Taskforce Members

Innovation Associate

I am Executive Director at Durham Community Action (DCA), leading the team and working closely with its Trustees and partners to ensure informed delivery across the full range of its services. I bring valuable insight from a national, regional, and local perspective through participation in partnership boards and networks. I hold the role of Chair with Advice in County Durham and work with senior managers of voluntary and community sector organisations in County Durham through the Better Together Forum.

I am also one of the Directors of Communities CAN North East, a support hub for community-led housing, charged with promoting and supporting a broad range of initiatives across the North East of England.

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Lee Davies is the Defra Deputy Director for Rural Communities and Climate Adaptation. He has worked in a range of government departments over the past 25 years both in the policy and evidence space. He holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics and Psychology and is a member of the government social research service.

Innovation Associate

I am Chief Executive at Community Action Northumberland (CAN), a charity working for communities across rural Northumberland within the ACRE network (Action with Communities in Rural England).

As part of my role at CAN, I am a NICRE Innovation Associate and am working on a range of initiatives including net zero community buildings equipped with solar panels and associated battery storage facilities, digital inclusivity and housing to meet the needs of rural communities.

I am also an Assistant Director at the Rural Services Network (RSN), secretary to the Rural Housing Alliance and a founding director of Communities CAN (North East), a community-led housing hub encouraging the development of locally-owned and managed affordable homes.

Prior to moving to the community and voluntary sector in 2015, I had spent more than 20 years working in local authority rural development.

Newcastle University

Clare’s background in environmental research, coupled with commercial experience gained in defence and marine consultancy sectors has given her a wide array of interests, unique analytical skills and familiarity with novel techniques not formerly applied to marine environmental issues. Although her expertise developed across several fields, a common theme is the analysis of complex systems. She now applies this to marine management and governance, primarily investigating human interactions with ecological systems.

Interested in the ways in which human activities and their organisation impact upon the marine environment; she focuses on understanding governance systems to support decision making for natural resource management, and associated values and trade-offs made at multiple scales. Current research is developing novel social network analysis and futures techniques to explore marine resource management and governance through large-scale regional work across the Caribbean (EC FP7; Defra). She also sustains a successful local ecological programme. This aims to provide management relevant research to support the new inshore conservation obligations of local Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs) and centres on high value local crustacea stocks, associated habitats and fishing behaviour. It attracts multiple funders (NERC, Cefas, Natural England, NIFCA, the Marine Management Organisation).

Durham County Council

James Gilchrist is the Head of Environment at Durham County Council.  He has worked across 7 different councils in his 30 year career. Before joining Durham in summer 2024, he served as Director of Transport, Environment and Planning at City of York Council.

James has strategic management, operational oversight, risk governance, and delivery of major programmes across a range of environmental services.  He contributes to policy development, service reform, and multi-agency coordination, demonstrating strong leadership, communication, and decision‑making across complex operational and strategic environments. He has led significant regeneration projects in both rural and urban settings.

Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

Jonathan is Strategic Engagement Lead for the North East, Tees Valley and Cumbria at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. He leads on the department's engagement with local authorities and mayoral strategic authorities in those areas, and is based at the Darlington Economic Campus. He joined MHCLG in 2020, having previously worked at Destination Management Organisation, NewcastleGateshead Initiative, promoting the North East as a place to visit, live, learn and invest in. Prior to that, he was manager of Newcastle's Tourist Information Service and held several roles at Newcastle City Council.

Historic England

NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB

Dr Dan Jackson is currently undertaking a joint role as Director of Policy in NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB and as Assistant Director, Public Service Reform Health and Prevention at the North East Combined Authority.  In this role Dan leads on Work and Health policy, overseeing key projects tackling economic inactivity, including the Health and Growth Accelerator, Economic Inactivity Trailblazer, and Connect to Work programme. Outside of work, Dan is a bestselling historian of North East England and has served as a trustee of Beamish Museum since 2023.

North East Mayoral Strategic Authority

Ross is the Head of Clean Energy and Environment at the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority (MSA). Ross leads on delivery across a range of areas including rural funding and support, clean energy policy and strategy, decarbonisation technologies and approaches, climate change adaptation and green finance. These work areas are underpinned by key partnerships, and collaboration across the region to deliver the best results for all beneficiaries. Previously to his time at the North East MSA, Ross worked at the Environment Agency for 19 years.

Director

I'm Director of NICRE and Professor of Rural Development at the Centre for Rural Economy, Newcastle University. I have research interests on: the development needs of rural economies and fishing communities; expertise exchange within rural land management; the integration of social and natural sciences in resource management. I'm an adviser to government through my membership of Defra Science Advisory Council Social Science Expert Group, Defra Rural Academic Panel, Scottish Government Rural Economy Action Group. I'm also a member of the Northern Uplands Leader Local Action Group. Previously, I was Assistant Director of the UK Research Council's Rural Economy and Land Use Programme.

