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)

Simon Perryman

Yorkshire & Humberside Region

Simon was previously Executive Director of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. He managed the UK network of Sector Skills Councils and delivered £300m of industry led skills development. He has extensive experience of skills and small firm policy development from his background in Government.

Simon has been Chair of Governors at Barnsley College for 6 years, where he has overseen ambitious strategies to enhance the curriculum, develop higher level skills and build assurance-based governance. He was appointed, in 2018, to be a National Leader of Governance supporting the FE Commissioner and was elected as the chair of the AoC Governors Council in November 2021.

He established a TVET consultancy business in 2015, advising governments and the TVET sector on skills systems and strategies. He specialises in employer engagement in skills, apprenticeship policy and the link between skills and productivity.

AoC Regional Member (Vice 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

Andrew Leighton-Price

South West Region

Andrew has a diverse background all worked within the IT and accounting world, from leading the education division for the UKs largest computer manufacturer, to the ICAEW, looking after accountancy students. Recently developing his own businesses within the IT world and selling them to global companies. Andrew has also been a Governor at Herons' Moor Academy since it opened in 2003 and has been its Chair of Governors for the last 7 years.

AoC Regional Member

Mervyn Ward

North West Region

Mervyn has recently become representative for the Northwest region of the AoC Governors Council. He has been Chair of Corporation at Warrington & Vale Royal College and previously Warrington Collegiate since 2016. This (Ofsted) good GFE college is now growing successfully following merger in 2017.

Mervyn is a retired qualified management accountant with a career spanning local government, atomic energy, further and higher education, and the civil service.

Beyond employment Mervyn served 27 years as a school governor and since 2016 has been a non-executive director of a local health, leisure and wellbeing community interest company. He is also a regular panel member for independent school admission appeals.

As an almost eternal student Mervyn is a great advocate for continuing education and is currently researching aspects of further education. As a master's athlete Mervyn still competes, coaches, officiates and still finds time to watch non-league football supporting Warrington Rylands FC.

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

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 Wood-Williams

North East Region

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

Heather Cross

I have many years’ experience in FE as a Governance Professional, a governance expert and was previously a College Vice-Principal. My experience ranges over both urban and rural colleges across different sizes and types, including SDIs. I am a fully qualified Chartered Secretary and a National Leader in Governance, working to provide governance advice and support for colleges who may be in need of governance development.

I am currently Governance Adviser and Clerk to the Corporation at Wiltshire College and University Centre in the south-west and also co-lead the ETF Governance Professionals Expert Programme.

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 became AoC President in October 2024.

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.