Welcoming new Board Members
Pictured; retiring Board Member Barbara Dean with Chair & Deputy Paul Smith & Jacqui Chatwood respectively
We appointed three new Board Members last month; welcoming Priti Butler, Ben Powell and Tim Hanson to our experienced Board.
Priti has extensive experience in supporting families through adult social care, health and wellbeing and employment services. She has held the position of Executive Director for the social enterprise and charity The Big Life Group for the past 23 years.
Prior to this, Priti led care initiatives in communities and supported independent living for adults with mental health or learning difficulties for 10 years.
Ben is an experienced communications professional currently working for Nautilus International, having previously worked in Westminster and served as a Councillor on Cheshire West and Chester Council.
He has previously held other local Board-level positions, including as a Non-Executive Director of Marketing Cheshire and Avenue Services, and is driven by contributing to the local area.
Tim, the Vicar of Christ Church in Winsford since 2000, also joins the Board, bringing with him an extensive experience of community involvement and engagement expertise. Alongside his Board role with WVHT, Tim is also the Co-Chair of Governors at Wharton Primary School and of the Northwest Gospel Partnership.
The Board also bid farewell to tenant Board member, Barbara Dean, who is retiring from the Board after serving her six-year term. Barbara, who’s been a tenant with WVHT for over 30 years, has served on the main Board as well as several sub committees and additionally is the current Chair-person of the Poverty Trust Commission which works closely with the Trust.
Wayne Gales, Chief Executive of WVHT, said: “We are delighted to welcome Ben, Priti and Tim to our Board whilst also sorry to see Barbara leaving us.
“These new appointments come at a really important time for the Trust as we continue our commitment to building back fairer from the pandemic. Their skills, experience and diversity of thought will be invaluable in supporting us in taking this and our exciting future plans forward.
“I would also like to thank Barbara for her hard work and valuable contribution to the Board over the last six years representing the voice of tenants, something which is extremely important to us at WVHT in ensuring that the needs of tenants are at the heart of everything that we do.”
ENDS
For more information, contact Lucy Goldsmith, Marketing and Communication Manager lucy.goldsmith@wvht.co.uk
Notes
- Pictured; Barbara Dean, retiring Board Member with Paul Smith & Jacqui Chatwood, Chair & Deputy of the Board.
- The Trust, which owns more than 6,200 homes across Cheshire and Warrington and has an ambitious development programme including homes for affordable rent and shared ownership
- WVHT has launched a recruitment campaign to encourage new tenant board members to apply and ensure that tenants voices are represented at board level.