Safeguarding link governor. I have been in this role for the last two years but throughout my career I have served on a range of governing boards developing a wide governance skillset.

I have worked in the education, learning and skills sector for over 30 years in various senior management roles in FE, schools and at local authority level working on strategic quality improvement and partnership working and in supporting providers, colleges and schools to prepare and deliver post 16 qualifications. More recently I had strategic responsibility for Leadership Development and Governance Services across East Sussex.

I have been actively involved with colleagues across Sussex to inform and shape our successful LSIP bid, in promoting collective governance models and have been part of a national Charis’ forum working with EDF to develop a competency framework for FE and Chairs. I am passionate that as a group of volunteers our skills, knowledge and expertise is used by the AoC to both inform current practice and to drive future change in effective governance.

As your representative, I will use my vast experience of working collaboratively with a range of stakeholders alongside my open-minded approach to new ideas and opportunities for change, to ensure that as a group of South East Chairs we are kept informed and more importantly have a strong voice both locally and nationally on the AoC Governors Council.

AoC Regional Member

David Blake

Eastern Region

David became involved with East Coast College a few years back after a LinkedIn approach, starting as a governor on the main Board and several sub committees. He is now into his second year as Chair. David has really enjoyed being able to help East Coast College become a better place for students to study and leading the Board to achieve its strategic aims.

David currently splits his working life between East Coast College as Chair; professional futures trader on the Chicago & Mercantile Exchange USA trading his own book as well as acting as market contributor to Spotgamma (Tenten Capital LLC); and several CFO roles for SMEs.

David has worked as both a Chartered Accountant and Business Finance Professional under the Institute of Chartered Accountants England & Wales, having lived and worked in various places around the world outside of London, including Hong Kong and the Maldives.

Having graduated in Chemistry, he continues to have a passion for science and enjoys fitness, electric guitar, shooting, and family time outside of work. David is a proud Christian and has lived in Kimbolton in Cambridgeshire for over 20 years.

AoC Regional Member

Paul Butler

London Region

Paul has been involved in the college sector since incorporation in 1992. He has a passionate commitment to young people and adults and the importance of providing quality training and education opportunities that helps individuals to achieve their potential. He has extensive experience and networks within the education/skills sector.

Paul has held a range of national and regional roles as a director and chief executive in skills, education and community development. He has been an ACAS Council member and previously a National Leader of Governance for the AoC, he currently provides mediation support for boards and senior teams.

He is on the AoC London Region Board and also holds a number of non-executive roles nationally. He has been involved in cross-party committees on issues of workforce development and inclusion and has sat on a range of advisory groups for Metropolitan Police focusing on issues related to community engagement, inclusion and BAME representation.

Paul has been Chair of the Board at Waltham Forest College for 7 years and leads in a collegiate way with expertise, empathy and tremendous insight. Paul’s skills, networks and experience provide high level knowledge and understanding, invaluable to representing London colleges and learners on a national stage.

AoC Regional Member

Danielle Gillett

East Midlands Region

Danielle is an alumnus of De Montfort University and a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants with significant experience working with a wide range of businesses from a large plc to niche professional services consultancies.

As Managing Director of the EMB-Group, she helped build the business from start up to a +£10m group of companies selling market leading business consultancy. She is a keen supporter and promoter of education and learning, working with both FE and HE in a pro-bono capacity.

Danielle was a founder member of the International Women’s Day Trust and the King Richard III Visitors Centre Trust and is a key member of the Leicestershire business community.

AoC Regional Member

Mervyn Jones

West Midlands Region

Further Education faces an existential dilemma of being respected and needed yet taken for granted, such that it risks ceasing to be sustainable. As College Chairs, we need to ensure the credibility of the present and present the challenges of the future, in a fashion which delivers investment commensurate with the importance of the sector.

I bring experience from industry and from education.

In business, I spent 20 years with BP in commercial management within oil trading, refining and petrochemicals in the UK and interactionally. I then spent 20 years as Chair or as an NED of innovative companies, focusing on energy, the environment and the arts, for which I received the IoD Scottish NED of the Year and UK Director of the Year for Sustainability.

In education, I have been a Council member of the Scottish Further Education Funding Council and Scottish Funding Council, a member of Court of the University of St Andrews, an Advisory Board member of the Scottish Marine Science research pool and Chair of the Scottish University spin-out competition. In the past, I have been a Board member of North London College and created the ‘Aiming for a College Education’ initiative in East London.

AoC Regional Member

Michael Williams

North East Region

AoC Regional Member

David Ford

South West Region

David has been a member of the Bournemouth and Poole College Governing Body for nine years and has been chair since 2019, seeing the College through a considerable improvement of both quality and financial sustainability. In David’s commercial career, he has founded three world-class, award-winning communications businesses, working with some of the biggest brands in the world on their communications, tech and digital strategies, including Apple, IBM, VISA, HP and Vodaphone.

AoC Regional Member

Gary Buxton

North West Region

Gary was appointed Chair of the Hopwood Hall College Corporation on 1 July 2024.

Gary works as a Coaching Psychologist with a private practice in Manchester and is a non-executive director across the social, public and corporate sectors.

With a special interest in improving outcomes for young people, Gary established the Young Advisors Charity in 2007 and grew the organisation to employ over 1,500 people nationwide. From 2015–2019, as the inaugural Director, he set up the Youth Services Division for Ingeus, a B-Corp multinational organisation, delivering government services across 12 countries. In the four years with Ingeus, Gary successfully mobilised a contract portfolio valued at £70 million.

