Governance and Leadership
Guiding Portland College
Portland College benefits from a governing body of volunteer trustees and senior management team with a wide range of skills and experience. Governing Body meetings are held at least four times a year and through a range of committees which include:
- Audit Committee
- Oversight of Standards Group
- Oversight of Finance Group
- Enterprise Board
- Remuneration Committee
These committees, together with any other working parties that may at times be necessary, meet as required. The Principal & Chief Executive Officer is responsible to the Governors for the day-to-day running of the College and the execution of strategy and policies as decided by the Board of Governors.
Governors
Timothy S Richmond OBE TD DL FCA CCMI (Hon) DBBA
Chair of Governors
Tim joined the Board of Governors in 2014. He is a Chartered Accountant. For the past 18 years he has been self employed as a consultant in strategic business direction and management. He is the Non-Executive Chairman of Futures Advice, Skills and Employment Limited. He has extensive public sector experience in non-executive roles in higher education, competition, housing and care services, youth services and health.
A past High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire (2002), and former Vice Lord Lieutenant (2008-2022), Tim is currently Honorary Colonel, South Nottinghamshire Hussars.
Dr Dawn Green PhD CertEd PGDip FSET
Vice Chair of Governors
Dawn joined the Board in 2015. She was previously Principal & CEO at Landmarks College and Vice Principal at Portland College. She is now the Karten Network Manager and also provides consultancy services in whole College/School improvement and behaviour support. Dawn is also Chair of the Oversight of Standards Group and Lead Governor for Safeguarding.
Professor Dean Fathers
Lead Governor for Corporate Governance
Dean joined the Board in 2017 when he was also Chair of ULHT. He is currently Chair of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, on the Boards of both NHS Providers and the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership and also a Non-Executive Director with the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman. He has also recently been appointed as Chair of the National Centre for Organisational Resilience at the Lincoln International Business School (having formerly been a Professor in the Practice of Healthcare Management at Cass Business School) and is concurrently also a Visiting Professor in The Centre for Governance, Leadership and Global Responsibility at Leeds Business School.
Harvinder Atwal
Chair of Portland College Enterprises Ltd
Harvinder joined the Board in 2015. She is the Managing Director of bksb Limited, a West Nottinghamshire College owned business which has become the most successful online skills assessment and development company for functional skills/GCSEs in the UK.
Amanda Farr MSc (Oxon) DL
Amanda joined the Board in 2018. She has worked in NHS rehabilitation and mental health services for most of her career, latterly leading county primary care mental health services. She has been a visiting lecturer at Nottingham and Oxford Universities. She is co-owner of Sweeney and Farr Associates offering mental health treatments and organisational well-being. Amanda has extensive experience in the voluntary sector in the city and county of Nottinghamshire and is a former High Sheriff and current Deputy Lieutenant of the county.
Peter Emerson
Peter joined the Board in 2017. Peter retired as Commercial Director of Severfield PLC and Chief Operating Officer of Watson Steel in 2013. He now works as a consultant in the Construction industry and for Laing O’Rourke Ltd.
David Sneath MA (Camb) TD DL
David joined the Board in 2018. He is a recently retired senior employment tribunal judge. He has extensive Reserve Army experience at the rank of Colonel. A past High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire (2017) and a current Deputy Lieutenant.
Mark Briggs
Mark joined the Board in 2019. He has worked on Local Government for 25 years, and led and worked with companies supporting disabled people to reach their potential in sport, culture and personal lives. Mark is also a former Paralympian.
Sarah Egley RGN BA (Hons) MA
Sarah joined the Board in 2018. She is Assistant Director Quality Governance and Assurance for Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Trust.
Stephen Jackson
Stephen joined the Board in 2019. He is a commercially focused Executive with global experience. He has 30 years board level experience in Finance, IT and Commercial Development and more recently Nottingham Trent University. He is the Vice Chair of Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust and a member of other education and sport charities.
Joe Butler PGDIP (Autism) NPQH
Joe joined the Board in 2021. She is an autism consultant working in education, workplaces, and other youth and adult organisations through her company SEND Support. Joe is the co-author of Is That Clear? Effective Communication in a neurodiverse world. She was previously the Headteacher of an autism specialist school, and now offers specialist teaching advice for Nottinghamshire County Council.
Councillor Samantha Deakin
Samantha joined the Board in 2021 as Nottinghamshire County Council’s representative.
Senior Management Team
Dr Mark Dale
Principal and Chief Executive Officer
Mark joined Portland College in 2006. He was previously Associate Professor of Education and Deputy Head of the School of Education at the University of Nottingham. Mark has held a number of Board positions including Vice Chair of Natspec.
Angela Newton-Soanes
Deputy Principal - Quality and Further Education
Angela joined Portland in 2015. She has led on strategic quality and curriculum improvements across the Further Education sector for 21 years.
As Deputy Principal at Portland College, Chair of Pollyteach Ltd and Governor at Vision West Notts College, Angela’s passion and expertise delivers positive outcomes for people with disabilities across the county and beyond.
Ike Onwukwe
Assistant Principal - Care, and Designated Safeguarding Lead
Ike joined Portland in 2017. He is an experienced manager and social care professional with extensive operational knowledge of social work principles, CQC regulatory standards, partnership working, techniques and best practices and their application to different social care settings with a variety of individual needs. He oversees delivery of care support within Portland Freedom.
Edward Johnstone
Assistant Principal - Development
Edward joined Portland in 2016 but has been involved with the charity in other capacities since 2013.
Prior to Portland, he ran a series of small businesses specialising in disability support through a variety of contracts across the country. Edward is a proud Board Member of Discover Ashfield and Vice Chair of Cornwater Evergreens.
Shaun Pollard
Assistant Principal - Schools
Shaun is a qualified Social Worker and Teacher. He grew Pollyteach from a passion to meet the educational needs of young people in care to the special educational needs independent school which is now part of the Portland Charity Group.
Lisa Kenwright
Assistant Principal - Corporate Services / Company Secretary
Lisa joined Portland in 2020 and is a qualified Chartered Accountant. Lisa has worked in both the private and public sector in a variety of finance roles, predominately 17 years for the NHS. Lisa now supports Finance, HR, Catering, Estates and ICT in the provision of quality support services for departments at Portland College.