City College Norwich Governors
The Corporation of City College Norwich comprises up to 19 Governors, including a Chair, Vice Chair, up to three Staff Governors and up to three Student Governors. The Principal usually serves as an ex officio Governor, and the elected Students' Union President serves as one of the Student Governors. Under the Corporation's constitution, Governors are appointed by the Corporation.
Governors serve on a voluntary basis and are initially appointed for a four-year term, with the opportunity to serve a second four-year term, subject to the Corporation's agreement.
Alongside attending Corporation Board meetings, Governors typically serve on one or two committees, which undertake much of the detailed work of the Corporation throughout the year.
To provide specific expertise, the college appoints Co-opted Members to some of its committees. It also appoints Associate Governors, who attend meetings to bring additional skills and perspectives and contribute to discussion but are not members of the Corporation. Co-opted Members and Associate Governors generally serve shorter terms.
The current City College Norwich Governors and Associate Governors can be viewed below.
Marcus Bailey
Chair of the Corporation
Sarah Appleton
Governor
Sarah is a Partner at a law firm in Norwich. Her expertise lies in HR and employment law, with a particular focus on equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Norfolk born and bred, Sarah is committed to the local Norfolk community and ensuring the wellbeing of the staff and students at CCN, both via the application for her skill set to practices at the college, and more generally in shaping its future and direction.
Shirley Barker
Staff Governor
Shirley is a Staff Governor and has worked at the college for over 10 years. She is motivated to ensure that the most efficient and effective work is being carried out to ensure that all staff and students have a positive journey at college. Being a Staff Governor means that Shirley can have a say in the big decisions and forward strategy for the college and in her own small way make a difference.
Noel Bartram
Governor
Noel is an experienced businessman with a background in finance. He is a non-Executive Director or Chairman in a variety of different businesses. He has been a Governor in a preparatory school in the private sector and more recently a Governor of Paston Sixth Form College in North Walsham, now part of City College Norwich.
His particular areas of interest are strategy, governance and risk management.
Phillip Belden
Governor
I have worked in the Further Education sector for the last 35 years in Norfolk, Suffolk, and London. I started my career as an electronic engineer in the defence sector and then moved into FE, starting as an Engineering trainer then moving into management, where I spent 15 years as a senior manager involved in curriculum design, funding and quality. For the last 10 years I have worked for Norfolk County Council Children’s Services in the Post-16 team, working with schools and colleges to improve the educational experience of vulnerable young people.
Phil Gormley
Governor
Between 2020 and 2024 Phil was the CEO of East Anglia Children’s Hospices; prior to that he had a 35-year career in policing and law enforcement serving as Chief Constable of Norfolk, Director General National Crime Agency, Chief Constable Police Scotland and Her Majesty’s Inspector of Police, Fire and Rescue. Phil is a non-executive Director, trustee and chairman of a number of local businesses and charities. He is passionately committed to Norfolk and helping young people fulfil their potential.
Joe McNeill
Governor
Joe is an Operations Manager for Flagship Group. Previously a Higher Education Student with City College Norwich, Joe qualified as a Chartered Manager, where he was awarded City College Norwich, Higher and Degree Level Apprentice of the Year in 2022.
Joe is passionate about the benefits of education, in supporting the development of others to reach their full potential. With a drive for excellence, Joe is keen to contribute his expertise to the continued growth and success of the college. Through his leadership skills, Joe aims to foster an environment of innovation, inclusivity and academic achievement for all students and staff.
Philip Pearce
Governor
Life is what you make it, but to make it you need the opportunity. City College Norwich can open doors to allow students the opportunity. As a Governor, Philip seeks to use his experience in the insurance industry, corporate governance and risk management to assist the college to keep the doors open.
Lucy Sydney
Governor
Lucy is a career civil servant with broad experience of communications and stakeholder engagement, policy development and implementation, governance and strategy. She is a Director at the qualifications regulator Ofqual, with a particular interest in vocational and technical qualifications and apprenticeships. Born and raised near North Walsham, she returned to Norfolk in 2005.
Jill Wade
Governor
It is a privilege to be appointed as a Governor of City College Norwich.
My long career has focussed on people, change and leadership roles including working with large financial services firms, industry bodies and regulators.
I’ve been recognised as an industry SME within the HR, L&D, talent and capability arena and I’m passionate about lifelong learning and how this transforms the lives of individuals and organisational success.
It’s a great feeling to be able to apply my past experiences, and skills, to the education sector. Past and current roles include NED / Board Committee member and mentor.
Lillian Rackham
Student Governor and SU President
Lillian is our Students' Union President and studied a T Level in Management and Administration (Business Support) at City College Norwich. She is passionate about empowering students, promoting wellbeing, and ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed.
Laura Stewart
Staff Governor
Jerry White
Principal, CEO and Governor
Jerry began his professional career in Kent as a university lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science. He worked for Norfolk County Council’s Adult Education Service from 2002 before joining City College Norwich in 2009. He was Deputy Principal from 2013 and became Principal and Chief Executive Officer in 2022.
Jerry holds Board memberships on Norwich City Council Towns Deal Board, the Agri-Food Industry Council for Norfolk and Suffolk and the New Anglia Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing Industry Council.
Jerry is the FE sector representative on the Children and Young People Strategic Alliance (CYPSA) for Norfolk and the Norfolk Education and Training Strategy Group. Nationally, Jerry chairs the Association of College’s (AoC) Workforce Strategy Group and serves on the AoC’s 2030 group.
He is currently a Trustee of the Forum Trust in Norwich and of the Food and Farming Discovery Trust.
Martin Truelove
Associate Governor
I am honoured to be part of the board at City College Norwich, supporting incredible people to do amazing things for learners and the wider Norfolk community. Education changes lives, and I'm proud to play a small part in helping create those opportunities.