Natural England - Natural England Board

Mr Poul Christensen C.B.E. - Acting Chair

Date appointed: 2 May 2006 - Appointed until: 30 September 2013

Poul is senior partner of a successful family dairy farming business at Kingston Hill Farm, in Oxfordshire. He has a long track record of integrating conservation with the demands of modern farming.

Throughout his career Poul has taken a prominent role leading the farming sector through changing and challenging times. He is the joint founder of the Tenant Farmers’ Association, established in 1981 to provide a voice for tenant farmers. He was Chairman of Milk Marque in the late 1990s, steering the dairy sector through a period of significant change and was Chair of the Rural Development Service, which launched modern Environmental Stewardship schemes, before taking up the appointment at Natural England.

He is currently a Director of Agricultural Central Trading Limited, a farmer supply cooperative; a member of the Defra Management Board; and a Board Member of the UK’s Joint Nature Conservation Committee.

Poul received the Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 1991 for services to agriculture and the commercial development of the Agricultural Development Advisory Service (ADAS).

Dr Helen Phillips - Chief Executive

Ex-officio board member

Helen was appointed Natural England’s first Chief Executive in February 2006 by the Secretary of State. She is also a member of Natural England’s Board and is the Accounting Officer of both Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.

In leading the Executive, Helen has overall responsibility for the performance of Natural England. Helen was appointed for her track record in leading organisational change, to create a high performing organisation where pursuit of efficiency programmes will deliver increased investment in the natural environment.

Natural England aspires to be the environmental commentator of choice, Helen’s trenchant advocacy in her role as Chief Executive will be key to achieving this.

A post doctoral graduate of University College Dublin in zoology, Helen’s career spans biology in academia to leadership roles in the National Rivers Authority and the Environment Agency.

She is a Member of the Royal Society of Arts and a member of the Association of Chief Executives. Before taking up her current appointment, she was the Director of Environment Agency, Wales.

Mr Peter Allen - Farmer

Appointed: 2 May 2006 - Until: 30 September 2011

Responsibilities include: North West region (except Mersey belt) and Lake District National Park.

Peter is a 17th generation Lakeland tenant hill farmer. He is also Chairman for the North West Regional Management Board of the National Farmers Union, Responsible use of Medicines Alliance and the EU Sheep Advisory Committee.

He also holds membership of the Moorland Access Advisory Group, NOAH Code of Practice Committee, North West REPAC and Standing Conference for Country Sports.

Ms Sarah Burton - NGO Programme Director

Appointed: 2 May 2006 - Until: 30 September 2009

Sarah is a lawyer by training.

In February 2009 she was appointed Deputy Programme Director for Greenpeace International following a 3 year period as the Campaign Programme Director for Amnesty International.

Between 1990 and 2001, Sarah held various positions with Greenpeace UK and has served a number of years as a Trustee of Greenpeace Environmental Trust. She is also a Director of Canonbury Villas Limited and Laser Kilns Limited.

Sarah was a Council Member for English Nature from 2005-2006, before taking up the appointment of Board Member for Natural England.

Professor Lynn Crowe - Environmental Management

Appointed: 2 May 2006 - Until: 30 September 2010

Responsibilities include: Yorkshire and the Humber region, Peak District National Park and Natural England’s Science Advisory Committee.

Lynn is Professor of Environmental Management at Sheffield Hallam University and responsible for the management of the Countryside Recreation Network. She also sits on the Forestry Commission's Public Forest Estate Study Working Group, and the Access to Nature Grants Panel (part of the Big Lottery Fund).

Lynn was a member of the Peak District National Park Authority from 1996-2006 and a Council Member for English Nature from 2005-2006, before taking up the appointment of Board Member for Natural England.

Ordinary membership is held in the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England and the International Council of Monuments and Sites.

Professor Michael Depledge - Environment and Human Health Scientist

Appointed: 2 May 2006 - Until: 30 September 2009

Responsibilities include: South West region (Devon and Cornwall) and Dartmoor National Park.

Michael is Chair of Environment and Human Health at the Peninsula Medical School, Devon.

He is a Member of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. He is also Visting Professor in the Department of Zoology, Oxford University and Vice Chairman of the Science Advisory Committee of DG-Research in the European Commission. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Biology and the Royal Society of Arts.

Michael was formerly Chief Scientific Advisor to the Environment Agency (2002-2006), a Board Member of the Natural Environment Research Council, and an Honorary Visiting Scientist at Harvard University.

Catherine Graham-Harrison

Appointed: 1 January 2009 - Until: 30 December 2011

Responsibilities include: South East Region, Broads Authority and South Downs National Park.

Since 1994 Catherine has worked as a consultant, mainly in the not for profit sector. Prior to that she was a Vice President of Citibank and then Chief Executive of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. She is currently a trustee of the Foundling Museum and a Governor of Coram, and has held a large number of other non executive positions over the past 20 years including being on the board of the Heritage Lottery Fund and a trustee of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Mr Tony Hams - Sustainable Development and Planning

Appointed: 2 June 2006 - Until: 30 September 2011

Responsibilities include: All “Protected Landscapes” and The New Forest and North York Moors National Parks.

Tony was formerly the Chair of the UK Association of National Park Authorities, the Peak District National Park Authority and the Heritage Lottery Fund Committee for the East Midlands. He is the Chair of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and a member of the East Midlands Regional Sports Board.

