Cannock Chase AONB has a small but enthusiastic team of staff that co-ordinates the business of the Partnership and works with a wide range of partners and representatives from across the area and beyond to deliver the AONB Management Plan.
Councillor Victoria Wilson – Chair of the Cannock Chase AONB Joint Committee
Victoria is the Chairman of Staffordshire’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Victoria has been a County Councillor for six years, and Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture for three. She’s also the Deputy Leader of South Staffordshire District Council, portfolio holder for Business Enterprise and Community Infrastructure, and is currently Chairman of the Conservative Association of South Staffordshire.
As a keen advocate for reducing the councils’ carbon footprint and keeping safe all flora and fauna within the Countryside Estate, Victoria works hard with partners in the best interests of all our country parks, from the Peak District, the Moorlands and all the way down to Kinver, which is her county seat. Anything she can do in the best interests of our precious countryside, to promote its safe use, and allow accessibility and a healthy place in which to reap health benefits for local people, will always be in the forefront of everything she does for and with the AONB.
victoria.wilson@staffordshire.gov.uk
07592 883270
Supported by Tracey Lloyd tracey.lloyd@staffordshire.gov.uk
Ian Marshall – AONB Team Leader
Ian keeps a strategic overview of the partnership’s activities and monitors the delivery of the statutory AONB Management Plan. He leads on visitor management, connecting with communities and business, communications and exploring the sustainability of the partnership.
Ian’s career in environmental conservation spans over 35 years. Most of this time has been spent in the public sector, initially as an ecologist and later managing multi-disciplinary environmental teams. In between times he managed a European ecological network project with partners in the UK, Italy and the Netherlands. Most recently he assisted the National Association for AONBs with the development of national environmental policy, particularly around nature recovery. He has also been supporting a charity on the Cheshire Sandstone Ridge to develop a long-term model for the protection of its magical landscape. Ian is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
Position currently vacant – AONB Landscape Planning Officer
Richard Harris – AONB Land Management Officer
Richard leads on nature conservation and the historic environment. With partners he develops initiatives to conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage features that make up the special qualities of Cannock Chase AONB. His role includes providing support to volunteers and overseeing the AONB Sustainable Development Fund which provides financial support for community projects to further the aims of the AONB Management Plan.
Richard has worked in the field of environmental conservation in the public sector for 17 years. He has practically managed and given technical direction across a broad range of habitats across the UK, managed multi-disciplinary environmental teams and biological records centres, and delivered both nature conservation and cultural heritage projects. Notable successes include restoration of European dry heath and creation of upland oak woodland from a 34 Ha area of conifer plantation in the Dark Peak and working with planning to secure a green roof on the British Museum.
Colin Manning – Farming in Protected Landscapes Officer
Colin’s role is to engage directly with farmers and land managers to advise and support them in applications that deliver positive outcomes for their land under the themes of Climate, Nature, People and Place through this Defra supported programme. He also manages all aspects of the programme
Colin has a wide range of experience spanning over 25 years in both the public and private sector. His career has included planning and delivering environmental conservation projects, community engagement and working with volunteers, environmental education and time as a Rights of Way officer. He also set up and ran his own outdoor learning business specialising in Forest School training and delivery in addition to advising, designing and delivering practical habitat improvements.
Karen Davies – Farming in Protected Landscapes Officer
Karen’s role is to help deliver the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme, along with Colin Manning supporting and advising farmers and land managers with applications to the programme.
Karen was an active environmentalist as a teenager and went on to study Environmental Science. She spent a number of years working with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) in Africa. Karen then worked in Further Education, becoming Joint Head of Environmental Science and Geography and gaining her Masters Degree in Environment and Development at this time. Moving to local government in Stafford, she was instrumental in setting up Stafford Farmers’ Market, Stafford Borough Eco-Schools Network, the Walking for Health Programme and Stafford’s Back 2 Bikes bike recycling project plus many other community based projects. Karen was invited to the Queen’s Garden Party for contributing towards climate change action.
Karen holds a level 3 Forest Schools qualification and is a BHS Stage 3 Coach and Trail Leader. She owns 10 acres of land on which she keeps horses but also undertakes conservation management. She has planted 300m of hedging and two orchards, created 6 ponds to attract great crested newts, installed a Barn Owl Box and is gradually increasing species diversity within the grassland.
Samantha Hall – AONB Communications Officer
Sam started in this new role in the team in November 2022 with a mandate to deliver the AONB Communications Strategy. To raise the profile of Cannock Chase as a National Landscape ensuring that is to be protected, respected and enjoyed by everyone and also to continue to raise the profile of the AONB Partnership so that it continues to be valued and supported by all.
Sam is an experienced marketeer who has worked in destination tourism marketing and visitor management for over 20 years. Most of her experience gained has been within a local authority environment previously as Tourism Marketing Officer and Visitor Economy Manager for Stoke-on-Trent where she developed a Ceramics Trail and County wide Travel Trade campaign. More recently she was Business Tourism Manager at Leicester City Council where her role was to set up the new Meet Leicester Business Tourism service.
Sam has a keen passion for both tourism and the outdoors, is a keen rambler and plays tennis for her local club.