Andrew Manning-Jones FRICS was appointed in November 2002 and is a CQS with extensive experience and specialist skills in project management, both in the public and private sector. He has spent most of his working life in London during which time he was responsible for the project management of many of GLE’s successful development projects. In his spare time he is a voluntary consultant to the Arts Council in the South East, and a Trustee of Sussex Archaeological Society.

Anne Watts CBE was appointed in July 2000. Her extensive career in equality and diversity spans the private, voluntary and public sectors. Anne has just completed an eight year term for the Open University Council as Chair of their Membership Committee. She is presently working on the development of the Commission on Equality and Human Rights and supporting Sir Nigel Crisp at the NHS on his Independent Panel on Race. Anne has been pioneering in her work with major business equality campaigns and is currently on the board of Race for Opportunity and Opportunity Now, a director of the Experience Corps and is Chief Executive of the Eve Appeal.

Heidi Alexander is the Deputy Mayor of Lewisham and Cabinet Member for Regeneration. She was first elected as a Councillor in June 2004 and has held her current position since May 2006. She also sits on London Council’s Transport and Environment Committee and the Thames Gateway London Partnership Board.

Jeremy Crook OBE  was appointed in July 2000. He is currently Director of the Black Training and Enterprise Group and Vice Chair of the national Learning and Skills Council’s Equality and Diversity Committee. He has 20 years experience of promoting race equality and developing practical solutions in the voluntary and public sectors. Whilst on secondment to the DfES he had policy lead responsibility for equality mainstreaming in the Learning and Skills Council’s implementation process. Jeremy is a member of the DWP’s Ethnic Minority Advisory Group, Chair of the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit’s Race Equality Advisory Group (DCLG), member of the Home Office’s Voluntary and Community Sector Advisory Group, and a council member of London West Learning and Skills Council.

Laurence Soden was appointed in March 1999. He was a partner with Edward Erdman until 1990. Laurence has provided consultancy to a number of Local Authorities and Public Authorities, and in 1990 Laurence became a Property Developer and has been involved with a number of developments including Residential, Commercial, Retail Warehousing and Student Accommodation. He also is on the board of two Housing Associations.

Mary Edmund was appointed July 2001. Mary has a B.Sc (Hons) in Electrical Engineering and an M.Sc in Science Education. She was a councillor for the London Borough of Lewisham for 17 years, during which time she chaired various committees, focusing particularly on economic development. Mary is presently Head of the Science Faculty at Thomas Tallis School, Kidbrooke.

Megan Dobney was appointed in November 2000. Formerly a print worker, Megan is now the Regional Secretary of the Southern and Eastern Regional Council of the Trades Union Congress (SERTUC) representing TUC affiliated trade unions in London, the South East and the East of England.

Paul Hendrick FCA MCT CF was appointed in August 1991 and is a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years experience in financial management, treasury and corporate finance working with various major public companies such as Akzo Nobel NV, Courtaulds plc and the British National Oil Corporation. Currently he leads the corporate finance function at Acordis, a private equity financed buyout from Akzo Nobel. He is also a director of The One Housing Group, a large London housing association, Independent Special Advisor to the Healthcare Purchasing Consortium and director of the Newham NHS Primary Care Trust.

Peter Pledger was appointed in November 2000 and currently runs his own consultancy business. He was the Executive Director of London West Learning & Skills Council from 2000 to 2006 and a member of the London Skills Commission. Prior to this Peter was Deputy Director for London TEC Council, worked at the TUC, NUPE and UNISON, and was a Special Adviser to the Board of AZTEC. He served on the Board of Directors for the Park Royal Partnership Limited, West London NHS Workforce Development Federation, and Southall Regeneration Partnership Limited. In January 2007 he will become Chief Executive of South London Business.

Richard Thomas was appointed in April 2007. He has been a Liberal Democrat Councillor in the London borough of
Southwark since May 1998. Richard was the Executive Member for Environment and Transport at Southwark Council until 2006 and is now the Executive Member for Regeneration, overseeing a number of schemes including the key Elephant and Castle Regeneration Programme. He has also been a board member of Groundwork Southwark since 2000.