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Meet our Members and Trustees
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Members and Trustees

Chief Executive Officer & Trustee

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HEATHER MCLaCHLAN

Heather joined the Potteries Educational Trust in September 2021.  Prior to appointment  from 1 January 2024 as Chief Executive Officer  she  was our Deputy CEO and Director of Educational Improvement, providing a high level of strategic leadership across the Trust.  

Heather started her educational career as a teacher of history, and her career has progressed through a number of senior leadership roles.  Immediately prior to joining the Potteries Educational Trust she was a very successful headteacher at two secondary academies in different contexts and areas of the Midlands. 

Heather is very proud to be the new CEO of the Potteries Educational Trust and excited to lead our exceptional community on the next steps of the Trust journey.

Members
Trevor McMillan

Trevor McMillan

Trevor McMillan

Professor Trevor McMillan became Vice-Chancellor of Keele University in August 2015. Before moving to Keele as Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost in January 2014 he was Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research at Lancaster University, where he led several major academic developments and was the lead for many partnerships with other Universities and external organisations in the UK and abroad.

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Carol Shanahan OBE

Carol is a successful local business woman.  She is Chair of Synectics Solutions and Port Vale FC.

Carol started her Career in the IT industry at the tender age of 17 as a main-frame computer operator.  In September 2015, Carol was appointed Managing Director of Synectics where she acted as the fulcrum from which the entire business changed, adapted, innovated, and delivered organisational growth and in January 2020 Carol was promoted to the position of Chair.

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Alun Rogers

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Member & Trustee
Martin Jones

Martin Jones

Martin Jones (CHAIR oF TRUST Board)

Martin was appointed as the Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of Staffordshire University on 1 January 2022, having been promoted from his role as Deputy Vice Chancellor. He was previously the Director of the White Rose Doctoral Training Centre and Professor of Human Geography at the University of Sheffield.

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Trustees
John Smart

John Smart

John Smart

John has more than 30 years experience as a senior manager and business consultant, working across a whole range of sectors and sizes of organisation. John has two passions, one is helping people think differently, encouraging an environment that allows people to be both creative and innovative and secondly, harnessing that innovation to develop digital technology solutions to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

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Kath Smith BA, PGCE, MA, MBA

Kath Smith BA, PGCE, MA, MBA

Kath Smith

Kath joined the City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College Corporation in July 2015. She has worked in the field of further education most of her adult life. During her time as a lecturer at Stoke-on-Trent College she began to specialise in in the field of special education and in 1987 co-founded an independent specialist college for students with learning difficulties and disabilities. She became a principal of the college in 1994.

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Paul Mangnall BSc

Paul Mangnall BSc

Paul Mangnall

Paul spent the whole of his 39 year career in the Sixth Form College initially at Winstanley College, joining the City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College in 1981 as a Head of Department. Paul was promoted to a senior manager position in 1993 and was closely involved in the to move independence at Incorporation in 1993.

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Peter Gavin

Peter Gavin

Peter Gavin

Peter is retired from his employment as a lawyer and Managing Partner of Freeths LLP’s Stoke office (formerly KJD Solicitors).

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Charles Freeman PhD, MA(Ed), BSc

Charles Freeman PhD, MA(Ed), BSc

Charles Freeman

Charles has served the City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College as Governor since 2002 and has been Chair of the Corporation since September 2010, he is also Vice-Chair of a number of the Corporation Committees. From May 2000 to August 2008 he served as Headteacher of Wolstanton High School, Newcastle-under-Lyme which is an 11-16 mixed comprehensive school with 1100 pupils coming under Staffordshire Local Authority.

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Michelle Johnstone

Michelle Johnstone

Michelle Johnstone

Following 12 years in headship, Michelle was appointed to the role of Lead for School Improvement for the Orchard Community Trust.  Prior to her current role Michelle was an executive Headteacher working across two large primary schools and a nursery school in Stoke-on-Trent. She is a qualified teacher and has extensive senior management experience in schools as a Headteacher and as a local authority adviser, supporting and challenging schools within the primary sector and leading the early years quality improvement team.

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Robert Johnstone

Robert is  the Senior Executive Leader of the Orchard Community Trust.  He is an experienced education professional with many years of experience in this field. He is a qualified teacher and during his career has been a teacher, deputy Headteacher and a Headteacher of two schools. He has worked for different local authorities as an Advisor, Strategic Manager and Acting Assistant Director for Learning Services.

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Clare Mayer

Clare is a risk professional with 19 years’ experience, 6 years’ experience in Higher Education as the Business Risk Manager for Staffordshire University and 13 years’ experience across the Co-operative Bank.  Her role includes working with regulatory bodies from the Financial Conduct Authority to the Office for Students and through changes in regulatory bodies frameworks and requirements.

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John Hunter

John is a retired IT professional educated to Masters degree level in Mathematics. He has extensive experience of IT systems and IT and physical security. He has managed many large IT projects and has a strong knowledge of project finance and accounting. He has several years’ experience of school governorship and currently serves as Chair of Governors at Biddulph High School.

 

 

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Rosie Jones

Rosie is the Finance Director of Synetics Solutions Ltd, Stoke-on-Trent.  She leads the finance department and works with the Board of Directors and Senior Leadership Teams to ensure all leaders of the business have access to and understand the financial information that enables them to make better business decisions.  Rosie works closely with the CEO at Synetics Solutions Ltd on strategic planning.  

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Kristyan Spelman Miller

Kristyan is the Pro Vice Chancellor for Education at Keele University, providing senior leadership for education and student experience, portfolio development, and curriculum development, quality assurance and enhancement.  In her role, Kristyan is a member of the University Executive chairing a range of university committees and project groups.

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