Federation of Small Businesses

Katy recently joined the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) as the Regional Business & Stakeholder Manager for the North East. She brings a strong passion for supporting small businesses and ensuring their voices are heard at every level.

In her role, Katy focuses on building meaningful connections, championing local enterprises, and working collaboratively to create opportunities that drive growth and success for small businesses across the region.

South Tyneside Council

Rory is the Corporate Lead for Policy and Insight and has worked at the Council since March 2020. Originally part of the Inclusive Growth team, analysing economic policy, Rory now leads on policy issues, insights and performance for the Council. 

Rory’s background is in economic development, policy and public affairs, having worked in a national public affairs role for Virgin Media, managed the economic strategy and intelligence team at the Tees Valley Combined Authority and held policy and research roles at Middlesbrough Council, the British Medical Association and for a Member of Parliament in Westminster.  

Head of Business and Innovation

I’m Head of Business and Innovation at NICRE. With 25 years working in rural business support in a variety of roles from practical environmental projects, supporting businesses to start, grow and export as well as training both businesses and community organisations, I bring a wide range of practical and applied experience to NICRE. My role is to engage with the wide range of organisations, businesses and stakeholders operating in rural areas to promote the work of NICRE, to help them find the support that they need to grow and to provide a range of training and best practice sharing events. I also support the Living Lab innovation projects, supporting organisations and communities to get involved and disseminating their findings to interested parties. As someone who lives, and raises a family in a rural community, the work of NICRE provides an exciting opportunity to play a part in shaping the future of those communities and helping to tap into their natural ability for innovation and extend their business talents for a sustainable future.

North East Mayoral Strategic Authority

Phil is the Director of Economy and Innovation at the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority.  He is responsible for all the work of the Mayoral Strategic Authority relating to economic growth, innovation, housing, culture, and sport.

Prior to joining the Combined Authority, Phil was a senior civil servant at HM Treasury leading on creative industries, advanced manufacturing, business engagement and DCMS and DBT spending.  Prior to this, Phil was the Director of Inclusive Economy and Skills for the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

National Farmers Union (NFU)

Northumberland National Park Authority

David Renwick became Chief Executive of the Northumberland National Park Authority in 2026. In this role, he leads the organisation and works in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders to deliver the National Park’s vision: a place where both people and nature can thrive. The Authority is committed to supporting the communities and businesses within and beyond the Park, recognising its unique character as a living, working landscape. Under David’s leadership, the organisation focuses on safeguarding the Park’s special qualities, building resilience to future environmental and societal change, and ensuring inclusive access so that everyone can benefit from its natural and cultural assets.

David brings experience from across the environmental and public sectors. He has held senior regional leadership roles at Natural England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, as well as contributing to the management and conservation of protected landscapes at the North York Moors National Park. Earlier in his career, he worked in local government, gaining a strong foundation in public service and community engagement.

Tyne Rivers Trust

Durham Wildlife Trust

Natural England

Environment Agency

The Rivers Trust

Project Manager for the North East Coastal and Rural Taskforce

I am Project Manager for the North East Coast and Rural Taskforce within NICRE, coordinating activity and supporting collaboration between research, practice, and community engagement. My work focuses on connecting partners, strengthening communication, and ensuring that learning and evidence are shared in accessible and meaningful ways.

I draw on experience from a career in secondary education across rural and coastal settings in the UK and New Zealand, including leadership as Head of Sixth Form in Northumberland, where I supported young people through key transitions and worked closely with families, universities, businesses, and community organisations. With a background in geography and a strong interest in place-based development and sustainability, I bring skills in organisation, partnership-building, and engagement, shaped by a lifelong connection to the north east coast and its communities.

Delivery Manager

I am Project Development and Delivery Manager at NICRE, working on our innovation projects and facilitating the development of new partnerships to support future work. Prior to joining NICRE I was a member of the senior leadership team at a national youth charity. I was responsible for its delivery partnerships with regional teams across the UK and volunteers overseas. I've been a consultant specialising in leadership and organisational development and held a range of charity sector roles spanning policy, operations, project management, communications and user involvement. Building and supporting collaboration and partnerships has been a core theme throughout my career. I'm excited to be part of the work NICRE does to facilitate this for rural businesses and communities. I also have a strong track record of project planning, delivery and evaluation: from managing large scale leadership development programmes for regional, national and international clients, to assuring effective delivery of a portfolio of externally-funded strategic change projects within the charity sector.

North East Mayoral Strategic Authority

Karen is the Environment, Coast and Rural Programme Manager at the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority. As part of her role, Karen brings together her passion for environmental & rural issues with being part of a dynamic, forward-thinking organisation working hard for everyone in the region. Karen’s work focuses on supporting and sustaining as green, clean North East. Karen’s previous experience in Local Government and the charity sector has provided her with a solid grounding in all aspects of project and partnership management.

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs