Governance

The Governing Body of Coleg y Cymoedd is made up of 20 Members drawn from a number of diverse areas, broadly representative of the community it serves.

The Governing Body is made up of people from business or public life and will bring with them a range of skills / expertise that is important to the development and future of Coleg y Cymoedd.

The Governing Body is responsible for:-

a) The determination of the educational character and mission of the institution and for oversight of its activities;

b) The effective and efficient use of resources, the solvency of the organisation and the Corporation and for safeguarding their assets;

c) Approving annual estimates of income and expenditure;

d) The appointment, grading, suspension, dismissal and determination of the pay and conditions of service of the holders of senior posts and the Governance Officer;

e) For setting a framework for the pay and conditions of service of all other staff;

A range of Governing Body information, including minutes of meetings is available to view by appointment in the Executive Office, Nantgarw Campus.

For more information, please contact Jennifer Owen, Governance officer , Coleg y Cymoedd, Heol y Coleg, Parc Nantgarw, Cardiff. CF15 7QY or email jennifer.owen@cymoedd.ac.uk

Meet the Governors

Dr Paul Smart – Chair

Committee Membership: Resources, Remuneration (Chair), Search (Chair)

Having graduated with a BSc and PhD in Engineering, Paul commenced his career in Operational Research in the gas and steel industries. He subsequently joined the UK manufacturing plant of an International Cosmetics company where he worked as both a Production Manager and Head of Human Resources. He then took a role in the company’s headquarters as UK Human Resources Director for Operations, Supply Chain, Finance and IT. After 37 years with the company Paul has now retired but still works part-time as the company’s Pension Liaison Manager and as a Pension Fund Trustee.

Sheila Davies – Vice-Chair

Committee membership: Resources, Search (Vice-Chair), Remuneration (Vice-Chair), Curriculum & Quality

With over 25 years as an experienced Director in the fields of local and regional government, strategic planning, economic development and strategy, Sheila recently retired as Regional Director for Cardiff Capital Region City Deal, where her remit was to organise and prepare for the implementation of the £1.2bn Deal (the largest in the UK) between UK Gov’t, Welsh Gov’t and the ten South East Wales authorities, to drive forward the economic growth of the region.

Catherine Thomas – Community Member

Committee membership: Resources (Vice-Chair)

Catherine is an HR professional. She has worked in Higher Education for seventeen years, having previously worked in the private, voluntary and public sectors.

Gareth Ashman

Committee membership: Resources

Gareth is a Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) with extensive experience in delivering major government projects, programmes and portfolios. Gareth is proud to have started his career as an apprentice for the UK Ministry of Defence in 1994, maintaining the Royal Air Forces fleet of fast jet aircraft before moving into P3M delivery. Gareth has worked within numerous roles across the UK Ministry of Defence, where he led substantial procurement contracts and transformative initiatives. He also spent five years seconded to a multinational European agency based in Bonn, Germany. Currently, he spearheads the Local and Regional Growth Team at the Wales Office, overseeing the UK Governments investments in regional development across Wales. Aside from his professional pursuits, Gareth is deeply committed to his local community. Gareth has volunteered as a bilingual STEM ambassador and chairs his local rugby club, steering it from significant financial challenges to a flourishing community sport hub. Gareth is a first language Welsh speaker.

Fran Green – Community Member

Committee membership: Audit

Fran has over 40 years’ experience in the Further Education sector. Firstly, as a full time student studying hairdressing and beauty therapy in North London and more latterly as a part time evening student, attempting to learn Spanish.

Having qualified, Fran worked in the hair and beauty sector as both a stylist, and salon manager and enjoyed working closely with people, both clients and staff, a passion which has continued through her career. During this time, she was invited to undertake a few hours’ part time teaching at her old college and eventually became a full time teacher.

In 1988, following the Tottenham riots, Fran crossed the bridge and relocated to South Wales, to take up a position as Senior Lecturer in Afan College, Port Talbot, thinking she would only stay three years in Wales at the most! During her first years, she had, for a Londoner, the difficult task of pronouncing Welsh place names and enrolled in classes, eventually achieving level 3 conversational Welsh.

During her employment many promotional opportunities have arisen both within her own field and as a manager, culminating in Fran becoming Assistant Principal for Quality. This position has taken her through two Estyn inspections and the Pandemic. Additionally, Fran has been an active Peer Inspector with Estyn, and has assisted them on several inspections for both FE and ACL enabling her to gain a wider spectrum and experience of the educational arena in Wales

Matthew Watts – Staff Member

Committee membership: Resources.

Matthew is the Enterprise, Skills & Employability Coordinator at Coleg y Cymoedd. Matthew provides enterprise and skills competitions support to staff and learners past and present across our four campuses of Aberdare, Nantgarw, Rhondda and Ystrad Mynach. Enabling people to become self-employed/start their own business and boost their employability skills.

Matthew is part of the Futures team at Coleg y Cymoedd, which is formed from the Employment and Enterprise Bureau and the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

Being a keen sportsperson and having 5 years experience of running a business in the sport sector, Matthew joined Coleg y Cymoedd from the middle of 2019; firstly within the Business & International Services department and then onto his current role. As a qualified tutor and assessor, Matthew is able to deliver across a variety of fields and has been involved in various projects and initiatives that support employment, training, engagement and physical activity as particular areas of expertise.

Andrew Diplock – Business Member

Committee membership: Resources (Chair), Search, Remuneration

Andrew has worked for many companies in both corporate and SME sectors, built a business from start up to a successful exit. He now devotes his time to helping other businesses start and grow as both an angel investor and business advisor. He also advises Welsh Government as a member of the Ministerial Taskforce for the South Wales.

Roxanna Dehaghani – Business Member

Committee membership: Resources.

Roxanna is a Reader in Law at Cardiff University where she undertakes research and teaching in criminal law and justice and leads on generating impact from academic research. She has worked in higher education since 2014, gaining her PhD from the University of Leicester in 2018. She previously studied for an LLB in Law at Queen’s University Belfast and an LLM in Forensics, Criminology and Law at Maastricht University, the Netherlands.

Kate Owen – Local Authority Member

Committee membership: Curriculum and Quality.

After graduating with a BA combined Honours in English Literature and Philosophy and a PGCE in Secondary English and Drama, Kate has taught in secondary schools in South Wales since 1998 as a teacher of English and R.E. Head of English and Drama and for 8 years as an Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for Wellbeing and Safeguarding.

Alun Williams – Business Member

Committee membership: Audit

A Chartered Manager and a Chartered Procurement and Supply Professional, Alun has over twenty years of management and senior management experience within local government, Welsh, Scottish and UK central government departments and agencies, voluntary, community and social organisations and the private sector. Educated at both Ysgol Maes Garmon in Denbighshire and Ysgol Friars in Bangor, Alun gained his Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and Management from the University of Bedfordshire in 1992 and returned to education to gain his Master of Public Administration (MPA) graduating from Robert Gordon University’s Aberdeen Business School in 2009. Currently Managing Director of Cardiff based Arfon Consulting Ltd, Alun lives in Caerphilly and is a parent governor at his daughter’s secondary school and splits his working week between home, Cardiff and London.

Clare Wheatstone – Business Member

Committee membership: Audit

Clare is a Qualified Accountant who, over the past 25 years, has worked in a variety of industries including theatrical, retail and asset finance.

Clare is currently working for a large multinational company whose principal business is the sale of beauty and haircare products, cosmetics and fragrances. Clare has worked for the company for over 15 years and is currently UK & Ireland Chief Accountant whose primary responsibilities include accounting compliance and advisory.

Richard Edmunds – Local Authority Member

Committee membership: Curriculum and Quality

Richard (Ed) Edmunds is Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Corporate Director of Education & Corporate Services. Ed joined the Corporate Management Team in July 2018 and has more than 30 years’ experience in Local Government, 15 of which have come at a senior leadership level.

Ed’s current role involves leading the Council’s Corporate functions such as Finance, HR, IT and Legal as well as overseeing the Local Education Authority functions and 87 Schools.

Peter Wright – Business Member

Committee membership: Audit (Chair), Search

Peter has worked in the Financial Services Sector for over 40 years across the UK with a specialism in supporting small and growing businesses. He was previously Head of Investments at Finance Wales. He now fulfils a number of consultancy/ NED roles, including being the Entrepreneur in Residence at Coleg y Cymoedd as well as being a Governor.

Jonathan Morgan – Principal

Committee membership: Curriculum and Quality, Resources, Search

Robert Evans – Community Member

Committee membership: Curriculum and Quality (Chair), Search, Remuneration

Rob has worked in further education for 30 years as a Head of Department and Deputy Principal. He has also been an Estyn Peer Inspector for 20 years.

Philip Thomas – Staff Member

Committee membership: Curriculum and Quality

Carys-Megan James – Student Member

Committee membership: Curriculum & Quality

Alfie Warner – Student Member

Committee membership: Curriculum & Quality

Lynne Wakefield – Business Member

Committee membership: Audit (Vice-Chair)

Gareth Reynolds – Community Member

Committee membership: Curriculum & Quality (Vice-Chair)

Gareth’s career has been immersed in learning, starting with a PGCE (PE) in 2005 at the then UWIC Cyncoed Campus. He has held various roles, including nine years as Head of Department at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College and interim Associate Head of a secondary school.

Since 2019, he has worked as a Curriculum Development Manager at Pearson, supporting FE Colleges, University Centres, Local Authorities, Sixth Forms, UTCs and IoTs provision in South West England, South Wales, and the Channel Islands. He later became Product Lead for Sport and Physical Activity, combining his passions with an applied, technical, specialist, and digital portfolio. In early 2023, he took on the role of Senior Product Manager for Digital Transformation.

Continuing learning he gained MSc in Sports Coaching as a mature learner and recently completed an alternative MBA. Gareth also sits as a Trustee for a MAT in England. He is a former CIMSPA Professional Development Committee member, and a former international karate athlete and coach.

