Simon began his career at 16 when he left school to become an apprentice chef.  He then embarked on a phenomenal journey in the hospitality and catering industry, taking him to work at prestigious 5-star London hotels, then on to Germany where he worked in some of the very best restaurants in the country. Building on these experiences, he went on to open a restaurant with four colleagues which soon gained a Michelin star.

Following a time working in South Africa, where he met his wife, Simon returned to England to start his second career in teaching. He built a strong reputation working in other Colleges before joining MidKent College in 2013, where he was appointed Principal & Chief Executive in September 2016.

Simon is passionate about the impact further education has on changing communities, shaping careers and building opportunities for all ages – all things he believes are so important in the communities of Medway & Maidstone where the College serves thousands of students every year.

Simon’s pride in Medway, who we are, and what we can achieve together, prompted his involvement in the development of the place board. He is humbled to serve as the board’s first independent Chair, and is committed to using his infectious enthusiasm for Medway and its people to make a positive difference for all.

Carol joined the Medway Place Board in April 2020, having been a Medway Champion since November 2018.  Carol is responsible for delivering the We Are Medway CIC – Medway Champions and Place making initiative.  Carol started in this role in January 2024.

Carol has over 20 years’ experience in commercial businesses within Fresh Food & Fresh Produce industry, working in a variety of dynamic and performance driven environments.  Carol is keen to develop collaborative relationships within the Medway community and organisations of all sizes and sectors.

Helping to develop the vision of We Are Medway CIC – Medway Champions to be “recognised as the partnership which champions, supports, understands and enables organisations to come together to instill pride and articulate the ambition in our Place of Medway”.

Carol moved to Medway in 2014, and loves the vibrant and dynamic culture Medway has.  She is passionate about bringing together people, ideas, as well as sharing the stories about places within Medway.

Carol is a board member of the Kent & Medway Economic Partnership, the Kent & Medway Employment Task Force.

“Ashley is Chief Executive of mhs homes – the largest housing provider in Medway. With over 10,000 homes locally, one in 12 people in Medway are a mhs homes customer. As a social landlord, Ashley believes that good quality safe affordable housing has a critical impact on quality of life and the success and wellbeing of communities in Medway.

By background, Ashley is a Chartered Surveyor and has a Master’s Degree in Urban & Regional Planning. He has undertaken a range of senior roles in the housing and regeneration sectors. Ashley also has extensive boardroom experience and is a Chartered Director.  He also sits on the Nominations & Remuneration Committee of the RICS and is a board member of the Building Research Establishment Trust.

Ashley has worked in Medway for 21 years and is passionate about Medway as the south east’s best hidden gem. He is an ardent supporter of all things Medway and is driven to ensure that the Place Board helps deliver opportunity and growth for all parts of the local community as well as the wider business economy.”

Richard is the Chief Executive of Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust and has worked at the Historic Dockyard since  September 2019.   Having grown up in Medway, Richard is incredibly proud to lead such a remarkable team, with responsibility for preserving this unique place for future generations and enabling people to learn about its fascinating 400-year history and the role of the Royal Navy in Chatham.

Prior to joining the Historic Dockyard, Richard was Director at Betteshanger Park and Deputy Director at Turner Contemporary.  He is also a Director of Visit Kent, a member of the Creative Estuary Advisory Board and Chair of Medway Tourism Association.

Adam joined Medway Council on 14 August 2023, becoming the Director of Place, having been the Chief Executive at the South East Local Enterprise Partnership, overseeing significant regeneration projects across the region.

Adam has previous experience working in regional development and in Local Government, having held a number of roles at Essex County Council, including the Head of Place Partnership Integration.

Adam studied a degree in German at the University of Nottingham, has a Masters in Management from the Nottingham Business School and is a committed Nottingham Forest fan.  Adam also enjoys cricket and exploring the UK on family holidays with their dog.

Adam is also a Board Member for Locate in Kent, Visit Kent and Kent Chamber of Commerce.

Abi was born in Medway and has lived in Medway her whole life.  Abi also pursued her further education right here in Medway – even for University!  She graduated from the University of Greenwich with a degree in Environmental Science in 2019, and is currently employed at MidKent College, helping to enrich students experiences with sustainability.

Abi has a strong passion for sustainability, is a disability advocate and loves the wonderful history Medway has.  Abi hopes her role on the Medway Place Board will bring a strong voice and representation for disabled residents, further education students and adults within the Medway community.

Craig is currently studying Politics and Law at the University of Kent, he has always had a focus on Medway’s Young People. From representing them from the Medway Youth Council, to helping to support Medway’s ‘Child Friendly Medway’ initiative.

Craig is focused on the future of Medway, including topics around Infrastructure, Housing and opportunities for young people.

Craig hopes that through his involvement in the Place Board, that he can represent the views and needs of young people across Medway, as it continues to evolve into the future.

Emma supports the Director of Place across the range of his responsibilities, including our Place Journey.  Emma was born in Medway, and has lived in Medway all her life.

Emma was educated in Medway, attending one of Medway’s all-girl Grammar Schools where she studied Mathematics, Business Studies, Spanish and French at A-Level.

Emma joined Medway Council as a recruiting assistant following her school studies and has continued to shape her career at Medway Council since that time.

Emma is passionate about Medway and its rich heritage and great future. Emma’s favourite view of Medway is from Church Green, Strood, with a vantage point of Medway’s monumental regeneration programme and a number of Medway’s greenspaces (Medway has the equivalent of 13.3 Hyde Parks under our direct management).

