Governance

Our structure and governance

College council

Of the 40 members of council, 35 members represent the profession as a whole and are elected by members in the nine regions of England, and in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

There are also four lay members of council appointed by the lay advisory panel and a representative of BUCO. Council members are volunteers who act as the conscience of the College, monitoring the performance of the board of trustees and ensuring that the College remains true to its principles and fully accountable to its membership.

Regionally elected council members bring College members’ views directly to the College’s attention, and represent the College within their region. Council members attend meetings three times each year, and support College and other events in their region.

The board of trustees

The College’s board of up to 13 trustees is elected by the College council.  Four trustees are officers, with the president, vice president and treasurer elected by council and the president automatically becoming immediate past president.  Six trustees are regionally elected council members, elected to the board by council, and one is a lay council member.  The board can co-opt up to two additional trustees, one of whom must be an optometrist. In 2010 the board co-opted Professor Bernard Gilmartin to chair the research committee, and Andrew Kitchen, a member of the lay advisory panel who brings significant professional financial experience to the board and chairs the audit committee.

The board normally meets eight times a year including an annual away day.  The board:
• works with the Chief Executive to develop long-term strategic plans
• decides on policy: what the College will do
• approves and monitors our business plan
• makes sure that the budget supports the business plan
• approves the annual accounts, monitors spending and makes sure that risks are identified and managed.

Members of the board of trustees:
• Dr Cindy Tromans, President
• Dr Kamlesh Chauhan, Vice President and Chair of Board of Trustees
• Sanjay Patel
• David Parkins
• Professor John Lawrenson
• Dr David MacVeigh
• Mary-Ann Sherratt
• Dr Rob Hogan
• Dr Edward Mallen
• Susan Wilford
• Alan Loynes, Lay Trustee
• Professor Bernard Gilmartin – co-opted member
• Andrew Kitchen – co-opted member

Attendance at meetings in 2009-10 

Council (three meetings), Board (nine meetings)

Officers    
Dr Cindy Tromans 3/3 7/8
Dr Kamlesh Chauhan 3/3 8/8 
Dr Rob Hogan 2/3  6/8 
David Parkins 2/3  6/8 


Co-opted trustees      
Professor Rachel North 2/3 5/8 1 year co-option from AGM 2011
Professor Bernard Gilmartin 1/3 1/8 1 year co-option from AGM 2011
Andrew Kitchen 0/3 7/8  

 

Council members      
Dr Peter Allen 2/3 3/8   Trustee from AGM 2011
Shamina Asif 3/3    
Shane Canning 2/3    
David Cartwright 1/3    
Rasmeet Chadha 3/3    
Colin Davidson 3/3    
Christian Dutton 0/3   End of term AGM 201 
Sarah Farrant 2/3    
George Tony Gibson 3/3    
Lisa Gerson 2/3    
Geraint Griffiths 2/3    
Lloyd Griffiths 3/3    
Daniel Hardiman-McCartney 3/3    
Omar Hassan 1/3    
Adrian Higgins 1/3   End of term AGM 2011 
Kavi Kotecha 0/3    
Dr Anna Kwartz 1/3    
Professor John Lawrenson 1/3 1/8  
Jane Macnaughton  1/3     
Sara McCullough 2/3    
Dr David MacVeigh  2/3  4/8   
Dr Edward Mallen  3/3  3/6   
Francesca Marchetti  3/3    
Dr Rod McDowell  0/3    End of term AGM 2011
Malcolm McPherson   3/3    
Krupa Patel  3/3    
Sanjay Patel  2/3  7/8   
Noreen Rahman  1/3     
Hal Rollason  3/3     
Sonal Rughani  3/3    
Dr Kathryn Saunders  3/3    
Mary-Ann Sherratt  3/3  7/8   
Adam Wannell  1/3     
Susan Wilford  3/3  6/8   

 

 

Lay members      
Tony Cowburn 2/3 2/2  
Alan Loynes 1/3 4/8 Stepped down November 2011
John Thompson 3/3  1/8  
BUCO representative  
Professor David Thomson 2/3