Members

Denise Herrington

Key Skills & Experience

Biography

Denise is a retired solicitor and notary public. She trained and worked in London before moving to a regional law practice for 20 years, and then she set up her own legal practice GBH Law Limited, with two colleagues. Denise's area of expertise was corporate law. GBH Law is now a successful commercial law practice. In her spare time, she volunteers at St Mary’s Church in Horsham. Denise is married to Richard, Professor of Economic Geology at the Natural History Museum and has two adult children.

Dom Valente

Key Skills & Experience

Risk Management, GDPR, Commercial, Finance, Audit, Strategy and Change Management, Cyber and Operational Resilience, Climate Risk management, Corporate Governance (Post-16)

Biography

With 35 years’ experience in financial services, Dom has primarily worked in general and life insurance, but also in tax free investments (ISA, LISA, TESPS) and Lifetime mortgages. His first 18 years’ experience was in technology, building systems and services for insurance businesses, in the UK, South America and in the US. In later years he developed his career as a risk professional, initially in information security and cyber, and then moving on to business continuity, operational resilience and then financial, operational and strategic risk. During the last 12 years Dom has held a senior position in two insurers, developing risk management frameworks and driving their implementation with full legal entity Board engagement, and close supervision from the PRA and FCA regulators. Dom currently chairs the HLA Audit & Risk Committee.

Dr John Weeds

Key Skills & Experience 

Education, Leadership, School Inspection, Partnerships, Academy Conversion, Governance (Academy Trustee)

Biography

John is currently an education consultant specialising in school inspection for Ofsted (primarily Section 5 secondary) and curriculum review for partner schools within the Challenge Partners UK organisations. He is also a Non-Exec Director/Trustee of the Woodard Academies Trust. Previously and until 2020, John was Headteacher at Cranbrook School in Kent, a state boarding school (11-18) which was mixed gender and selective. It was also an Academy converter, changing its range during his headship from Y9 to Y7 entry and expanding to c.850 NoR, inc. 240 boarders. John’s key responsibilities were the development and maintenance of vision, strategy and local partnerships. He also led on the QA of boarding and the quality of education prior to inspection. From 2006-2012 he was Headteacher at Reading School in Berkshire, also a state boarding school (11-18), which was boys only, selective and an academy converter. John’s key responsibilities were strategic taking the school to an Outstanding inspection judgment, preparing the school for academy conversion and securing funding for a major building project. In his earlier career he was appointed Assistant then Deputy Headteacher at Slough Grammar School (now known as Upton Court Grammar) after teaching classics in three independent schools at Hampton, Bolton and Bedford. More recently, John has embarked on a PhD in Classics at the University of Reading, where he combines his research with some teaching of Latin and Roman History.

Karl Banister

(Ryan Karl Banister)

Key Skills & Experience

Legal, Leadership, Public Sector, Governance (Primary and Post-16)

Biography

Karl brings wide experience of Government having worked at the CPS, SFO, Ministry of Justice and Department for Culture Media and Sport among others. During that time, he has worked with the most senior officials and politicians and now leads a casework operation of over 300 staff as well as leading his own investigations as Deputy Ombudsman. Karl knows what it takes to lead and motivate a values driven organisation having been a member of the Executive Team at PHSO for six years. He has significant experience of being a Governor both at Collyer’s and prior to that at a local primary school and was also a Trustee of an Almshouses Charity in Walthamstow. Karl is known for his strategic support and challenge and is confident he could play an important role as a Member.

Rev’d Lisa Barnett

Key Skills & Experience

Community Leader, Diocese, Partnerships, Education, Governance (Primary and Post-16)

Biography

Revd Canon Lisa Barnett was ordained in 2007 and has served in churches across Sussex. She became Team Rector of Horsham in February 2020, a role which includes serving as Governor of St Mary’s Primary School and at Collyer’s where she served as a Governor for 5 years before becoming a Member. Lisa’s first career was as a primary school music teacher, and she continues to enjoy the chance to be involved in educational communities. Lisa is delighted to have been invited to serve as a Member of Horsham Learning Alliance and looks forward to playing her part in supporting flexible, nurturing and thoughtful education for young people in the area. Lisa is married to Stephen, a charity leadership consultant, and they have three school aged children.