Chair, Executive Manager and Management Group

The Chair: Tony Pexton OBE

Biography:
Tony Pexton OBE oversees the operation of a family farm in East Yorkshire where pigs are reared from progeny to bacon and wheat, oilseed rape and vining peas are grown.  A former Chairman of the Assured Combinable Crops Scheme, he was awarded the OBE for services to agriculture in 2007 and currently holds office as Chairman of NIAB and Chairman of the Sustainable Arable Link Research and Development Programme Management Committee for Defra.  Tony was recently chairman of the Farmers Club and was also vice and deputy President of the NFU 1992 - 2002.

Executive Manager: Helen Wright who is managing the secretariat which was appointed by the RAF in December 2009.

I am delighted to have been appointed to the role of Executive Manager for the Yorkshire & The Humber Rural Affairs Forum. Without doubt there will be challenges - but I see it as an exciting opportunity to build on the good work that has been undertaken by the Forum so far, and to ensure that rural governance structures at the regional level are fit-for-purpose and able to deliver effectively as we move forward into increasingly uncertain times.

Biography:
Helen is the Rural Policy and Partnerships Manager at East Riding of Yorkshire Council.  She has worked in local government for many years on rural planning, development and regeneration issues. She played a key role in setting up the East Riding Rural Partnership in 1998 and securing Beacon Status for ERYC under the theme of ‘Supporting the Rural Economy'.

Yorkshire and The Humber Rural Affairs Forum
Management Group

Chairman
Tony Pexton (tonypexton@pextonfarms.co.uk)

Humber Functional Sub-Region (Humber Rural Partnership):
Councillor Symon Fraser (Councillor.Fraser@eastriding.gov.uk)
Chris Barnett (chris.barnett@northlincs.gov.uk)

Leeds Functional Sub-Region (West Yorkshire Rural Partnership):
Councillor Mrs. C. Bampton-Smith (Councillor.CBampton-Smith@calderdale,gov.uk)
Dave Melling (dave.melling@bradford.gov.uk)

York & North Yorkshire Functional Sub-Region (North Yorkshire Rural Partnership):
Councillor Peter Sowray (cllr.peter.sowray@northyorks.gov.uk)
Gary Fielding (gary.fielding@northyorks.gov.uk)

Sheffield Functional Sub-Region
Councillor Cynthia Ransome (cynthia.ransome@doncaster.gov.uk)
Jonathan Clarke (jonathan.clarke1@doncaster.gov.uk)

Local Government Yorkshire and Humber
Kelly Jevons (kelly.jevons@lgyh.gov.uk)

Yorkshire Forward
Pauline Teale (Pauline.teale@yorkshire-forward.com)

Government Office for Yorkshire and The Humber
Mike Feist (mike.feist@goyh.gsi.gov.uk)

Commission for Rural Communities
Howard Petch (howardpetch@btinternet.com)

Food and Farming Partnership
Steve Willis (stevewillisfarming@googlemail.com)

Environment Sector Membership
Peter Nottage - Natural England (peter.nottage@naturalengland.org.uk)
John Hoare - Council for the Protection of Rural England (kyloe@jhoare.plus.com)

Economy & Business Sector Membership
Cath Lee - The Federation of Small Businesses (yhpolicy@fsb.org.uk)
Richard Ellison - National Farmers Union (Richard,ellison@nfu.org.uk)

Social Sector Membership
Shelagh Marshall - Self (shel.marshall@tiscali.co.uk)
Janet Thornton - Rural Community Councils & Regional Forum (janet.thornton@btopenworld.com)

Sustainable Development Board
Graham Ward (grahamward@stc-nyorks.co.uk)

Executive Manager
Helen Wright (yhrafhelenwright@eastriding.gov.uk)