Gary was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2014 Birthday Honours for services to the young people of England. He aspires to leveraging his own experiences to foster an environment at Hopwood Hall College where strategic governance, academic excellence, and social responsibility converge to create unparalleled opportunities for students and staff alike. Gary is particularly excited about contributing to the College’s mission to empower individuals and communities through education, ensuring that every student has access to the resources and support they need to succeed.

Co-opted, Further Education Policy

Ian Valvona

Co-opted, SEND representative

Dawn Green

Dawn Green is Chair of Governors at Portland College where she takes a keen interest in the oversight of quality, curriculum and standards in both education and care. Previously Dawn’s governance responsibilities included Vice Chair, Lead Safeguarding Governor and Chair of the Oversight of Standards Group at Portland. Dawn has also been Chair of a large secondary school and Chair of a 3 – 19 special school.

Dawn is currently Natspec’s Quality Improvement Lead, she is also Director of DEG Consultancy Ltd and the Karten Network’s Development Co-ordinator based in the UK. She has over 25 years’ experience working in Further Education, the majority of this time spent in senior leadership roles in specialist FE. Dawn was Principal and CEO at Landmarks Specialist College and Vice Principal at Portland College. Dawn has always been motivated to use creative and innovative approaches to enable people with disabilities to engage optimally in all aspects of their lives.

Dawn offers consultancy services in a range of areas including supporting organisations with their quality improvement journeys, implementation of management information systems and the use of assistive technologies.

Co-opted, Chair of NGPG

Wendy Stanger

Wendy is a Chartered Governance Professional and has had a varied career working at a management level in the public sector, including as a Senior Local Authority Housing Manager, an Internal Auditor for the NHS, and a VAT Inspector. She has worked in governance since 2014 and has also been a school governor. Wendy is currently Director of Governance at East Coast College and a governance consultant providing support to other Colleges.

Wendy’s regional and national work includes working as an AoC consultant to produce online modules for the governance development programme, Chairs the AoC East Governance Professionals network, Chair of the AoC National Governance Professional network, and the moderator of the national Further Education Governance Professionals online Jisc network.

Wendy won Chartered Governance Institute’s Governance Professional of the Year in 2019, and Highly Commended Champion for Governance in 2024, and DMJ Top 100 Governance Trailblazer in 2025, and was appointed in March 2023 as a National Leader of Governance, where she is currently providing active support and helps deliver the Just One Thing programme for new Chairs, Principals and Governance Professionals.

Wendy has a BA (Hon) in Politics and Law, a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management, is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, a Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute, and has completed the Further Education Governance Professional’s leadership Programme and has successfully completed all levels of the Further Education qualifications including the level 7 Diploma for Further Education Governance Professionals (Dip FEGP).

As Chair, I will continue to champion a collaborative, forward-thinking approach, raising the profile of governance professionals and supporting continuous improvement. I am committed to ensuring the group remains a strong, influential voice for Governance Professionals.

Ex-Officio Member, AoC Chair

Shaid Mahmood

Shaid is the first Chair of the newly created Leeds City College Group Board with strategic responsibility for a family of HE institutions, colleges and schools having previously served as Chair of Leeds City College - one of the largest FE organisations in the country now rated as good with many outstanding features.

Following a range of leadership and management roles in manufacturing and research and development in industry, in the Connexions Service and in Children’s and Family services, he is now the serving Chief Officer Communities for Leeds City Council, with leadership responsibility for the Council’s work on equality, migration, prevent and counter-extremism, the third sector, the council’s work with communities to generate greater capacity for self-reliance, and the integration of public services to address inequalities in neighbourhoods. Shaid is also a serving board member of a Housing Association, a trustee of the Leeds United Football Foundation, and Patron of the National Centre for Diversity.

Ex-Officio Member, AoC President

Pat Carvalho

Pat Carvalho is President of the Association of Colleges, the national voice for England’s colleges. Pat took up the role in October 2024 and has been a senior leader in the FE sector since 2009.

Pat has been the CEO and Principal of Birmingham Metropolitan College (BMet) since June 2021 having worked in further education for over 30 years and as a senior manager for 15 years. Further education has always played a part in her life, providing the training for her first career as a medical secretary at a local Birmingham college, then helping her enter university as a mature student where she majored in philosophy and then an MSc in artificial intelligence before going on to do a PGCE.

Ex-Officio Member, AoC Chief Executive

David Hughes

David Hughes became Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges in September 2016. Before that he was CEO at Learning and Work Institute, a leading think tank, research and policy organisation which was formed in 2016 from a merger he led between NIACE and Inclusion.

From 2000 to 2011, David worked in senior roles at the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). At the LSC and SFA David led the funding and improvement relationships with colleges and providers and successfully took on trouble-shooting roles to rescue crises in capital funding and Educational Maintenance Allowances.

Prior to that, David worked in the voluntary sector across a wide range of roles and organisations in the UK and Australia, in social housing, co-operatives, welfare, regeneration and community development.

David has held many Board and Committee roles, including a few years as Vice Chair of the East Midlands Regional Assembly in the 1990s. He played a leading role in establishing the new Education and Training Foundation in 2013 and has established and supported several third sector organisations.

Please contact the Governance Team for further information on the NGPG.