Until 2006 he was a trustee and chair of the Green Alliance. He has a professional background in planning, conservation, recreation and sustainable development. Tony was a Countryside Agency Board Member from 2000-2006, leading on protected areas, planning and energy issues before joining the Natural England Board. He is the lead Board member for National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. He was awarded an OBE in 2000 for services to sustainable development.

Professor David Hill - Ecologist

Appointed: 2 May 2006 - Until: 30 September 2013

Responsibilities include: North East region, Northumberland National Park, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Natural England’s Science Advisory Committee and Audit and Risk Committee.

David has significant experience in consultancy, nature conservation and company business strategy. He runs an ecological consultancy company, is Chairman of The Environment Bank Ltd and was previously Chief Scientific Adviser to RPS Group plc.

David is a Fellow and past President of the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management. He has published extensively on ecological issues and currently he is a Director of the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust.

David is a member of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee’s Board and their Audit and Risk Management Committee as Natural England’s representative. David is a member of the RSPB and a life member of the National Trust.

Mr Doug Hulyer - Communications, Learning and Ecotourism

Appointed: 2 May 2006 - Until: 30 September 2010

Responsibilities include: South West region (except Devon and Cornwall) and Exmoor National Park.

Doug is an independent advisor on People and Nature programmes and projects. He was previously the Director of Conservation Programmes for the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust.

Doug is a committed environmentalist, environmental educator and conservationist with over 30 years professional experience. He is a Trustee of the National Heritage Memorial Fund/Heritage Lottery Fund and a member of HLF’s South West Committee.

Doug is currently Vice-President of the Surrey Wildlife Trust, a member of the Learnings Panel of the National Trust and Chair of the Education and Public Understanding Group for England Biodiversity Strategy and of The Great Fen Project Foundation.

He also holds memberships in Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, English Heritage, Wildfowl & Wetland Trust, Freshwater Biological Association, Institute of Biology, Institute of Directors, The Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management and the National Trust.

Doug was a Council Member for English Nature between 2002-2006, before taking up the appointment of Board Member for Natural England.

Professor David Macdonald - Mammal Biologist

Appointed: 2 May 2006 - Until: 30 September 2011

David is the Professor of Wildlife Conservation and the Director (and founder) of the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at Oxford University. He is also Chairman of the Darwin Advisory Committee, Defra.

David was awarded the 2004 Dawkins Prize for contributions to wildlife conservation. In 2006 he was awarded the Merriam Medal for outstanding contributions to mammalian research by the American Society of Mammalogists and in 2007 he was awarded the equivalent medal of Britain’s Mammal Society. In 2008, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Other relevant interests are Non Executive Director for The Nature Bureau, and Director of the Oxford Stress Diagnostics. He is also Senior Research Fellow of Lady Margaret Hall, a Board Member of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, and the World Wildlife Fund.

David was a Council Member for English Nature from 2003-2006, before taking up the appointment of Board Member for Natural England and is Chairman of Natural England’s Science Advisory Committee.

Mr Christopher Pennell - Formerly Regional Director, National Trust

Appointed: 2 May 2006 - Until: 30 September 2010

Responsibilities include: East Midlands region and Chair of Natural England’s Audit and Risk Committee.

Christopher has spent 27 years in the coal industry, ten as the National Trust's East Midlands Director, thirteen as a Parish Councillor and three as a trustee of CPRE in the Peak District and South Yorkshire. He was a founder member of the East Midlands Heritage Forum and a member of the East Midlands Rural Affairs Forum.

He is currently a Secretary of State nominated Member of the Peak District National Park Authority and Vice-Chair of its Services Committee and the Chairman of the Countryside Awards Panel of CPRE (Peak District and South Yorkshire).

He is Chair of the East Midlands Committee of the Heritage Lottery Fund and holds ordinary membership of The Friends of the Peak District; CPRE; National Trust; English Heritage; Sheffield Wildlife Trust and the Liberal Democrat Party.

Christopher was a Council Member for English Nature from 2005-2006 before taking up the appointment of Board Member for Natural England.

Ms Pam Warhurst - Environment

Appointed: 2 May 2006 - Until: 30 September 2010

Responsibilities include: North West region (Mersey belt) and Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Pam is currently a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Manufacturing. She chairs Pennine Prospects, a regeneration company for the South Pennines, and Incredible Edible Todmorden, a local food partnership.

Pam owns Bear Café, is an ordinary member of The National Trust and was a Board Member of the Plunkett Foundations Rural Revival Board to December 2007. She is currently a Board member for West Yorkshire Tourism Partnership.

Her other previous posts include Chair of a Health Trust, Leader of a Local Authority, a member of an RDA and a member on Committee of Regions.

In 2005 Pam was awarded the CBE in recognition of her services to the environment. Pam was Deputy Chair of the Countryside Agency before taking up the appointment of Board Member for Natural England.

Andy Wilson

Appointed: 1 January 2009 - Until: 31 December 2011

Responsibilities include: West Midlands Region

Andy Wilson has been Chief Executive of the North York Moors National Park Authority since March 2000 during which time the Authority has won a series of awards for customer service, training and work on climate change. Prior to that, he worked for seven years at the Northumberland National Park. Earlier in his career he worked for the Commission for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Andy is a member of the RSPB, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and was a member of the Yorkshire and Humber Assembly Sustainable Development Board until April 2009.