Governance

Meet Our Governors

External Members

Angela Moran (Chair)

Angela was born in Hull and graduated from Edinburgh University before working for RHM Agriculture as a nutritionist for four years. In 1984 she joined Page Feeds in Tadcaster, near York and has never changed company since but been demerged, merged and sold several times before finally becoming part of AB Agri in 2001. Angela has done a variety of roles including marketing, purchasing, supply chain management, transport, commercial account management, nutrition, quality assurance, food safety and business development. She was recently Director of Feed Safety and moved to a new role as Responsibility Director in July 2021.

Externally, Angela is involved with the Agricultural Industry Confederation and the European Feed Manufacturer’s Federation, the FEFAC Feed Safety Committee.

Angela lives with her husband and son on a small grassland farm in North Yorkshire. She enjoys riding her horse, seeing her extended family, doing as much amateur theatre as time allows and being part of that rural community.

Christopher Henson (Vice-Chair)

Christopher was born into a farming family in Somerset. He joined the Army in 1988, attending the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Officer Training and subsequently undertook specialist technical training in ammunition design and explosives safety at the Royal Military College of Science. He was awarded the Queens Gallantry Medal in 1994 for his work as a Bomb Disposal Officer. Over a 35 year military career, he filled a number of leadership roles spanning Supply Chain Management, Capability Acquisition and Training delivery. A graduate of the Army Staff College, he instructed at the UK Defence Academy, founded and commanded the newly centralised MoD bomb disposal and hazardous search training organisation and was Chief Executive of the UK Defence School of Transport in Leconfield for 4 years before retiring from the Army in 2023.

Christopher was selected by the Privy Council to represent the East Riding of Yorkshire as High Sheriff between April 2024 and April 2025, a voluntary role. He also continues to work in an advisory capacity in the area of leadership culture and organisational transformation, working with medium-scale and multinational corporations as well as working with the MoD in a Reservist role.

Christopher lives with his wife and family in East Yorkshire, and enjoys rural life, practical hobbies including tractor renovation and travel.

Adam Milner

Adam was born and raised in East Yorkshire, where he spent the first 10 years of his career working in the property sector. Following a change of direction in 2012, Adam pursued his lifelong interest in farming and the countryside by becoming a student at Bishop Burton College, where he studied for a degree in Agricultural Resource Management. Graduating in 2015, he then went on to Harper Adams to undertake an MSc in Rural Estate and Land Management. Adam now combines the knowledge he has gained over two very different careers in his role with the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, where he manages the council farm estate.

Not coming from an agricultural background, Adam is particularly interested in encouraging new entrants into the farming sector. He is also a big proponent of sustainable agriculture and of better public engagement.

Adam lives in Kirkella with his daughter, two dogs and an array of chickens. He is actively involved in field sports during the winter months and enjoys spending any remaining free time gardening and walking. He will happily tell you that his years as a Bishop Burton student were some of his best!

David Richardson

David was born in East Yorkshire into a farming family, he studied law at the University of Hull and qualified in 2011. After University, David worked for three commercial Law firms in Leeds before returning home to East Yorkshire to take up a position with Wilkin Chapman LLP Solicitors in Beverley where he specialises in Commercial and Agricultural disputes and litigation.

David has a real passion and interest for farming and the "rural life". So much so that he chose specialised as a solicitor in that area. David's family has close links to Bishop Burton College, with three generations of his family having attended the College.

David lives in Welton, Brough with his wife and two young children. When David is not stuck in a soft play centre somewhere, David enjoys getting outdoors as much as possible and enjoying the Yorkshire countryside.

Emma Middleton

Emma grew up in Lincolnshire on the family farm and went to school locally before going on to study Agriculture at Newcastle University and then to Cambridge where she qualified as an accountant with Deloitte in their Agricultural team.

Following her qualification, Emma moved back to Lincolnshire and spent five years working at Duncan & Toplis before taking some time out with her young family. Emma then set up her own business and now provides book-keeping and farm management services to her clients both directly and as a consultant through Masons in Louth.

Away from work Emma holds a number of voluntary positions including a school governor at a local primary school, a parish councillor and secretary to the local swim club.

Emma lives with her husband and three daughters on their family livestock farm in Lincolnshire.

Graham Towse

Graham has substantial experience in Further and Higher Education spanning almost 30 years. He started studying at Hull College as an apprentice Engineer in 1985 and enjoyed 11 years in industry. In 1996 he took up the post of Lecturer in Computer Aided Design and Manufacture at Hull College prior to being promoted to the position of Head of School of Engineering and subsequently Director of Learning for Young People. Graham moved to Bishop Burton College in 2006 as Deputy Principal and then to The Grimsby Institute Group in 2010 as Vice Principal Curriculum and Quality and was subsequently promoted to Deputy Principal. In 2013 he took up the post of Principal of Hull College, part of the Hull College Group.

