After last week’s elections the Association of Colleges is hoping it will finally be able to put the scandal of Roger Ward behind it. Its new board met this week for the first time, a mix of continuity and fresh blood. Here we provide pen portraits of those elected.

Jim Scrimshaw

is chair of Barking College. He joined the Colleges Employers Forum, a predecessor to the AOC, in 1995 and was elected to the association a year later. He was chair of the finance and general purposes committee and became acting chair of the AOC during the Roger Ward saga. He was always keen for a new board to be elected once Mr Ward had gone, but faced strong resistance from Colin Daniels and Mike Clegg. He is development director for GPT Telephone Cables, a subsidiary of GEC. He became involved with his local college in an educationbusiness partnership and realised the mutual benefits that were possible.

David Kissman

is chair of Broxtowe College and personnel director of Boots the Chemist in Nottingham. He joined the company in 1971, having started his career as a pharmacist and manager. Last year he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Science from DeMontfort University for his “outstanding contribution to training and education”. He plays golf and has been a keen amateur dramatist.

Bernard Vaughan

became chair of Bournemouth and Poole College almost 10 years ago and was awarded the OBE in the New Year for services to further education. He was a governor of Bournemouth College of Technology in the 1970s and a founder governor of the combined Bournemouth and Poole College of Further Education from 1977.

Chris Jones

has been on the board of governors of Burton-on-Trent Technical College since 1991 and was appointed chair when it was incorporated the following year. He recently retired as a financial director of a local company and a pension fund trustee. He is a keen bridge player.

Margaret Morgan

has been a member of the board of Southwark College since 1988 and chair since 1990. She has a degree in music and trained as a teacher in secondary schools. She also worked briefly as a BBC studio manager. She was a member of the Inner London Education Authority from 1971 to 1986 and chaired the ILEA development committee. She has 25 years’ experience as a governor of educational establishments in all sectors.

Colin Daniels

has been chair of Warrington Collegiate Institute since 1989. He has chaired the National Employment Committee for six years. A co-opted member of Cheshire’s education committee, he is also a school governor. He is chief executive of Warrington Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Mike Clegg

is the only college principal to retain a seat on the board. After working in the finance sector he moved into education and has been a vice-principal of two colleges and headed a college in Derbyshire before moving to Preston in 1986 as principal.

He was an adviser to the all-party parliamentary group for tertiary education and worked with the Audit Commission producing the Unfinished Business report. He has been chair of the national negotiating committees on pay of staff in colleges in England and Wales, and is chair of the low pay group, with Unison and the TGWU, advising government on the impact of minimum wage legislation in colleges.

Helen Gilchrist

took over as principal of Bury College in 1995 after leading Nelson amp; Colne College for six years. She began her career as a languages teacher in a school and then sixth-form college. Dr Gilchrist (PhD in modern Spanish literature) is a member of the FEFC north-west regional committee. She was a member of the informal Principal’s group, which met regularly to advise the former chief executive of the FEFC, Sir William Stubbs.

Eddie McIntyre,

Principal of Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies, supports Birmingham City football club “because one of my governors is a director”. He began in the hotel and catering industry and served five years as a chef at London’s Dorchester Hotel. He lectured at the (then) Ealing College of Further and Higher Education, was head of department at the Glasgow College of Food Technology and became principal at Birmingham in 1983. He is a Fellow of the Hotel and Catering Management Association and a member of the Skills Task Force, and the franchising working party. A dedicated golfer, he says his handicap has “risen steadily since incorporation”.

Gary Williams

principal of Weston College in Somerset, was previously head of Newark and Sherwood College in Nottinghamshire. His career began in hotel management with Thistle Hotels. He went to Newcastle as a lecturer before joining West Suffolk College as a faculty head. He believes in the role of FE colleges as significant partners with industry and commerce.

He is a board member of North Somerset Enterprise Agency; Business Link West - North Somerset and the Western Development Partnership; vice chair of the West of England in Europe Initiative; and chairman of the North Somerset Single Regeneration Partnership James Aleander

has been principal of West Nottinghamshire College since 1994. He chairs the East Midlands Principals Forum and helped establish Action for Construction and Engineering, a lobby group of colleges and employers working to promote technical education. He is committed to establishing FE as the platform for delivery of the Government’s ambitious programme for lifelong learning.

Andrew Middleton,

principal of Stamford College, began his career as an export sales administrator. He then became a lecturer, senior lecturer, and head of staff training in Lincolnshire and has expertise in education, politics, commerce, law and agriculture. He was vice-principal at Grantham College before heading Stamford in 1989. He has designed courses and published research, including management of innovation in FE, leadership and staff development. He has been leader of the FE sector colleges Equity Funding campaign.

Nick Brown,

principal of Oldham Sixth Form College, has worked as an archaeologist, farm labourer, insurance manager, teacher, local authority inspector and headteacher. He graduated from Leeds University in 1973, and has a teaching certificate and an MPhil. His interests include literature, music and playing cricket.

John Guy

has been principal and chief executive of the Sixth Form College, Farnborough since 1992. He is a council member of Oxford and Cambridge Examinations and Assessment Council and is now on the Oxford, Cambridge and RSA examinations board. He was a council member of the Sixth Form Colleges’ Employers’ Forum.

Pamela Taylor

is chair of governors at Barton Peveril College and has been on the board since 1988 when she was elected a parent-governor. She has been an active member of the sixth-form group national executive. A consultant on the FEFC inspection framework, she has played an important role in co-ordinating the response of governors to cuts in funding, and is a powerfuly lobbyist. After graduating in industrial chemistry, she taught maths and chemistry to A-level and now works with Hampshire County Council on governor training.

Michael Tobell

read law at Oxford before joining the Unilever management training programme. He pursued a business career in Yorkshire and became managing director of electrical distribution businesses. The Roman Catholic diocese of Leeds asked him to join the planning team when it decided to go for a new sixth-form college. As chairman he helped in its struggle into the new FE sector. He was elected to the board of the sixth form group and when it merged with the AOC was one of two governors elected from that association.

Malcolm Wharton,

principal of Hartpury College, was lecturer and senior warden at Bicton College of Agriculture, worked for Cornwall County Council, was vice-principal of Duchy College, and has led Hartpury since 1990. He is a university external examiner, a council member of Riding for the Disabled, and a business committee member of Gloucester Rugby football club.

Huw Evans

has been principal of Llandrillo College since 1989. In 1993 he was invited to chair FFORWM, an organisation representing all Welsh colleges, and he remains on its board. He has represented Wales since 1996 and chaired the curriculum committee.