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Meet our College Governors

Governors are responsible for determining the educational character of the college and ensuring its overall well-being and financial solvency.
Louise Fall
Principal and Chief Executive

Louise took over the role of Principal and Chief Executive on August 1, 2024 after being Deputy Principal since January 2022.She reports to the Board of Governors and is responsible for the achievement of the college’s strategic aims and objectives, and ensuring that all students and apprentices receive an exceptional learning experience to equip them with the skills they need to succeed in their future careers.Louise joined the college in September 2014 as Quality Improvement Director having responsibility for developing and implementing a comprehensive and effective strategy to drive quality development and improvements across the college and all areas of the curriculum, including the design and delivery of excellence teaching, learning and assessment. This supported the college to be rated ‘Good’ by OfSTED in 2014 which was maintained in 2017 and 2023.Following a move into an Assistant Principal role, Louise was appointed as Vice Principal – Student Engagement in March 2020.

Mike Hastings
Chair of the Board of Governors

Mike was appointed as a member of the Board of Governors in 2018 and became Chair in December 2023. He is also a member of the Remuneration Committee and Chair of both the Search and Governance Committee and the Campus Transformation Oversight Group.Mike is Director of Digital and Governance for the NHS. He leads the Black Country NHS Digital Programme and is responsible for Corporate Governance for the Black Country Integrated Care Board.Mike lives in Wolverhampton with his wife and daughter and has previously taught for the college, being qualified in teaching adult learners. In his spare time he enjoys playing football and tennis and has very recently been awarded a postgraduate diploma with Imperial College London.

Mark Taylor
Vice Chair of the Board of Governors

Mark is the Vice Chair of Governors at City Wolverhampton CollegeMark has been the Deputy Chief Executive at City of Wolverhampton Council since September 2019 and, prior to this, was Strategic Director for People and Director of Finance. Since January 2024 Mark has also been the Council’s Section 151 Officer, so has the statutory responsibility for all of the Council’s financial affairs.He has over 30 years of experience in local government, working within many authorities and also temporarily covered the role of Director of Finance for West Midlands Combines Authority in its early years.Mark joined City of Wolverhampton Council in 2009 and currently has responsibility for finance, children’s services, education, adult services and public health. Mark has played a major role in Wolverhampton’s transformation process both in the city and at the council.Mark also holds the position of Director and Chair of WV Living, the council’s housing development company.Mark joined the Board at City of Wolverhampton College in February 2019.

Dionne Barrett
Governor

Dionne is passionate about empowering young people to reach their full potential and become the best versions of themselves.Her commitment to self-development tools and techniques has been integral not only to her own personal growth but also to that of the hundreds of young women she has supported through her social enterprise, Sister2Sister CIC. The organisation delivers empowerment programmes in the community and educational establishments across the West Midlands.Alongside her entrepreneurial endeavours, Dionne enjoys a career as a government lawyer. She further advances her passion for encouraging continuous growth and development in others by mentoring staff as part of Civil Service diversity and social mobility schemes, as well as participating in programmes aimed at supporting students with education and career progression.As a mother of two young girls, Dionne places great importance on family life and treasures the time she spends with her daughters.

John Bradford
Governor

Originally from the West Country, John moved to the West Midlands in 2008. His experience is in finance and banking, where he held various senior leadership and executive roles, leading large, diverse teams across the UK.He left corporate life in 2020 and now volunteers with local charities that support individuals to realize their ambitions. He is also a trustee and volunteer at Citizens Advice.John is passionate about the development of young people and providing opportunities for them to fulfil their potential. He joined the board at City of Wolverhampton College in 2020 and is chair of the audit committee.

Jane Carter
Lead governor for careers

Jane was appointed as a governor at City of Wolverhampton College in July 2023. She is an experienced senior leader in secondary education with teaching experience in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire and Birmingham. Currently, she is the West Midlands Regional Improvement and Innovation Alliance SEND coordinator and an experienced designated safeguarding lead.Jane is also the national chair of pdnet, a network for education professionals supporting learners with physical disabilities. She brings both her professional expertise and personal lived experience of physical disability to the role.In addition to her teaching and headship qualifications, Jane is a qualified coach and mentor with the West Midlands Employers’ Coaching Pool, supporting managers across a wide range of roles.Jane has a personal connection to the college, having been a frequent visitor as a child and teenager. Her father was the head of engineering and later principal at Wulfrun College from 1968 to 1982.Jane recently started a beginners' evening course in sewing. It had been 42 years since she last used a sewing machine; she is definitely working outside her comfort zone but enjoying the experience.