In 2017 Graham set up his own Management Consultancy specialising in quality improvement and development of management talent. He has worked with a number of Colleges across the Country, as well as the Association of Colleges as a Peer Advisor. In 2018 he took up the role of Interim Vice Principal (Curriculum and Quality) and subsequently Interim Principal and Chief Executive at Blackburn College. Since 2019 he has worked as a Coach and Mentor to a significant number of leaders and managers in Further and Higher Education.

Graham is married to Sharon and has two daughters, two grandsons and a granddaughter.

Ian Watson

Ian was born in Kings Lynn, Norfolk, following local education he left school at 16 and attended Norcat in Kings Lynn on the YTS programme and then attended Easton College on a part time basis, where he gained an NCA whilst working for Booker Farming near Kings Lynn. His educational history makes Ian a firm believer in workplace education.

Ian moved to Louth in 1994 to work on another Booker Farming, Louth Park Farms. Ian has held various roles at Louth Park and in 2008 he became overall manager of both the arable and pea operations. Since 2008 he has remained at Louth, but the business has seen various corporate owners, in 2018 the business transferred to private family ownership.

Ian has been Chair of Governors at a primary academy in Louth for over 15 years, a role he has recently stood down from. He has attended both The John Edgar Trust course and The Worshipful Company of Farmers 62^nd Advanced Agricultural Business Management course, and he is also the current President of Louth Young Farmers.

Jim Harris

Jim went to school in Brigg and from there to university in Nottingham on a British Steel sponsorship to study Applied Chemistry.

In a life-changing moment on graduation he decided that working in a people environment rather than in heavy industry was the way forward. There followed a successful career in retail and facilities management.

This included five years in the early noughties running his own security and cleaning business and then coming to Hull in 2009 to take over the newly-completed St Stephens shopping centre. A visionary employer allowed Jim to complete his master’s degree in Facilities Management and also to become involved with the local community. He is now the director of Hull Business Improvement District and the Hull and Humber Chamber of Trade as well as being a Trustee at Dove House Hospice.

Prior to joining the board at Bishop Burton, Jim was a governor at East Riding College.

Jim lives just outside Beverley with a big enough garage to indulge his passion for classic cars and access to lots of great golf courses.

Martyn Thomas

Martyn was born and brought up in Sheffield. He studied Economic and Social History at the London School of Economics and Political Science and enjoyed eleven years in London, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with Touche Ross and Co.

On moving to Beverley, Martyn worked for Kingston Communications in various roles for eleven years before moving to TSYS International based in York, where he is currently Director, Finance & Accounting.

Martyn has two children, both working in the UK, and two step-children, one at Imperial College, London and one at sixth form college. He moved to Brighton in 2020 and is based in the TSYS London office. He is trying to keep fit, is a dedicated supporter of Sheffield United, and sometime trumpet player.

Oliver (Olly) Nicholl

Oliver was born and raised in Yorkshire and holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Liverpool John Moores University. He has over two decades of experience in the technology and software industry, specialising in scaling businesses and developing innovative practical solutions.

Oliver is Chief Executive Officer of the VIP Group, a long-established telecommunications and technology company based in Hull. The Group provides connectivity, IT, and security services across the UK, supporting sectors such as construction, energy, and manufacturing. Working closely with well-known local companies including Sewell Group and Hobson & Porter, VIP plays an active role in strengthening digital capability across the region.

Oliver lives in Elloughton with his family and enjoys watching rugby, having been an avid player in his younger years. He is passionate about using technology to support education, skills development, and local industry, while remaining deeply committed to the Yorkshire community.

Robert Knight

Robert first set foot in Bishop Burton as a young day release student in the late 1980’s and enjoyed working on the College farm for a winter gaining valuable practical livestock experience before attending the College full time on its National Diploma in agriculture course.

There started an affinity with the college and lifelong friendships formed and indeed finding his wife Kate, also an ex Bishop Burton pupil, with deep rooted links to the College.

His education continued, graduating from Wye College, London university before entering into Farm Management roles in the commercial world. Ten years in East Anglia on large arable businesses including crop trials work he completed his BASIS and FACTS qualifications.

Relocating to Mid Lincolnshire in 2008 to run a large multi-site farming and estate business was next. The last seven years has seen a move to the farm business consultancy sector. Now a Director in the Savills Food and Farming team based in Lincoln, Robert advises and manages for private Farming and Estate owning clients. His work includes strategic input for large crop production agri-business and mentoring and supporting early career farm managers and owners. He has been on the board of Lincolnshire Machinery Ring for five years and is passionate about the opportunity that sharing and collaboration can have in improving returns by controlling costs. His view is change is not compulsory but can be necessary.

