Meet the Trustees
Kevin Dodd
Kevin Dodd is Chief Executive of one of the Country’s largest Registered Social Landlords – Wakefield and District Housing (WDH) was awarded three stars and excellent prospects in only two years of operation. In addition WDH has secured the UK and Regional Business Excellence Award, Charter Mark and Investors in People (full and work life balance).
A Town Planner by qualification and a housing professional by desire, Kevin has led substantial and complex housing organisations.
Wakefield and District Housing’s turnover is over £90m, with an investment programme of over £1 billion. WDH are keen to ensure its investment is maximised through Local Area Partnerships.
Kevin is passionate about the impact that excellent housing services can make to communities. He is committed to ensuring that the Wakefield community benefits from the significant improvements promised as part of the tenant driven transfer process. He is also determined to ensure that future generations will benefit from a landlord that is capable of meeting ever rising expectations to meet WDHs vision of creating confident communities.
Chief Supt Marc Callaghan: West Yorkshire Police
Chief Superintendent Marc Callaghan has been a police officer for 28 years. He lives in the Wakefield District and has previously worked at Halifax, Dewsbury, Wakefield, Leeds City Centre, Chapeltown and Killingbeck Divisions.
He is immensely proud of being the Divisional Commander at Wakefield Division and has a real belief that only by working together can Wakefield District really move forward in ensuring that the district is a place where everyone is proud to live and that it is recognised as being a safe place to visit.
He is an experienced Public Order Commander and regularly takes charge of the policing operations at Elland Road.
Dr Anita Roy: Consultant in Public Health and Head of Primary Prevention
Anita was born in Edinburgh and qualified as a doctor at Aberdeen University Medical School in 1979. Following hospital jobs, she trained as a GP and worked for several years as a GP partner in Broxburn, West Lothian. Anita decided to retrain in Public Health Medicine when her family moved to Yorkshire, so she could focus on preventing ill health. She is passionate about promoting health and reducing health inequalities.
Anita worked in both North and West Yorkshire, before becoming Director of Public Health for Wakefield West Primary Care Trust in 2002. With the formation of NHS Wakefield District she became Consultant in Public Health and Head of Primary Prevention.
Anita has led the PCT work on the smokefree agenda and promoting healthy weights since 2007. Over the last 2 years the PCT had the highest 4 week quitter rate in West Yorkshire. The PCT led Get Active social marketing campaign contributed with partners’ work to increasing the sport and physical activity participation rate in Wakefield. We have set up Child weight management programmes ‘Connect3’ and have worked with rugby league clubs to promote healthy living to Wakefield pupils. We are now developing district wide plans to promote a healthy weight for all.
Anita played netball and hockey at school, and canoed at University. Now Anita’s main physical activities are walking and traditional dance. Anita lives in Ripon and has four children.
Lisa Dodd: Service Director Sport and Culture, Wakefield Council
Lisa is a true Yorkshire girl born and bred. Born in 1970, she spent most of her childhood playing and watching sport. Her main sporting achievements were representing Yorkshire in the 100 metre hurdles and district level in netball and hockey. Nowadays she tends to enjoy personal fitness but also enjoys her water sports, regularly waterskiing and jet skiing with friends and family.
On leaving school, she attended Manchester Metropolitan University (Crewe and Alsager College) where she studied Sports Science. She spent most of her working life in Coventry, having managed private sector leisure facilities and then progressing from the private sector to the public sector, working in sports development for Coventry City Council. Her main achievements whilst Head of Sport in Coventry, were bringing events to Coventry such as the International Children’s Games and the UK Schools Games and fundamentally creating partnerships with different agencies such as the PCT.