Abigail Chesterton
Governor

Abi was appointed a governor of City of Wolverhampton College in December 2024. She brings more than 19 years of senior leadership experience in further education, with expertise in curriculum development, quality improvement, safeguarding and student services across all provision types, ages and levels of study.Abi has held senior roles at colleges throughout the UK, including in London, Manchester, Yorkshire, the West Midlands and the Black Country. Her most recent assignment was executive director for learning services at Hull College, where she played a key role in the college achieving ‘Outstanding’ for personal development. Her consultancy work has been instrumental in transforming educational organisations, often supporting colleges to improve from ‘Requires Improvement’ to ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’.Abi also has extensive national and international experience as the UK principal standards verifier and quality management reviewer for Pearson between 2010 and 2023. During this time, she quality-assured hundreds of centres in 20 countries and managed quality standards for art and design assessment across the UK.Alongside her educational leadership work, Abi is a printmaker and textile designer. Originally from the Midlands, she has a personal connection to Wolverhampton through her great-grandfather, Albert Fletcher, who was chief trainer for Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux until his retirement in 1920.Abi, who has two adult children, now lives in Shropshire and is proud to bring her skills and expertise to support the college and its students.

Trevor Dutton
Associate Governor

Trevor served as a governor of City of Wolverhampton College from 2019 to 2024. He is now a member of the audit committee.He has worked in NHS finance for more than 25 years and is currently principal finance manager at the Black Country Integrated Care Board.Trevor has worked in management accounts throughout his career and has extensive experience in long-term financial modelling, forecasting and monitoring acute and community contracts. He also has experience building financial reporting models.He is AAT and CIMA qualified.In his spare time, Trevor enjoys home cinema, music, video games, football and visiting restaurants around the UK.

Simon Evans
Governor

Simon has worked in the health and care sector for a number of years and has held a range of senior leadership positions. His roles have covered strategic and operational planning, performance management, business development, transformation and programme management.He holds a master's qualification in business (MBA) from Aston Business School, along with an honours degree in business studies. He has worked in the acute, community and commissioning sectors of the NHS. He has also worked in corporate planning and scrutiny for a local authority and has led on a number of projects involving partnership working with primary, secondary and local government sectors.Simon spent nearly eight years working in various locations across the UK as a senior manager for Marks & Spencer and Ikea. During this time, he helped develop the 10-year growth strategy for Ikea UK and was a store manager for M&S.He has a passion for organisational and personal development and has a postgraduate diploma in human resource development. He has lectured on organisational behaviour and organisational change for Staffordshire University and is a regular guest lecturer for the University of Wolverhampton.Simon joined the board of governors in July 2023.

Wendy Harris
Staff Governor

Wendy was appointed as a staff governor in May 2023. She currently works at the college as a quality manager. Prior to this, she taught travel and tourism for over 16 years.In her current role, she remains inspired to continually expand her own understanding and skills. Engaging with diverse academic resources and collaborating with colleagues enables her to stay informed of the latest advancements in education. Her aim is to foster a culture of curiosity and continuous improvement in the college.Wendy started her working life as an apprentice at Going Places travel agents.She has two young children and, as her career history suggests, loves to travel.

Jemma Hodgson
Governor

Jemma was appointed a governor at City of Wolverhampton College in December 2025.She has a background in public sector estates, and asset and facilities management. Jemma has extensive strategic and operational experience, particularly in developing teams and leading them through change. She sits on the executive board for the National Police Estates Group, has a degree in law and criminal justice, and is completing a part-time master's in management and leadership at Coventry University.New to further education, Jemma is excited to contribute to the college’s mission of "Defining Futures". She aims to support strategic decision-making and work with the board to help ensure the college continues to deliver excellent, inclusive and sustainable outcomes for learners and the wider community.Jemma is the parent of two young children and loves to travel, though she says she does not do enough of it.

Susan Lawrence
Governor

Ronnie is the founder and director of R and R Properties, a sales and lettings agency in Wolverhampton. He has extensive experience in property, with more than 30 years working in the field.As a local businessman, Ronnie brings the perspective of a city-based employer to the board, as well as his expert knowledge of the property sector and customer service. Ronnie joined the board in December [year].

