Our Governing Body

Governors

• President

  His Grace The 12^th Duke of Devonshire CBE

• Chair of Governors: Mrs Deborah Evans

  Deborah Evans is an experienced Chief Executive, non-executive Director, and school governor with a heart for learning, development and building strong communities. With a strong focus on good governance, she has a love of education and a positive outlook; embracing change and innovation with a view to building truly sustainable organisations with strong values and a real heart.

   

  With a first class degree in genetic engineering and an MBA, she embarked on a career spanning Chief Executive roles across the legal sector for as Lawyers in Local Government, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers,  and the Legal Complaints Service, and management roles within Anthony Collins Solicitors, the Legal Aid Board and the in-house legal team of Boots. With previous experience of top table discussions in parliament, and coverage in the press and media, Deborah works to shape policy for the public good. 

   

  Throughout her career she has worked closely with schools and universities to develop children and young adults of all ages into the fully rounded professionals of the future. Whether it be through leading a governing body through school improvement and expansion, encouraging children to speak confidently on a stage, offering internships to undergraduates, mentoring post graduates, or running workshops on interview techniques, Deborah works hard to instill confidence to bring out talent and character in even the youngest of children.

   

  Outside of work, she lives in Ashby de la Zouch and leads a full life with husband, two sons and a dog the size of a small horse. She organises village fetes, runs a choir, and writes and stars in the annual village pantomime. 

  To contact the Chair of Governors please email: clerktothegovernors@trentcollege.net

• Mr Stephen Anelay

  Stephen is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.   He has practised as a Chartered Surveyor in the East Midlands for over 40 years and has extensive experience in property matters, new development, project management and the repair, maintenance and refurbishment of buildings.  He is married with two children.  His son and two grandsons are Old Tridents.

• Mr Gary Bates

  Gary was the chairman of Serif, the Nottingham-based software company that developed and sold the Affinity range of design and photo editing software. Gary is married and has three children, who all attended The Elms and Trent College and are now Old Tridents.

• Mr Ian Bowness

  Recently retired, Ian has been the Finance Director of a number of companies including DFS Furniture Company plc and United Carpets Group plc.  He is married and his son and daughter are both Old Tridents.

• Mr Aidan Butler

  Aidan Butler is an Old Trident and attended Trent between 1982-90.  Aidan is an Partner with James Hambro & Partners, heading up their Leeds office.  He has a wife, Kate who is also an Old Trident, as well as two children.

• Dr Glenn Crocker

  Glenn Crocker is CEO of BioCity Group Ltd, a biotech incubation and investment business based in Nottingham. He has a DPhil in Immunology from Oxford University and qualified as a chartered accountant with EY, focussing on working with biotech companies in Palo Alto, California and Cambridge, UK, where he headed up the UK Biotech practice for EY. He has four children, all of whom are Old Tridents.

  In 2014 Glenn received an MBE for services to the biotechnology industry.

• Mr David Evans

  Practising Community Pharmacist locally in the Ilkeston and Long Eaton area, David has a long association with Trent College having been a pupil from 1976 – 1983, before moving to the University of Bath, where he undertook a degree in Pharmacy.

  At Trent, David was in Wright House, and represented the 1^st XI at cricket for 3 years. In addition, both of David’s children are Old Tridents.

  David has sat on various national committees associated with work, and has a number of post graduate qualifications which enables the him to offer a number of innovative services – in particular Travel Vaccination Clinics – where he has seen a number of Trent pupils & teachers over the last few years when preparing for expeditions.

  Interests include beer and cider making, and of course sport. David has played cricket and golf locally for over 30 years and is a long-standing member of Ilkeston Rugby Club. After finishing playing rugby, David took up refereeing and some of you might remember him officiating some schools fixtures a number of years ago.

• Mr Neil Finlay

  Neil is an Old Trident, having attended Trent 1979 to 1986.  He was a member of the first cohort of students to board in Blake House.  After leaving Trent, he graduated from the University of Birmingham with an honours degree in French and German.  Neil began his career in education teaching at Trent College in 1990 and has subsequently worked at schools in Derby, Birmingham and Stafford. For the past 10 years Neil has been the Head at a large comprehensive school in Stafford. Neil is married to Joanne and they have two children, Will and Molly. Neil is passionate about sport and retains a love of cricket from his time at Trent where he was vice‑captain of a reasonably successful 1^stXI.  Neil coaches his son’s junior football team and, when time allows, enjoys playing golf.