Emma’s favourite aspect of her Executive Assistant role is meeting new people and forming excellent working relationships with stakeholders, supporting them on Medway’s journey.

Maria is a lifelong Medway resident and is currently project managing the Medway Change Makers cultural volunteering programme for local arts charity Ideas Test.  With the aim of increasing access to volunteering for people in Medway and improving local voluntary infrastructure to better support our creative industries.

Prior to this, Maria has worked at various local charitable and arts organisations, and has given considerable time to a Medway based arts charity as a volunteer herself to provide creative opportunities for young people.

Mandy is the Director of Culture and Development for the Thinking Schools Academy Trust, a Multi-Academy Trust with eight schools in Medway, and was previously the Principal of the Victory Academy in Chatham.  Originally a theatre director, playwright and drama teacher, Mandy is passionate about both creating and promoting cultural opportunities for young people, particularly those at disadvantage.

Mandy leads the Medway Creative Schools Network, connecting the education and cultural sectors for the benefit of young people.  Mandy is proud to be working with the Place Board, here in Medway, to further promote the amazing potential of both Medway and young people.

Carol was born in Wolverhampton in the West Midlands to parents, who moved to England in the late 50’s.  The second youngest of 6 children, from a very early age dedicated her life to her local community, having started doing so in the Church she grew up in.

At the age of about 14, she joined her local youth club Saints and quickly became an active, member advocating for young people in her area. She became a chairperson of a Youth Organisation in the early 80’s and led a team of young people that opened up a town centre youth facility. She studied to be a part time youth worker and worked part time at the African Caribbean Cultural centre in Wolverhampton, and eventually was invited to be on the management committee. She was part of a group that established the first Windrush awards in 1999, that was supported by BBC West Midlands and received regional coverage on TV and local radio.

Carol qualified as a social worker in 1994 and since then has dedicated her life to helping others. Carol is company Director of her own limited company Chinara Enterprises founded in 2008, which has been involved in a number of national and regional projects in the health and social care sector.

Carol moved to Kent in 2000 after being offered a job for a private fostering organisation in Sittingbourne and was the only Black social worker at that time and was promoted after a year to training manager.

Carol was introduced to Medway African and Caribbean Association when she moved here, and MACA quickly became a part of their family life.  With her knowledge of community leadership, championing diversity, advocacy, organisational development, it felt the right thing to do to become part of MACA and continue on her journey of giving back.  Carol was elected to the management commitment not long after moving to Kent and was elected as Chair a few years after, and then re-elected in 2018.

Carol was recently elected as Chairperson of Creative Medway, having been involved in shaping it from the beginning, and is proud to be part of a team of dedicated board members who are passionate about Medway and promoting arts, culture, creativity and heritage.

Carol was a chair of the Kent Police Independent Advisory group and was previously vice chair of the National advisory group. Carol was selected as finalist for Woman of the Year in 2022, as well as finalist in the Pride of Medway awards. Carol was a member of ITV Meridian Diversity panel, and is a regular contributor and guest on ITV Meridian, BBC South East today, BBC radio Kent, KMTV talking about racism, culture, and the arts.

Carol is also a proud ambassador for the Chatham Historic Dockyard and was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate in the Arts by the University of Kent.

Carol is a proud mother, having had 2 children Andrei and Safiya, sadly Safiya passed away at the age of 18. “I am grateful for the journey that my life has been on, and I know there is still much more for me to do.”

Gian has spent the last 29 years working Medway.  He was a Police Officer, who began his service in Medway before moving on to various other roles within Kent Police.  He returned to Medway as the Community Inspector before retiring in 2014.  In 2015 Gian became a Franchisee with McDonald’s and now operates 5 restaurants within Medway.  He is passionate about promoting Medway as a place to live, work, learn and visit, it is a very exciting time to be in Medway right now.

One of Gian’s biggest achievements is obtaining his Masters Degree in Management (he is the first person in his family to achieve this).  Gian’s family emigrated to the UK in the early 1960’s.  He likes to spend quality time with his family, especially his Grandchildren.

Gian keeps himself informed about what is happening in Medway by being a representative on various bodies for example, Chatham Town Centre Forum, Safer Medway Partnership and the Kent Crime Forum as well as being a Medway Champion, since it’s inception!

Gian’s business employs around 600 local Medway people and he is passionate about looking after his staff, who are seen as part of his extended family.  He sponsors the Woodpeckers Football Club and the Medway Youth Awards.

Richard is chief executive of the Chatham Maritime Trust (CMT), a not-for-profit organisation and charity that owns and manages the 350-acre Chatham Maritime Estate. As well as managing the estate, the trust donates substantial funds annually to Medway charities and supports a number of organisations in the local area with funding for capital projects.

Richard is a chartered surveyor with over 35 years experience in the real estate industry in the UK and internationally. In previous roles he has worked with large multi-site occupiers and landlords in the UK and across Europe. He has also managed and sold his own advisory business.

Occupiers on the CMT estate include Greenwich, Kent and Canterbury Christchurch universities, Chatham Maritime watersports centre, marina, shops, restaurants, offices and approximately 5,000 residents on St Marys Island. Richard is passionate about developing Chatham Maritime as a strong and vibrant Medway destination, working collaboratively and bringing organisations together to achieve this goal.