I have been Western Gateway’s Senior Transport Officer since the summer of ‘23, having become a transport officer accidentally in 2007. I’ve previously worked at Cotswold District Council, Somerset County Council and Sustrans, so now I only need to work in national government to call a full house in Organisational Bingo. While I work across the full range of transport modes at Western Gateway, my background and interests are in sustainability and environmental protection, so I’m much less grumpy when working on active travel, public transport and decarbonisation strategies. Outside of work, I like to go on adventures with my two excellent children, ideally involving maps, bicycles, pubs, cream teas and either tents or (hypocritically) our campervan.

Seconded across to the Western Gateway in 2021, I am the Technical Lead for the Western Gateway. I lead the team and work on region-wide transport policies and interventions including our Strategic Transport Plan, rail and freight. I am a transport planner with over 30 years of experience across a range of local authorities, from central London to York and the East Riding of Yorkshire and back south via Wiltshire, South Gloucestershire, the West of England Partnership, West of England LEP, West of England Combined Authority and most recently to the Western Gateway Sub-national Transport Body.

As a Director of TravelWatch SouthWest and the Severnside Community Rail Partnership and as a regular train user, I am committed to promoting public transport across our region.

I joined Western Gateway in March 2024 as a Transport Officer. In this role, I deliver on a range of projects, including the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, Decarbonisation playbook and Coach Strategy, while supporting the region to adapt and make use of new and innovative transport ideas. I am also helping to achieve the regional transport aims set out in the new Strategic Transport Plan. After gaining my MSc from the University of Aberdeen in Transport and Intelligent Mobility, I went on to work for Aberdeenshire Council and more recently as a Project Officer at the South East Scotland Regional Transport Partnership (SEStran).

I joined Western Gateway in October 2023 as a Project Manager. I manage the development and delivery of strategic projects, while also working collaboratively with colleagues across all of our workstreams and with partner Local Authorities throughout the region. Before joining the team, I worked for the NHS and briefly at the Forestry Commission, focusing on various aspects of project and programme management, Having recently gained an MSc in Public Health, I’m interested in exploring more about transport as it affects health directly and indirectly, through its relationship with the wider determinants of health and its influence that occurs through active travel. When I’m not working, I enjoy going to watch my kids play sports or play sports myself.

I joined Western Gateway in January 2024 as a Project Support Officer. I’m responsible for helping maintain the smooth operation of the organisation with admin, events and marketing support. I have a keen interest in mental health and I’m also studying to be a therapist. I’m particularly interested in how transport can help improve connectivity and reduce isolation for people living in rural communities. My favourite way to travel is by train, as I love being able to soak up the region’s beautiful scenery.