• Mrs Christine Gamble

  Christine is currently Deputy Head (Academic) at Wellingborough School in Northamptonshire where she also teaches Mathematics. Prior to teaching, Christine led a number of large Software and Communications projects for government and industry bodies. She is married with three children; one son and two daughters.

• Mr Ian Griffin

  Ian is currently Deputy Head at RGS Springfield in Worcester and is also the Designated Safeguarding Lead there. Before taking up this post, Ian had been a Head of two schools. He is married with a young daughter.

• Mr David Humes

  David is an Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Nottingham. He is a robotic colorectal surgeon and current Divisional Director of Surgery at NUH NHS Trust. He spent his childhood in Liverpool before going to King’s College London to study medicine. He moved to Nottingham in 2003 and has undertaken his PhD and surgical training in Nottingham. He has two children at The Elms and enjoys coaching rugby at the Long Eaton Rugby Club.

• Miss Emma Lindblom

  Emma is a Chartered Accountant and currently Head of Quality Assurance at MHA, a charity which enables people to live later life well through the provision of residential care homes, retirement living communities and community based services. Emma leads the nationally based internal audit and assurance team undertaking quality, operational and financial audits. Previously Emma was a Senior Manager at KPMG, working across the East and West Midlands undertaking financial risk management investigations and supporting companies on legal disputes from an accounting perspective. She has previously been heavily involved in statutory audits, and managed the day to day finance function at a Bank.

• Dr C. Paul Nathanail

  Paul is Managing Director of a specialist environmental consultancy, Land Quality Management Ltd.  He has over 20 years’ experience in delivering university and CPD training. Most recently he has taken that online and regularly runs webinars for audiences across Europe and in Australia.  Paul is committed to the UK maintaining the excellent standard of education it has become known for in both the private and state sectors. He is married and has two sons, who are both Old Tridents.

• Mrs Daisy Omissi

  Daisy-Ellen is Senior Vice President of External Communications at Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace.  Prior to her current role, she has had an international career in media and communications which has taken her to the UAE, Spain and Qatar. She has two daughters, one of whom is a student at Trent College.

• Mr Joseph Pygall

  Joe works at Ideagen as the Senior Vice President for Technical Operations. He is married and has two sons who both attended Trent College and were previously at The Elms.

• Mrs Kalmeet Rai

  Kal is a Head of Technical & Responsible Business for a large food manufacturing business supplying the major retailers. Her remit includes the governance of food safety, legality, and quality as well as environmental, sustainability governance.  Kal is proud mum to two children that are at The Elms and Trent College and is keen to use her experience in the food industry spanning over 20 years managing risk and compliance to support the school community with its strategic plans for a sustainable future.

• Dr Komal Raj

  Komal is an Old Trident having attended between 1993-1998. He is currently a GP partner at Wilson Street Surgery in Derby and is the lead clinician for mental health and a GO partner. He is also the primary care representative for the Derby City Place Alliance, bringing different health and social care providers together. Komal has two children who are currently at The Elms.

• Mrs Sally Rosser

  Having taught in secondary schools for 39 years, Sally recently retired from Rugby School.  During her time there she was a Boarding Housemistress and most recently Deputy Head Pastoral, and Designated Safeguarding Lead.  She is now a volunteer for the NSPCC delivering ‘Speak out, stay safe’ workshops in primary schools, and is also a governor in a Warwickshire Independent Day School.  Married to Philip they have four adult children who are now all making their own way in the world.

• Mr Karaan Sabherwal

  Karaan is a Director and Co-Owner of AKA Architecture and Midlands based property development and investment companies. He graduated from the University of Derby in 2020, where he is now an Associate Lecturer teaching within the field of Architecture. Prior to this, Karaan read Economics at Trinity College, University of Cambridge, after which he was an interest rates derivative trader for seven years at J.P. Morgan and Citigroup before leaving the city to retrain in Architecture.  Although not an Old Trident, Karaan has fond memories of representing his school at rugby and cricket against Trent. Karaan is married and has two children at the school.

• Mrs Stephanie Steele

  Stephanie has been a Solicitor for over 25 years, is a retired Coroner and a Judicial Office holder. She is married with one daughter, who was at The Elms from Year 6 and at Trent through to Year 13. A keen amateur musician, Stephanie has a particular interest in children’s mental wellbeing and in how their participation in music, drama and the arts in general can support and enhance this.

• Bursar: Mrs Claire Astell-Crocker

  Claire Astell-Crocker Bursar and Clerk to the Governors.