Cllr Abigail Marshall Katung is an elected member of Leeds City Council and Lord Mayor of Leeds. She was previously, chair of the council’s scrutiny board (adults health and active lifestyle), chair of the further education (14-19 years) strategic partnership board, chair of the hate crime strategic board, lead member for faith and religion, and a food champion.

Abigail has a master’s degree from the University of Leeds and a bachelor’s degree in education. In May 2019, Abigail became the first African to be elected on to Leeds City Council in 126 years.

Abigail is an athlete and an England Athletics coach and coaches under-15 boys and girls. She specialises in sprinting at the Leeds City Athletic Club. She enjoys running and raising funds for charities, including the Twins Trust, Cancer Research UK, and Age UK.

Abigail is a co-opted member of the Leeds City College Board.

Claire has a strong background in project management having previously worked as a project manager at Leeds City College and now at NHS England. Claire has honed her skills in strategic planning, resource management and stakeholder engagement. She has successfully led on numerous projects focused on enhancing healthcare services. In addition to Claire’s professional experience, she has a strong commitment to community service, demonstrated through volunteer work in Kenya where she collaborated with local communities to construct a new educational facility. This experience reinforced Claire’s belief in the transformative power of education.

Claire Broodie is a co-opted member of the Leeds City College Board.

Andrew has over 20 years’ experience in the UK water sector in a combination of operational and strategic roles. He has always had a focus on the development of people, performance improvement and ensuring the provision of the key service of water and wastewater.

A resident of Yorkshire for over 30 years, the last 10 of these in Leeds, Andrew feels connected to the area and is passionate about helping ensure that young people have every opportunity to be successful.

Andrew is a co-opted member of the Leeds City College Board.

Now retired, Peter’s career saw him initially teach digital-related courses and later move into IT consultancy work. Peter worked on various IT projects, including the Leeds Building Schools for the Future programme and the first Cisco Networking Academy programme for education. As part of the refurbishment of Leeds General Infirmary, Peter was given funding to build a new classroom for hospitalised pupils and students as part of the Hospital Teaching Service (now the Medical Needs Teaching Service). In his last 10 years of work in education, he provided assessment and technology solutions for children with physical difficulties across the city.

Peter Fletcher is a co-opted member of the Leeds City College Board.

As the elected Student Union President for 2024/25, Shaik Qasim serves as student governor on the Luminate Education Group Board and as student member on the Leeds City College Board.

Having graduated from the University of Leeds with a BSc, MSc and PGCE, Ann worked as a secondary science teacher in different parts of the country from 1978 until taking early retirement in 2011. Ann undertook different leadership roles, including in curriculum development and behaviour management. After returning to Leeds in 2016, Ann undertook short part-time contracts at two FE colleges in West Yorkshire. Ann has served on five school governing boards and is currently chair of governors at Greenhill Primary School in Leeds. In a voluntary capacity, Ann has also devoted much of her time to community development and environmental campaigning. Ann served as a councillor on Leeds City Council from 2019 to 2023, being a member of the children and families scrutiny board and the licensing committee. She moved to Otley in 2023 and is now a trustee of Otley 2030. Ann has a wide range of interests, but her favourite passion is in food production and she is a keen allotmenteer.

Ann is a co-opted member of the Leeds City College Board.

Bill has specialised in contentious and non-contentious construction for over 30 years, having been a partner with Walker Morris, Watson Burton and DLA Piper. Bill set up Barton Legal in 2007. He has particular expertise in drafting and negotiating specialist bespoke contracts, including in relation to wind farms, renewable energy, office and industrial developments, colleges, and standard construction projects.

Bill is a co-opted member of the Leeds City College Board and Chair of Leeds Employer Board.

Julie has more than 17 years’ management experience in the childcare and education sector and a further 12 years prior to this gaining commercial sales and training experience working as a regional and account manager.

Today, as director of external and regulatory affairs at NCFE, Julie ensures the organisation’s reputation as a leading educational services provider endures and that its qualifications and services continue to support individuals to achieve their potential.

Julie joined CACHE in 2010, combining her knowledge and experience of the childcare sector with her business background. When CACHE became part of NCFE in 2015, she directed CACHE services to ensure its gold standard qualifications continued to meet the needs of employers, providers and students. This included leading the Save Our Early Years campaign, which saw the government accept functional skills (as alternative maths and English qualifications) upon entry to the workforce as a level 3 early years educator.

Julie also volunteers as a governor in two other organisations which provide day care, out-of-school provision, special educational needs, adult care and further education.

When not with family, Julie loves to read, swim and sing with a female voice choir.

Julie is a governor of the Luminate Education Group (Group Board), Co opted member of Leeds City College Board and Chair of the group Skills Stakeholder Board.

Kate is the director of the Leeds Academic Health Partnership. This partnership comprises Leeds’ universities, local NHS organisations, Leeds City Council, Leeds City College, West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, the regional economic enterprise partnership and industry and third sector organisations.

Kate is passionate about health and care transformation and innovation, and has spent her career delivering complex change in this sector. She joined the partnership from the Yorkshire and Humber Academic Health Science Network where she ran innovation programmes across the region as head of strategic partnerships. Before this, Kate held senior positions at healthcare consulting firm Finnamore and latterly GE Healthcare, gaining experience in change management, transformation, commercials and governance.

She was educated in a comprehensive school in the East Riding of Yorkshire before heading to the University of Oxford to read human sciences. This shaped her approach to change and the world of work, placing importance on understanding the connections among biological, social and cultural phenomena to help address the major challenges we face in a rapidly changing world.

Kate is a co-opted member of the Leeds City College Board.

Ken worked for Leeds City Council for more than 30 years in education and children services, latterly as head of service for young people and skills.

Since retiring, Ken has also built up a portfolio of volunteer governance roles. In addition to his roles within Luminate Education Group, he is also director of the Brigshaw Learning Partnership (a six-school multi-academy trust), governor of Springwell Leeds (an SEMH special school), and primary school governor at Kippax Ash Tree and Hunslet St Mary’s. He is also trustee and chair of YAMSEN (a small musical charity providing inclusive opportunities for people with additional needs), and a trustee of GIPSIL which provides housing and wellbeing support services for young people and families in Leeds.

Ken is a governor of Luminate Education Group, serving as vice chair of the Group Board, chair of the Leeds City College Board and member of the Group Finance Committee.

Linda’s career began at Leeds City College 19 years ago as a lecturer in business. For the last seven years, she has been teaching GCSE English. Prior to this, she ran her own business. During her teaching career she has organised speakers and trips for students, including overseas visits. For the last five years, she has been branch secretary and a health and safety representative for University and College Union. During this time, she has taken part in the Association of College’s Love Our Colleges campaign.

Linda is the staff elected member serving on the Leeds City College Board.