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Governing Body


The Governing Body at DN Colleges Group oversees how we meet the needs of our students, ensures that we contribute effectively to our local and regional communities and guides our future.

The Corporation Board is the Governing Body of the DN Colleges Group, comprised of people from a range of backgrounds with a strong and diverse skillset, reflecting the community the Colleges serve, and includes staff and students.

The Corporation Board is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the DN Colleges Group and to provide rigour and challenge to the Group Executive. In general terms, it is responsible for the quality of service that the Colleges offer to learners and the local community, as well as the College’s financial health.

In addition to the Board, and the Local Stakeholder Boards, the Corporation of the DN Colleges Group has the following committees, all of which report to the Corporation Board;

  • Audit and Risk
  • Curriculum, Quality and Performance
  • Finance and Resources
  • Higher Education Performance and Quality
  • Search and Governance

The Corporation also has representatives on the wholly-owned subsidiary companies’ Boards of Directors, i.e. DC.Teach Limited, Kingsway Consulting Ltd and Optime Support Limited; and on the Equality and Diversity Committee, Safeguarding Committee and Health and Safety Committee.

The Corporation Board is audited to ensure it complies with legislation, the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s financial memorandum and the Post 16 Audit Code of Practice.  A statement of Corporate Governance and Internal Control is published each year in the Annual Financial Statements confirming compliance, including the arrangements for risk management.

Membership of the Corporation Board is determined by the Board following advice and guidance from the Search and Governance Committee.

The Corporation is actively seeking new members of the Group Corporation Board and the Local Stakeholder Boards.

If you are interested in finding out more, or if you would like to become a Governor, please contact the Clerk to the Corporation (college.governors@dncolleges.ac.uk)

Governing Body Policies and Procedures

As part of our commitment to transparency and to follow best practice in governance matters, we publish key policies and procedures that outline how we organise and operate our governing body.

Governing Body Published Minutes

Corporation Board

Finance and Resources

Audit

Search and Governance

Curriculum, Quality and Performance

Higher Education Performance and Quality

People and Transformation

Committee Terms of Reference

Meet our Governors

Our Governing Body is a strong team that brings together skills from the public and private sectors, education and business and represents our local and regional communities.

Angela Briggs

Chair of Governors

Angela Briggs is our Chair of Governors of the DN Colleges Group. She sits on a number of committees: Finance & Resources; Search and Governance; Curriculum, Quality & Performance; and Higher Education Performance & Quality.

Mark Swales

Vice Chair of Governors

Mark has lived in South Yorkshire for 29 years. He attended school in Goole and Selby and is a graduate of Sheffield City Polytechnic where he studied Hotel, Catering and Institutional Management.

John Rees

Principal and Chief Executive Officer of DN Colleges Group

John is Principal and Chief Executive Officer of DN Colleges Group, which incorporates North Lindsey and Doncaster Colleges. John joined DN Colleges Group as Chief Executive in August 2022 and has worked in the FE sector for the last 26 years. He started his career in teaching roles in Lincolnshire, before progressing into curriculum management and then into senior leadership roles in Warwickshire and West Yorkshire.

Sharon Harmon

Clerk to the Corporation

Details to follow.

Dolly Agoro

"Adedolapo Dolly Agoro was born and raised in Nigeria. She studied law at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria between 1990-1996 and later went to the Nigerian Law School Bwari, Abuja where she qualified as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1999.

Ruth Brook

Ruth was born in Scunthorpe where her father worked in the steel industry, then moved to Brigg where family members still live today. Ruth went to Doncaster at 18 to train as a teacher and has been involved in the Education sector throughout her life.

Rebecca Chamley

Staff Governor

Details to follow.

Greg Clarke

Greg has worked in the steel industry for over 20 years and is currently the Manager for Strategy and Business Development within Liberty Speciality Steels.

Sue Craggs

Sue worked in the NHS for over 40 years in varied roles including specialist care of children, supporting young adults achieve independence when moving from children’s services to the adult sector, and teaching medical skills to doctors in training.

Peter Grant

Peter was born and raised in Hull before completing his degree in economics at the University of Hull that included studying abroad in both Germany and the Netherlands.

Dan Fell

Staff Governor

Dan is Chief Executive at Doncaster Chamber of Commerce, an organisation that supports and represents South Yorkshire businesses. He also has significant non-executive experience with organisations such as Cast Theatre, Finance for Enterprise, the South Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, and other organisations in the education sector. Dan has spent most of his life living and working in Yorkshire and has a Master’s Degree in Politics from the University of Sheffield.

Karen Jackson

Karen has lived in South Yorkshire for over 50 years. She attended school in Brinsworth and holds a BSC in Genetics from the University of Liverpool. She trained as a chartered accountant at KPMG.

Emma Kirk

Staff Governor

Emma has worked at North Lindsey College now part of the DN Colleges Group for 26 years starting as an Early Years practitioner in the College Nursery.

Preetha Kumar

Preetha Kumar has over 20 years of experience within Financial Services, Retail, Health Services, and Technology organisations in India, US, and UK leading and managing various IT and Operational audits including assurance on technology transformation activities. Preetha works as an Associate Director heading the Technology, Risk and Assurance team of AuditOne which is an NHS consortium based in Northeast of England.

Lee Tillman

Lee was born and bred in Doncaster went to Hungerhill and Danum Schools before graduating from the University of Lancaster with a degree in American Studies. On his return to Doncaster in the mid-1990s Lee joined Doncaster Council and has over 20 years’ pubic service experience in a variety of roles including Planning, Economic Development, Education and Skills, and Policy and Performance.

Lee Walker

Lee spent most of his career working in financial services before joining Drax Group plc in 2016 as Head of Group Risk and Internal Audit. He sits on DN Colleges Group’s Audit and Risk Committee.

Andrea Ward

Andrea was born in Northern Ireland, her career has spanned various industries at locations across the UK before moving into Education, and she now lives in Sheffield. This 20-year experience spanned companies in the Mobile Phone, Beer, Banking, TV, Equipment Hire and Social Care industries, developing skills in Sales and Marketing, Training, Leadership, Management Development and Organisational Development and Human Resources.