AoC Staff Governors' Conference 2026

David Hughes became Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges in September 2016. Before that he was Chief Executive at Learning and Work Institute and spent over 10 years at the Learning and Skills Council and Skills Funding Agency where he had national responsibility for funding and improvement with colleges and providers. David holds several Board positions including with the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics and the Bell Foundation. He was Vice-Chair of the East Midlands Regional Assembly in the 1990s, founding Chair of the Education and Training Foundation in 2013 and has helped set-up several third sector organisations.

Jeff Greenidge is the Director for Diversity & Governance for the Association of Colleges (AoC). He is an experienced teacher, coach and leadership mentor who has worked across the education and training sector. His career in education began as a teacher of modern languages and physical education. A three-year spell as Head of Modern Languages at Llanrumney High School in Cardiff followed, before he joined the Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales, advising the Government on matters relating to language teaching and learning. After three years as Director of the European Unit of the Welsh Joint Education Committee, he joined learndirect, where he served in a number of roles culminating in more than five years as Network Director between 2010 and 2015.

With over 20 years of experience in Quality, Chris has consistently driven improvements through innovation and process enhancement to increase operational efficiency. Alongside his core role, he has contributed to business and IT teaching, sharing knowledge and supporting development across various teams.

He has played a key role in his organisation's transformation journey—from an Ofsted Grade 4 to achieving their second consecutive Grade 1 rating in 2024—demonstrating a strong commitment to excellence and continuous improvement.

In addition to his professional responsibilities, he has served as a Support Staff Governor for over six years and as Chair and Vice Chair of the AoC Staff Governors Network for three years. He is a trained as a First Aider, Mental Health First Aider, Fire Marshal, and a member of the Incident Response Team, supporting safety and wellbeing across the organisation. 

Nadia Themis is a Business and Law Lecturer at Chelmsford College, a Staff Governor and Vice Chair of the Association of Colleges (AoC) Staff Governors’ Network. With a diverse background in corporate business, leadership, coaching and education, Nadia brings both industry experience and an understanding of Further Education to her governance roles. She is passionate about strengthening staff voice, inclusive leadership and creating a culture where staff feel valued, heard and empowered. She also champions professional development, wellbeing and the responsible use of AI and innovation to support staff and students across the FE sector 

Steve Wileman is Head of Digital Learning at South Staffordshire College, an AoC Digital Insight Hub, where he leads work on digital strategy, responsible AI adoption and staff digital confidence. His experience includes developing AI policy, supporting Microsoft Copilot and TeacherMatic adoption, and working with colleagues and partners on data governance, training and practical applications across teaching and college operations. He shares the college’s experience through sector events and mentoring, helping others connect emerging technology with real organisational needs. His approach combines clear boundaries, practical experimentation and human oversight, with a focus on reducing avoidable workload and supporting better experiences for staff and learners.