Meet The Governors | Rotherham College of Arts & Technology

Meet the Governors

Ken Barrass Chair of the Corporation	Ken qualified as a Certified Accountant in 1971. He then joined the Steetley Group whose head office was in Worksop. He worked his way up the organisation including being Chief Internal Auditor and finally became Financial Controller of the Aggregates Division in 1984 where he oversaw substantial acquisition activity, particularly in the French Operations. After a year with a wholesale frozen food company in Sheffield he was appointed Finance Director of Glass Bulbs Limited in 1990 based at Harworth. In late 1997 he joined a former Dema Limited director to create REACT as a separate company from the joint venture between Rotherham College, RMBC and Rotherham Chamber. This involved working with the Rotherham College finance department to extract items relating to REACT and setting up a new accounting system, becoming the first Company Secretary. Before being appointed as Finance Manager at Corus Engineering Steels (CES) he stood in as acting Director of Finance at Rotherham College whilst the vacancy in that post was filled. At CES he was initially responsible for a separated Engineering Department but then joined the Business Development Department and was involved in the £90m restructuring of the Rotherham & Stocksbridge works which he then oversaw as Project Accountant. He then led the Sarbannes-Oxley compliance team that saw Internal Controls documented, tested and improved before retiring in 2010. Ken was co-opted to the Audit committee in 1999 before being appointed to the Board in 2000. Moving to the FS&GP committee he became Chair and oversaw the merger with Rother Valley College, development of CLC’s and the unsuccessful bid for a new college which was followed by the successful completion of the Wentworth Building. He was appointed Chair of the Corporation in October 2011 having served as Vice-Chair for four years.
Andy Altoft Vice Chair of the Corporation	Andy is a born and bred Rotherham man where, except for his 3 years at university, he has lived all his life. He spent 14 years working in the Finance Department at Rotherham MBC where he trained and qualified as a public sector accountant. After 3 years in the Finance Department at Sheffield Polytechnic he spent 20 years working at Director/Deputy Director of Finance level for the Health Services in Barnsley providing strategic and operational financial services and advice to Board Members and Senior Managers. Since retiring 3 years ago he has concentrated on trying to improve his golf handicap and indulge his loves of travel, walking, food, reading and music. Andy joined the Board in December 2004; he was appointed Vice-Chair of the Corporation in October 2011 and is Chair of the Finance, Strategic Planning and General Purposes Committee.
Gill Alton Principal & Chief Executive	Gill began her working life in the Hospitality industry having completed her degree at Sheffield Hallam University. Gill enjoyed delivering training so much that she moved into education 27 years ago. She has worked at 4 colleges in different management roles and joined Rotherham College in September 2010 as the Principal and Chief Executive
Dr Ruth Adams Governor	.
Christine Bain Governor	Chris is the Chief Executive and Member of the Board of Directors of Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust which provides services for people with Mental Health, Learning Disability and Community Services. She has over 30 years experience of working in the public sector both as a Commissioner and a Provider. She has a Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA) and is a member of the Institute of Health Services Management. Chris has also spent part of her career working in the retail sector with Marks & Spencer PLC and in 2008 took a year’s secondment from her NHS role to work with Professor Alimo-Metcalfe at Leeds University to develop a spin out company supporting Leadership Development. She has a strong personal interest in leadership and the development of people and is Chair of the Yorkshire & Humber Regional Leadership Council (NHS) and also lead Chief Executive for the NHS General Management Training Scheme in Yorkshire. Chris joined the Board in September 2012 and is a member of the Quality and Standards and Search Committee. She is also the nominated Governor for Safeguarding.
Martin Davies Governor	Martin is the former Deputy Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police, a Fellow of the Institute of Directors, graduate of Bristol University Law School and also has an arts degree in Social and Policy History.and was awarded an OBE in 1997. He has wide experience in the discipline of leadership and between 1985 and 1986 was a Director of Command Training at the National Police Staff College. In 1992 he began forming professional, cultural and educational links with organisations in Pakistan and Northern India which involved visits by local Police Officers, Teachers from Rotherham and Students from South Yorkshire. A staunch supporter of human dignity he still has links with homeless children’s charities in the sub-continent. He has held a number of Non-Executive Directorships and between 1996 and 2012 helped develop, and was, an assessor in The Chartered Director Programme of the Institute of Directors. A former National Chair of the Homeless Charity Emmaus UK, he is also the Chairman of the Homeless Community, Emmaus Sheffield. Martin has an extensive knowledge of executive management and charity legislation. Martin joined the Board in October 2001 and is Chair of the Quality and Standards Committee.
Brian Kerslake Governor	.
Chris MacCormac Governor	.
John O'Connor Support Staff Governor	John is the Premises Co-ordinator working in the Estates Unit and has worked at the College for 38 years in a variety of roles he is also an Associate member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment. John joined the Board as ‘Support Staff’ Governor in October 2011. He is a member of the Search and Audit Committee.
Jackie Saunders Governor	.
David Smith Governor	.
David Thomas Governor	.
John Vjestica Governor	.
Thomas Walker Student Govenor	Thomas started studying at St Bernard’s Catholic High School before he came to Rotherham College to study the BTEC Level 2 and 3 in Computers in 2009. He is currently studying the first year Higher National Diploma in the faculty of Business and Computer Education. Whilst on the Level 3 course he has held the post of class representative within the College Student Voice Committee. Outside of college he has a huge involvement in the Sea Cadet Corps, which is the UK’s largest Maritime youth organisation. At TS Repulse Rotherham he is a Staff Member who teaches the Dolphin (Junior) Division. He is also the Divisional Officer for the Resolution Division. Thomas has also been a member of the Cadets from aged 14 and has done a variety of courses, some of which were taken on HMS Bristol in Portsmouth. He currently holds the rank of Acting Petty Officer and hopes to gain promotion through the ranks. He is also employed part-time at Asda in Rotherham. Thomas’s aspirations for the future, after leaving College in 2014, would be to gain employment in I.T for a well established company or serve in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Thomas joined the Board in January 2011 as a Student Governor and is a member of the Quality and Standards Committee.
John Young Teaching Staff Governor	John qualified initially as a Graphic Designer in 1979 and for over 16 years worked for a number of high profile national design companies. He lives locally with his family in the north east of Sheffield and fully understands the expectations of the education sector within our area having also served for 12 years as a Governor and Vice Chair on the board of a local school. John’s career with Rotherham College started as a part time lecturer in 1992 before taking up a full-time position in 1994. John holds a BA Honours Degree as well as an MSc in Management & Leadership in Education. He is currently Curriculum Leader for Graphic Design within the Faculty of Visual and Performing Arts. During his time at the college he has worked with four very different Principals and experienced the many changes which have affected working practices within Further Education. John’s aim during his time as governor is to make the board aware of the issues that staff face across college and how these affect teaching and learning. Bringing together the board’s relationship with the wider academic staff in order to foster a greater understanding within the board of the excellent and demanding job all staff do.
Andrew Bott Student Governor	.