Now very well settled in Lincolnshire. Kate is the County development manager for Lincs Young Farmers Clubs and together they live on their smallholding with their sheep, horses and dogs.

Susan Hamer

Susan’s varied career is in the fields of higher education, health services management and leadership. Susan has a clinical background in nursing and moved into education at the University of Hull. Following a period working in The National Health Service, Susan retuned to higher education at the University of Leeds where she worked for over 25 years, during that time Susan held a number of senior roles which have given her deep experience of designing and leading large transformational programmes in the public sector. Susan has also worked in the field of knowledge transfer and enterprise, directly supporting academic colleagues to enhance the impact of their activities. Susan is interested in accelerating the use of digital technologies to enhance access and empower individuals and communities. Susan has led a number of initiatives to support agile high-quality workplace learning in diverse locations.

Susan’s first degree is in nursing, she has a master’s in Women’s Studies and a doctorate in Post Compulsory Education. Susan is a regular writer and the author of “Achieving Evidence-Based Practice” and “Leadership and Management: A Three-Dimensional Approach”. She was awarded the University of Leeds Women of Achievement Award in March 2016 and the IACRN Distinguished Clinical Research Nurse Award 2018. Susan has been a Fellow of the Queen’s Nursing Institute since 2004.

Susan is married to Ian and lives in Beverley. They have two children Callum and Holly. Susan has a keen interest in keeping fit is a volunteer at a garden project in Goole.

Ex-Officio Member

Danny Metters

Danny has worked in the Further and Higher Education sector for twenty years, with the last ten years in senior and executive leadership, and now appointed as the Principal and CEO at Bishop Burton College and Riseholme College.

Danny originally started his studies within animal science and conservation, volunteering in such fields around the world, this supported the transition into teaching specialist subjects in animal management, and veterinary science. Danny’s career continued to progress in education, Teaching & Learning, then Management and Leadership. He has now landed his dream job, at his dream college!

Danny lives on a smallholding in North Yorkshire, with over 50 rescued animals.

Staff Governor

Laura (Loz) Woodhouse

Loz grew up in the East Riding of Yorkshire, attending College and University in Beverley and Hull, leaving with qualifications in Counselling, Criminology and Psychology.

Loz has worked in educational settings across Yorkshire for the last 15 years, engaging with staff, students and parents to facilitate discussions that champion resilience while empowering individuals who are navigating testing times. Her primary career has been in education and in addition to this, she joined Humberside Police during the Covid-19 pandemic, attesting as a special constable in December 2020.

Loz is currently a Wellbeing Manager and Staff Governor for Bishop Burton College. In her spare time, she provides 1:1 coaching and mentorship to individuals seeking to increase confidence, clarity and self-esteem. Loz is an advocate for diversity and inclusion and enjoys being part of initiatives that create safe spaces where people can feel a sense of belonging.

Loz recently completed the inclusive leadership programme with the AOC, a programme commissioned by the Education and Training Foundation on behalf of the Department for Education.

Loz lives near Beverley with her two daughters, 2 step-daughters and her husband. In her spare time, she enjoys travelling, attending live music events and socialising with friends and family.

Kate Harding- Audit Committee

Born and educated in Hull, Kate completed a degree in English and Music and a Business Post-Graduate Diploma in Liverpool. She spent thirteen years working within management recruitment, training and development, eventually becoming Operations Director of a local training and recruitment organisation. Wanting a change of direction she then moved into the Further Education sector, completing an in-service PGCE and specialised in teaching Business and Computing before moving into curriculum and project management roles. She has been a Head of Faculty for a local further education college where her portfolio included 14-16 provision, study programmes, apprenticeships, professional qualifications and Higher Education programmes and with a curriculum offer which includes many of the subjects delivered by Bishop Burton.

Her current role is with a local multi-academy trust where, as Head of Central Trust Operations her role is to help drive the organisation forward safely and in accordance with regulations. A key part of her role is around compliance, focussing on policy, internal audit and risk management. Whilst this may seem to be an inward facing role, it provides Kate with the opportunity to see the work undertaken in the Trust Schools, a regular reminder that everything she does is shaped around creating environments which help children and young people succeed.

Externally, using the knowledge gained from twenty-three years in the further education sector, Kate is a member of the independent advisory panel for the Defence School of Transport.

Kate lives locally and enjoys being outdoors, whether that is time spent working in the garden, or visiting new places.