Cardiff Community Housing Association (CCHA) welcomes seven new appointments to the board, bringing experience from the public and private sectors.
Joining the board are Mike Owen, Samantha Barklam, Neil Harries, Vinita Nawathe, Michelle Wade, Emma Britton and Scott Rooks.
Duncan Forbes, Chair, CCHA said
“The board is delighted to be joined by seven talented and influential individuals who will each bring unique skills and talent to the Association. We have added very well qualified individuals in their specific areas of expertise to create a diverse board that has the skills and experience needed to help the new Chair and Executive in delivering CCHA’s ambitious new strategy.”
Hayley Selway, Chief Executive, CCHA said,
“The seven new board members embody the spirit of community and bring talent, expertise and energy to the table. We are very fortunate to have them by our side as we continue to strengthen Cardiff Community Housing Association. I am delighted that four of the new board are women, which further demonstrates our commitment to being an inclusive organisation representative of the communities we serve”.
The new appointments follow the announcement that experienced social housing professional Mike Owen will take over as Chair from Duncan Forbes who will be stepping down in September.
The new board members are:
Mike Owen
Mike has worked in housing since 1982, retiring in April 2019. He is a dedicated housing professional and in 2018 won the “lifetime achievement award” for his contribution to Welsh Housing. His most recent role was as Chief Executive of Merthyr Valleys Homes (MVH) which became the first Tenant and Employee mutual in Wales.
Samantha Barklam
Samantha is an executive consultant/director with more than 14 years’ experience in managing projects and programmes in both the private and public sector. She currently manages four policy areas for the government on the UK’s exit from the EU.
Neil Harries
Neil is a principal in a firm of Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors and has served on the board as chair of Valleys to Coast Housing Association, and is currently a co-opted member of Tai Calon Community Housing.
Vinita Nawathe
Vinita is an independent consultant and holds non-executive roles as a director of a small community interest company promoting the interests of transport users and is an independent board member of Bath Spa University where she sits on the Audit and Infrastructure and Finance Committees.
Michelle Wade
Michelle has worked in the financial services sector for a number of years. She is experienced in managing conduct and risk, budgets and business plans. Ms Wade is certified under the FCS’s Senior Manager Regime and is Vice-Chair of UK Finance (mortgages) Wales Policy Committee.
Emma Britton
Emma is a youth worker and social worker and has extensive knowledge of the Adamsdown, Splott and Tremorfa area. She is Vice Chair for the Audit and Risk Committee of Social Care Wales.
Scott Rooks
Scott is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and experienced in risk profiling around budgeting, cash flow, development and maintenance work. His current role as Commercial Director at Candleston Homes includes establishing a ‘homes for sale’ business, brand building and strategic development.
