Stephen Owen

Stephen Owen is Professor of Local Planning in the Countryside & Community Research Institute at the University of Gloucestershire. He is a chartered town planner with over 35 years experience of practising, researching and teaching settlement planning and community development in rural areas. The focus of his policy-oriented research over the past ten years, mainly for Government departments and agencies, has been the role of community-based initiatives in planning for sustainable development in the countryside. Recent projects have covered the future of rural services, green infrastructure planning on the urban/rural fringe, and identifying the characteristics of sustainable rural communities. He is the author of textbooks and articles on planning for sustainable development in rural areas.

Stephen has worked as a planner in local government and has experience of the voluntary / community sector. He was Chairman of Gloucestershire Rural Community Council, Chairman of the Rural Development Commission for Gloucestershire, Chairman of the Built Environment Group of Gloucestershire’s Vision 21, Chair of the Social Enterprise committee of the Gloucestershire Development Agency and a member of the Structure Plan Review Panel.

David Ball

David Ball is an architect and town planner with over 40 years experience of development planning, building and landscape design issues.

David brings to the trust his ability to question building and design related proposals, to test their feasibility and reality and particularly to help improve design quality.

Jim Chapman

Jim Chapman is a retired solicitor and museum director with practical experience in managing conservation issues and the interrelationship between visitors and conservation.

He is a former trustee of a Disabled Association and a current trustee and fundraiser for the Buildings Conservation Trust.

Jim is currently researching the varieties of perry pear, with the aim of acquiring an improved understanding of the merits of the perry produced from each variety and the blending varieties.

Paul Griffiths

Paul Griffiths is currently a Senior Manager at Cheltenham & Gloucester plc and has worked in Facilities and Property Management for the last 24 years within the Finance, Manufacturing and Retail Sectors. He has wide experience in managing large property portfolio's and overseeing major capital projects as well as delivering a variety of support services. Paul also has a strong Health & Safety background having carried out the additional function of Health & Safety Adviser in a number of roles.

Included within his current responsibilities is oversight of corporate environmental issues and C&G's travel planning with local schemes such as staff car sharing as well supporting national initiatives like Bike to Work week and Walk to School week.

Alistair Wood

Alistair Wood, has lived - and thoroughly enjoyed living - in the Gloucestershire area for the past 9 years, since moving from Essex (though originally from the Manchester area). He spent all his working life in public sector finance in a variety of roles as a management accountant. He is married with two sons and as a family they are active in their local Baptist Church, and Alistair runs a table tennis team in the Gloucester league.

John McLaughlin

John McLaughlin is the current Gloucestershire County Council representative for the Gloucestershire Environmental Trust.

John is employed by Gloucestershire County Council to manage the Economic Regeneration Team of Gloucestershire First, the local private sector, statutory sector and voluntary sector partnership that is responsible for delivering the economic and community well-being agenda for Gloucestershire.

John is currently Chair of Bromsgrove Art Centre Trust, holds two directorships in Social Enterprises and is governor of North East Worcestershire College of Further Education. John is also a Parish Councillor and a member of his local village hall committee.

Prior to working in Gloucestershire John worked for more than twenty years in the metallurgical chemical industry for an international group called Foseco Minsep.

Diana Organ

Diana Organ was elected to Parliament for the Forest of Dean in 1992 and served two terms. She stood down in 2005.

As a Member of Parliament she was a member of the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee for 4 years, a member of the Department of Agriculture Select Committee for 2 years and a member of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee for 2 years. She was Chair of three All Party Parliamentary Groups, that for Rural Issues, Farming and Broadcasting. She was Chair of the backbench Committee for Culture, Media and Sport and Vice Chair of the Committee for Agriculture.

Diana is a former teacher. She taught children with learning difficulties or with behavioural problems for 20 years, in special and mainstream schools. She was a deputy head teacher and a head of a special needs unit.

Anna M L Jones

Anna is a Chartered Landscape Architect and has recently retired from Gloucestershire County Council. She held the post of County Landscape Architect which included having overall responsibility for environmental issues.

Anna maintains a personal interest in the environment and has been President of Gloucestershire Naturalists Society since 2003. She is Vice Chair of the Gloucestershire Gardens and Landscape Trust and Honorary Secretary of the Gloucestershire Division of the Royal Forestry Society. As a Life Member of Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and an RSPB Committee Member for the last 22 years, she has built up an extensive portfolio of knowledge and can make a valuable contribution to trustee meetings.

Her other interests include music education and performance and she is a member of the Oriel singers.

Steve Rogers

Steve Rogers is Senior Development Manager for Cory Environmental where his principal responsibilities include the identification of new growth opportunities and the delivery of complex infrastructure projects. Prior to joining Cory in 2006, Steve was Finance Director of the renewable energy division of the FTSE 100 company United Utilities plc. From its inception in 1994, the company developed, financed and operated over 50 renewable energy projects throughout the UK. In 2005, Steve played a leading role in the c£70m sale of the company to a leading infrastructure investor.

Originally trained as a chemical engineer, he has also held engineering, operations and business development roles in a number of manufacturing industries.