Our Board

Our Board makes decisions on company strategies, policies and budgets, and monitors and reviews our performance. The Board is a mixture of independent professionals, tenants, council nominees and also includes our Chief Executive and Finance Director, all of whom have an interest in the provision of quality, affordable housing.

Independent Members:

David Avery (Chairman)

David has more than 15 years experience managing international business operations for Fortune 500 companies. He has a successful track record running sales, marketing and customer service groups in technology driven organisations. David is a governor for Seaford College, an independent school in Sussex and a Non-Executive Director for a technology start-up company in Phoenix. Arizona. He is also a Non-Executive Director for a health trust in Worthing. He enjoys golf, rugby and especially rowing.

Nola Gyles

Nola works in Pulborough as a solicitor where she specialises in property and probate law. A former school governor of both Rydon School and Storrington School, she is a member of Billingshurst Choral Society and her other hobbies include skiing, walking and genealogy; she has a great love of the downland countryside.

Nic Packwood

Nic has more than 20 years experience of managing international business operations in telecommunications and aviation. Nic has an active interest in countryside issues across Sussex and is the Treasurer and Trustee for the Sussex branch of the Campaign for the Protection for Rural England (CPRE). He is also a Parish Councillor for Shermanbury.

 

Peter Lansberry

Peter is a partner in a local accountancy firm Spofforths. His professional career has been in general practice, providing business advice, audit, accountancy and taxation services to the local community. Peter has acted for a number of housing associations and has considerable experience of housing for older people. Outside interests include being treasurer of Horsham Youth Centre and of the Friends of the Armitt Museum in Ambleside, Cumbria, which Peter and his wife visit during their regular trips to the Lake District.

Council Nominees:

Tony Bevis

Tony has lived in the Horsham District for more than 30 years. He served on Horsham District Council as a Liberal Democrat for five years where he took particular interest in housing and the development of leisure facilities in Steyning and at the Horsham Pavillion. Tony is a business analyst working for a large international insurance company and has worked in insurance in the UK and United States for most of his working life. He enjoys hiking, swimming and cross country skiing and was a Scout Leader for 13 years.
 

Councillor Brian Donnelly

Brian lives in Pulborough and has been the Pulborough and Coldwaltham Ward Horsham District Councillor since 2003. He worked in International Banking in the Middle East and Africa.

He is the Cabinet Member for Leisure & Health on Horsham District Council. As previous Chairman of the Council’s Licensing Committee, he was very much involved in the implementation of the new licensing and gambling laws. He was also Vice-Chairman of the HDC Final Accounts Committee in the last Council Term.

Brian is a member of the Horsham Chess Club and plays for the Sussex Chess Team in the Inter-County Championships. He is a Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator and is a member (watching) of the Arundel Castle Cricket Club. He enjoys distance swimming and walking the downs.

Councillor Pat Rutherford

Pat is a retired teacher who has lived in Horsham for 38 years. She taught in Horsham, Steyning and Cranleigh. Elected to Horsham District Council (Roffey South) in 1988, she has always had a particular interest in housing. Pat is a North Horsham Parish councillor, director of Horsham Age Concern and a school governor of Kingslea School. Pat enjoys visiting her son in Germany, pottering in the garden and looking after her two Yorkshire terriers.

Tenant Nominees:

Kirsty Dumbrill

Kirsty has been involved with the community as a Parish Councillor and Treasurer of a junior football team. She is a long standing member of the Tenants' Forum. Although most of her time is spent looking after her family she enjoys walking her dog, reading and camping.






 

Tony Walshe

Tony moved to Horsham in 1999 having spent a life time moving around. Tony has had a varied life, after prolonged national service he graduated from London University. He then spent a number of years with Dunlop. This was followed by time in an industry related quango, a period of self-employment and finally as a teacher of English to foreign students. As a tenant of Saxon Weald, Tony enjoys contributing to the provision of decent homes in decent neighbourhoods. Tony is Chairman of the Tenants’ Forum.


 

Vanessa Williams

Vanessa is a member of The Forest School Parent-Teacher Association, a comprehensive school for boys aged 11-16. She recently became a Saxon Weald tenant after a successful mutual exchange and has been a social housing resident for 15 years. Although most of her time is spent looking after her family Vanessa enjoys walking her dog and socialising with friends.




 

Winifred Davey

Winfred moved to England in 1988. Keen to learn she took two GCSEs in Accounting and Spanish on adult education courses. Winfred also taught Mandarin as an adult education course for seven years. She is currently working for the Alzheimer’s Society and West Sussex County Council as a support worker. In addition, Winifred is a volunteer at Southwater Police Office and treasurer of Horsham Area Community Car Scheme.

Executive directors:

Norman Hill

Norman began his career in local government, where he qualified as a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy in 1987. He also worked in higher education before moving to the social housing sector. Norman has been Finance Director of Saxon Weald since July 2001 and a Board member since September 2007.



 

David Standfast

A former assistant chief planner, and council housing and health director, David has been a housing association chief executive since 1994. Since September 2000, David has been Chief Executive of Saxon Weald and he became a board member there in 2004. Saxon Weald strives to recruit and retain really good staff who are motivated to to provide high quality customer service.  It is a 2 star and excellent prospects association with  a large development programme specialising in extra care housing  and green innovation. David enjoys running for exercise and watching rugby.

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