Phil Loach
Governor

Philip Loach OBE joined the Board of Governors in December 2025. He brings more than 30 years of senior public-sector experience, including a decade as chief fire officer and chief executive of West Midlands Fire Service.Born and raised in the Black Country, Mr Loach has strong personal and professional ties to Wolverhampton and the wider region. Throughout his career, he has worked closely with local authorities, businesses and community partners to strengthen public services and deliver positive outcomes.He has extensive experience in corporate governance, risk management, financial oversight and organisational change. As vice-chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council, he contributed to national reform and professional standards across the sector. He now works as a leadership coach and consultant, supporting boards and senior leaders to improve strategy, accountability and organisational culture.He was awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal (QFSM) and an OBE for services to public safety and leadership. He also holds an honorary doctorate in risk management.Mr Loach is passionate about education as a driver of opportunity and social mobility. He said he is proud to support City of Wolverhampton College in delivering high-quality education and strong community impact.Outside of work, he enjoys golf, walking and tai chi, and values time spent travelling with his family.

Ronnie Robinson
Governor

Ronnie is the founder and director of R and R Properties, a sales and lettings agency in Wolverhampton. He has extensive experience in property, with more than 30 years working in the field.As a local businessman, Ronnie brings the perspective of a city-based employer to the board, as well as his expert knowledge of the property sector and customer service. Ronnie joined the board in December 2025.

Sonia Sahnan
Governor

Sonia has 30 years' experience working within the financial services sector for life offices and UK banks. She has significant experience in delivering large-scale change and transformation programmes in heavily regulated business environments. She has led and supported large teams of change experts to deliver complex regulatory and business change agendas, focusing particularly on change and operational design. This work has resulted in redefining roles, responsibilities, accountabilities, working practices, IT platforms and processes.With this background, alongside experience in risk management, audit, oversight and governance, Sonia hopes to add value to the board by sharing the experience she has gained in the private sector. She is looking forward to supporting the college to help meet our strategic and business objectives to better support our learner community.As a Wolverhampton resident who relocated back to the area a few years ago, she is keen to give back to her local community via the college. She aims to provide the support and experience needed to help us become a learning centre of choice, developing local learners from all backgrounds and walks of life.Sonia lives locally with her partner, close to her family. She continues to enjoy exploring the various aspects of the Midlands, taking advantage of the diverse opportunities it offers across theatres, cuisine, the arts and outdoor spaces.

Darren Shaw
Governor

Darren has spent his career so far working in education, assessment and skills. He has worked across primary, secondary, post-compulsory and vocational education for more than 20 years. He began as a secondary science teacher and teacher trainer before moving into government, where he helped awarding organisations develop academic and vocational qualifications. He was also responsible for developing national science qualifications for primary-age pupils.More recently, while working at the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE), he led on assessment matters, including degree apprenticeships and external quality assurance for apprenticeship end-point assessment. He is currently head of the Construction and Transport sectors at Skills England, and is responsible for supporting government oversight of skills and qualifications in these areas.Darren went to school next door to the college’s former Compton campus, where he spent many hours playing badminton in the sports hall and learned to swim.He was appointed as a governor in July 2023.

Doina Surchicin
Student Governor

I am currently studying computing and IT, having recently completed Level 1 and now transitioning to Level 3. My academic journey is driven by a deep passion for technology, which complements my broader interests in art and music. I enjoy playing the guitar and expressing creativity through both traditional and digital art forms. Origami also holds a special place in my heart as a relaxing and mentally stimulating hobby.Throughout my time at City of Wolverhampton College, I have actively participated in various extracurricular activities, including the BRIT Challenge and winning the Christmas card competition. My role as a peer researcher for the Wolverhampton City of Youth Culture project has provided me with invaluable experience in leadership, collaboration and community engagement.As the newly elected student union president and student governor, my goal is to foster a supportive and inclusive environment for all students. I am committed to expanding the student union’s public-facing activities throughout the academic year, organising engaging events that promote a sense of belonging within our college community. Additionally, I aim to enhance communication between students and college staff, advocating for student needs to ensure everyone feels safe, valued and heard.

Documents

View our latest governance documents including minutes, policies and financial statements in our documents hub.
Find out more

Documents

View our latest governance documents including minutes, policies and financial statements in our documents hub.
Find out more

Become a Governor

Are you interested in helping to shape education and skills in Wolverhampton by becoming a college Governor?

The College would like to hear from individuals interested in taking on the exciting and challenging role of Governor. The main business of the Board of Governors is to determine the educational character of the college and ensure its over-all well being and financial solvency.

City of Wolverhampton College is keen to hear from local people interested in becoming a member of its Board of Governors.

The role of College Governor is a voluntary position and involves a commitment of approximately five Board meetings per year plus attendance at agreed committees or task and finish groups.

No formal qualifications are required, just an enthusiasm to work collectively with other Board members to ensure that the College continues to meet the needs of the community it serves. Induction and training will be provided to all new members.

Contact Alison Buick, Head of Governance on:
E-mail: buicka@wolvcoll.ac.uk
About the college