James Dunn
(Co-opted)

Committee membership: Audit

Helen Lawless (Co-opted)

Committee membership: Curriculum and Quality

Helen is a Head of School at Coleg Gwent and has worked in education for nearly 34 years and takes a learner centred approach to every aspect of her job. In her current role as a Head of School, she is responsible for curriculum development and quality assurance in the areas of Hairdressing, Beauty Therapy, Theatrical and Media Make Up, Complementary and Spa Therapies, Aesthetics, Hospitality and Catering and Travel and Tourism and manages over 30 staff. Helen is actively engaged in the PAN Wales Group where all college managers for the sector meet termly to discuss and share good practice and she is also part of the All Wales Qualification Reviews with Qualifications Wales – she also has strong links with local employers and other colleges in the UK. Helen and her teams are heavily supportive and involved in Inspiring Skills Wales and UK/World Skills competitions and is passionate about improving the learner experience for young people.

Paul Janes (Co-opted)

Committee membership: Resources

Paul has primarily worked in IT/Systems commencing with a job as Help Desk support for the DHSS at Gabalfa, Cardiff. Following that he became Systems Analyst a Caerphilly County Borough Council and also studied part-time at University of Glamorgan obtaining a Higher National in Computing.

After nearly 10 years with Caerphilly he joined Lakewood Computers Systems for 3 years as an Application Consultant. Finally he joined Cardiff Metropolitan University as Senior Business Analyst where he also studied part time obtaining a distinction in MSc Information Systems.

Paul retired from full time work in December 2015 but has continued to work part time as a 1-2-1 mentor in Adult Community Learning with Aneurin Leisure Trust in Blaenau Gwent.

John Hunt (Co-opted)

Committee membership: Resources

Alexandra Roberts (Co-opted)

Committee membership: Curriculum and Quality

Alexandra began her career in Higher Education Recruitment and Outreach in 2010. With over a decade of experience supporting local communities and disadvantaged groups in accessing Higher and Further Education and training, Alexandra has worked with individuals from all walks of life, across Wales and the UK more broadly.
Alexandra studied as an Actor at the University of Wales Trinity St Davids, before joining their Widening Access Team, and later moving to the University of South Wales. With a passion for the transformative potential of life long learning, Alexandra advocates for fair Access and Learner voice.

Claire Hall (Co-opted)

Committee membership: Audit

Claire qualified as a registered nurse in 2008 after completing a BSc in Adult Nursing at Cardiff University. She has since achieved an MSc in Specialist Public Health Nursing (Health Visiting) and a PGCert in Education for Healthcare Professionals from the University of South Wales.

Throughout her nursing career, Claire has gained experience in both secondary and community settings.

Most recently, she has taken on the role of Placement Experience and Improvement Manager at Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW). In this capacity, Claire collaborates with Higher Education Institutions, health boards, trusts, and the independent sector across Wales.

Her work focuses on ensuring undergraduate healthcare students benefit from diverse, high-quality placement experiences, ultimately contributing to the development of a healthcare workforce prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities of modern practice.

Membership of Committee

Curriculum and Quality Committee

Rob Evans (Chair)

Jonathan Morgan

Richard Edmunds

Sheila Davies

Philip Thomas

Carys-Megan James (Student Member)

Alfie Warner (Student Member)

Kate Owen

Gareth Reynolds (Vice-Chair)

Helen Lawless (co-opted)

Alexandra Roberts (co-opted)

Search Committee

Paul Smart (Chair)

Andrew Diplock

Jonathan Morgan

Peter Wright

Rob Evans

Sheila Davies (Vice-Chair)

Resources Committee

Paul Smart

Sheila Davies

Andrew Diplock (Chair)

Catherine Thomas (Vice-Chair)

Matthew Watts

Roxanna Dehaghani

Jonathan Morgan

Gareth Ashman

Paul Janes (Co-opted)

John Hunt (Co-opted)

Audit Committee

Peter Wright (Chair)

James Dunn (co-opted)

Lynne Wakefield (Vice-Chair)

Clare Wheatstone

Alun Williams

Fran Green

Claire Hall

Remuneration Committee

Paul Smart (Chair)

Andrew Diplock

Sheila Davies (Vice-Chair)

Rob Evans

Calendar of Meetings

Corporation Board (Governing Body)

Monday 23 September 2024

Monday 16 December 2024

Monday 31 March 2025

Monday 30 June 2025

Curriculum and Quality Committee

Monday 11 November 2024

Monday 10 March 2025

Monday 2 June 2025

Search Committee

Monday 4 November 2024

Monday 10 February 2025

Monday 12 May 2025

Resources Committee

Monday 18 November 2024

Monday 3 March 2025

Monday 19 May 2025

Audit Committee

Monday 25 November 2024

Monday 17 February 2025

Monday 9 June 2025

Remuneration Committee

Monday 16 June 2025

Become a Governor

Coleg y Cymoedd welcomes applications from interested parties who wish to be considered for membership of the Governing Body.

Please email a copy of your CV to:- Jennifer Owen, Governance officer jennifer.owen@cymoedd.ac.uk and complete the on-line application form, click here