Lisa returned to her home town of Wakefield to take on the role of Wakefield Council’s first ever Director of Sport. Lisa is now responsible for the broader portfolio of Sport and Culture. Lisa is passionate about the role that sport and physical activity can play in addressing cross-cutting issues such as Health, Regeneration and Social Cohesion. She is particularly passionate about the childhood obesity agenda and about trying to ensure people have the opportunity to participate in physical activity and ensuring their lifestyle becomes a better one through the improvement of their health and well-being. Lisa, has a huge challenge in front of her in Wakefield but one which she very much relishes. Recent successes include the improved participation results in Wakefield for participation in sport and physical activity, which was the highest increase in the region the onset of the new City Pool and fitness centre currently being developed for Wakefield, and management of a good performing service which have won regional and national accolade.
Sue Griffiths: Principal, Wakefield College
Sue’s ambition from a very early age was to be a teacher and, after leaving Castleford Grammar School, she went on to study German and English in Sheffield, where she achieved a BEd (Hons) from the University of Sheffield.
Sue’s career began teaching English in secondary schools in Sheffield and later she moved into further education.
Sue has worked at Wakefield College since the mid-80s. During that time, she has held a diverse range of challenging and fulfilling leadership roles, including that of the College’s first Equal Opportunities Officer, Staff Development Manager, Clerk to the Corporation and Vice Principal. Sue was appointed Principal of the College in 2008.
Sue is passionate about further education and about the role it can, and must, play in maximising the life chances of individuals and the success of communities through the power of education.
James Elston: Chief Executive of Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
James was appointed Chief Executive of Wakefield Trinity Wildcats in 2010. Prior to this, James qualified with an honours degree from Trinity and All Saints University in Sport, Health and Leisure Management. James started his working life at Team Talk; he worked as a Sports correspondent for a while and was then approached by Wakefield Trinity Wildcats in 2003 to work within the Community Team. He quickly established himself as a motivated and ambitious employee and was promoted to the board of Directors at Wakefield Trinity Wildcats in 2008. James left the club in 2009 and was appointed Operations Manager at Hull Kingston Rovers but was quickly enticed back to the Wildcats to take up the post of Chief Executive.
In addition to his work, James was a former professional rugby league player at Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Dewsbury Rams, York City Knights and Rochdale Hornets, James gained a reputation as an exciting, elusive player with skills that were rewarded with his inclusion in the National League Dream Team.
Eric Timmins
Eric is a Qualified Accountant and Spent 13 successful Years with Asda Plc becoming Senior Business Analyst. Eric also had a 3 Year employment contract with William Hill Plc as Group Commercial Accountant then spending the next 17 Years with Northern Foods Plc as Finance Director of NFT Distribution and Batchelors Foods based in Dublin.
Eric is now with Wakefield based energy management consultancy Energy Management Services as Systems Director.
A Lifelong Wakefield Trinity supporter, Eric is currently Vice Chairman of Wakefield Trinity Wildcats having joined the board in 2000.
David Oxley CBE
David is the Former Rugby Football League chief executive and was awarded the CBE in the New Years Honours list of 2001 to add to the OBE he received in 1989.
He was recognised in 1989 for his services to rugby league, after helping to increase the popularity of the sport.
David is a former deputy headmaster and has now been rewarded for his services to sport in general. David has been involved in the voluntary sector since he retired from the RFL in 1992. As chairman of the lottery panel, he has helped distribute around £1.6bn to community projects nationwide.
He is also a member of Sport England and chaired the Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR) for five years until July. He has retained his links with rugby league through the student body and is actively involved in disabled sport and the grant-making sports-aid foundation.
David is the chairman of the Wakefield Wildcats Community Trust and the Leeds Rugby Foundation.
Richard Hemsley
Educated at Bedford school and Pembroke College in Oxford, Richard Qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1972, and subsequently became a Partner in the Leeds office of Kidsons Impey, Chartered Accountants.
Richard left the practice in 1999 to become Clerk and Receiver to the Governors of Wakefield Grammar School Foundation. Richard Retired from this full time position in 2007. Richard is currently a part time financial consultant, Board Member of Leeds and Yorkshire Housing Association, Clerk to the Governors of Woodhouse Grove School(non executive) , Trustee of Heart research (UK) and Wakefield Wildcats Community Trust.
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