Management and Administration Team
Jim Munford
Chief Executive
Tel: 01353 749196
Email: j.munford@nbn.org.uk
Overall purpose of Job
To manage the process of establishing and running the National Biodiversity Network. To manage the relationships and overall performance of the NBN projects. To promote the NBN and the contributions made by its participants in order to increase understanding of the benefits of the NBN and encourage its expansion. To manage the Trust’s Secretariat. Also a Director of BioD Services Ltd. Employed by Scottish Natural Heritage.
About Jim
I was yoked to the plough in February 1999 before the creation of the NBN Trust, when the notion of a National Biodiversity Network was yet new. I came as a gift from my home agency, SNH on a two year assignment and I am still here.
Having spent most of my professional career as a more or less active marine biologist, albeit for most of the time involved in mariculture (an exploiter of the environment rather than a protector), I came to the then Nature Conservancy Council in Scotland in 1986 as poacher turned gamekeeper.
Following the odd twists and turns that are often associated with life in a public sector agency I migrated from marine fish farms to become the National Grants Officer of SNH! That led into IT (a new grants data base/ business tool for the SNH intranet) – there are quite a few marine biologists involved with the NBN and its development. And thus to the NBN where I lead a happy band of brothers (and sisters) who all know more than me.
Geoff Johnson
Business Analyst
Tel: 01738 788091
Email: g.johnson@nbn.org.uk
Overall purpose of Job
To help organisations to understand how they can make best use of biodiversity data supplied by the NBN. To help analyse business processes such as policy development and operational tasks to see how biodiversity data might be used to improve these. To manage the Defra contract.
About Geoff
I started my biodiversity career with a degree in Marine Biology from Bangor University. Drawn by the attraction of fieldwork in Africa and North America, I switched camp to freshwater and gained a Masters from Leicester University using Remote Sensing to monitor changes in phytoplankton and macrophyte distribution.
I started work for SNH in Edinburgh in 1997 as the Scottish Blanket Bog Inventory Project Manager. After 5 years at the coal face I returned to academia to do an MSc in Information Systems at Napier before going back to join the newly formed Natural Heritage Data Unit in late 2002. I joined the NBN Trust as Business Analyst in May 2005. I work from home in Highland Perthshire where I live with my wife and two young children.
Mandy Henshall
Communications Officer
Tel: 0115 924 7133
Email: m.henshall@nbn.org.uk
Overall purpose of Job
To provide a range of information, communications and administrative services. To co-ordinate and edit the quarterly NBN e-Newsletter and to run the key communication and information systems of the NBN Trust. To undertake a range of tasks and projects in support of the NBN work programme and to manage the Engagement theme of the Defra contract. To be the central point of contact for people making enquiries about the NBN. Employed by NBN Trust.
About Mandy
My love of wildlife is without doubt as a result of having an older brother who, when I was aged only 7 or 8, used to regularly whisk me off to Chester Zoo! It wasn’t only the exotic animals that caught my attention though, I also have fond memories of walking with my brother in the beautiful Cheshire countryside looking at its flora and fauna. I remember being amazed at how he knew the name of everything we saw!
I was never really sure what I wanted to do when I “grew up”, but following on from A-levels and an art foundation course in my home county, I decided to try out the metropolis of London for my university years where I studied Fine Art & Art History. People have different views of the city, but I think it is one of the most beautiful in the world and I was thrilled, if not initially a little overawed, to live there for nearly four years.
I moved to Nottingham shortly after getting married (21 years ago!!) and started working for the Boots Company in various retail marketing roles at head office. This culminated in my role as Operations Manager for their baby business, a position which had a strong marketing communications focus.
As for today, well my love of wildlife has continued to grow. I am incredibly lucky to have travelled widely, often in search of specific animals, and I am now in the fortunate position of combining wildlife with a love of writing within my role as Communications Officer for the NBN Trust.
Sarah Hyslop
Business Administrator
Tel: 0115 924 7132
Email: s.hyslop@nbn.org.uk
Overall purpose of Job
To ensure the smooth running of the financial, business and office functions of the NBN Trust. Employed by the NBN Trust.
About Sarah
I joined the NBN Trust in April 2011. Before this I worked for Nottingham City Council for six years as an Administration Coordinator. I felt that it was time for a change and became really interested in the NBN Trust after seeing the job advertisement. Although my time here as been short so far, I am enjoying it very much and feel excited about the future ahead!
I have a great deal of experience in working in an office and all the various tasks that go along with running a busy and productive administration service. I have been very lucky to have gained my NVQ Level 3 Business Admin and my Teeline shorthand certificate along with various other short courses.
When I left school in 1999 I wanted to use my love for drawing, painting and designing, so I went to college and gained my BTEC National Diploma in Interior Design and Graphics. This is something that I really enjoyed and has benefited me in my working life and was my start into employment, as I used this training to gain a job working for Coldseal designing their conservatories.
I have recently been able to put this to use in our new house which we moved into in December. We are also very lucky to have a huge garden which hosts a variety of birds, I am trying to learn all about these and spot them in the garden!
I have a great love for animals and have had various pets ranging from hamsters, cats and geckos. My husband is very keen on fish and corals and after our honeymoon to Australia where we spent a few months travelling, we were keen to invest in a marine tank. We are in the process of setting this up, and whilst it is rather large and seems to be taking over the living room, I think that it will look amazing once we have it sorted!
I look forward to working with the NBN Trust and the organisations involved. I think this will be a bright and happy future!.
Trevor James
Development Advisor
Tel: 07880 797059
Email: t.james@nbn.org.uk
Overall purpose of Job
To provide advice to societies and schemes on their future development and their involvement in the NBN in collaboration with Helen Roy of the BRC. To provide authoritative, practical guidance and run workshops as required. To represent the NBN Trust and the members of the NBN in the OPAL project. Contracted to NBN Trust.
About Trevor
The need for accurate and comprehensive information about habitats and species, especially for use in the planning process and for influencing land management has been a major concern of mine for well over 30 years. While there has been a very long-standing tradition of recording wildlife in the UK, it is only relatively recently that we have, at last, begun to bring together this broad-based, mostly amateur interest in wildlife with the application of data to such uses.
For 17 years I was involved in setting up and running the natural history unit in a local museum in Hertfordshire, part of whose work involved the establishment of the beginnings of a local biological records centre. This led to the setting up of a full-scale records centre for the County which I also led for 11 years, as well as being heavily involved with various national and local societies in recording especially flora and insects (Coleoptera) at the local level. I am County plant recorder for the Botanical Society of the British Isles in Hertfordshire, and am currently involved in the final stages of producing a new Flora for the County. I also have specific interests in the biodiversity and ecology of minerals sites and in historical ecology, particularly of woodlands. I am also a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, and of the Royal Entomological Society.
Involvement in national biological recording led to my being involved in setting up the National Biodiversity Network from its first conception in the mid-1990s and the NBN Trust in 2000. It seemed a natural progression to take on the role of Development Officer at the BRC for the national voluntary societies and recording schemes involved in the NBN, helping them to find extra resources, and to smooth their path in engaging with the opportunities offered by the Internet to make use of their data. Now, since semi-retirement in 2007, I keep my hand in helping with strategy and planning in this area, and with running the NBN Conference