Our Board Members
Evelyn Asante-Mensah OBE, DLtt, MA
Board Member, Chair of the Board
Evelyn is a Commissioner for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, a Board member for the Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust and a Board member for Lankelly Chase Foundation. She is an experienced Strategic Leader, Director, Chief Executive and Chair with over 20 year working to tackle inequality. Evelyn joined our Board as the Chair in 2013.
Sally Penni LLB (Hons) in Law
Board Member
Sally is a Barrister at Law for Kenworthy's Chambers in Manchester and Vice Chair of Association of Women Barristers UK. She is also a Non-Executive Director of Codethink Ltd., Trustee for Royal Exchange Theatre and highly commended as an inspiring leader by HSBC National Women in Business 2016. Sally joined our Board 2017.
Anita Patel MCIH
Board Member
Anita is the Business Intelligence Manager at HouseMark at Great Places where she has a leadership role in data, insight and solutions across all the key service areas across the business. She has also worked for HouseMark where she was the Specialist Clubs Manager responsible for driving service improvements across key services in housing organisations over the whole sector . Anita is a member of our Audit Committee and our Remuneration & Selection Committee and joined our Board in 2014.
Dr Kailash Chand OBE
Board Member
Kailash is Chair of North West BMA Council and of Health Watch Tameside. Now retired, Kailash was a GP for 30 years and also Chair of the Local Medical Committee, a member of BMA Council, Deputy Chair of BMA's National Equality and Diversity Committee and Chair of NHS Tameside and Glossop PCT. He joined our Board in 2017.
Retired Board Members
Nadia Fortune-Nesbit
Retired Board Member
Nadia is Operations Manager for Cariocca Enterprises Ltd. She joined our Board in 2015.
Lorri Holding
Board Member, Chair of Remuneration and Selection Committee
Lorri is the Group Older Persons Services Lead at ForViva. She is one of our longest serving Board members having joined our Board in 2008.
Board Member, Chair of the Board
Evelyn is a Commissioner for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, a Board member for the Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust and a Board member for Lankelly Chase Foundation. She is an experienced Strategic Leader, Director, Chief Executive and Chair with over 20 year working to tackle inequality. Evelyn joined our Board as the Chair in 2013.
Sally Penni LLB (Hons) in Law
Board Member
Sally is a Barrister at Law for Kenworthy's Chambers in Manchester and Vice Chair of Association of Women Barristers UK. She is also a Non-Executive Director of Codethink Ltd., Trustee for Royal Exchange Theatre and highly commended as an inspiring leader by HSBC National Women in Business 2016. Sally joined our Board 2017.
Anita Patel MCIH
Board Member
Anita is the Business Intelligence Manager at HouseMark at Great Places where she has a leadership role in data, insight and solutions across all the key service areas across the business. She has also worked for HouseMark where she was the Specialist Clubs Manager responsible for driving service improvements across key services in housing organisations over the whole sector . Anita is a member of our Audit Committee and our Remuneration & Selection Committee and joined our Board in 2014.
Dr Kailash Chand OBE
Board Member
Kailash is Chair of North West BMA Council and of Health Watch Tameside. Now retired, Kailash was a GP for 30 years and also Chair of the Local Medical Committee, a member of BMA Council, Deputy Chair of BMA's National Equality and Diversity Committee and Chair of NHS Tameside and Glossop PCT. He joined our Board in 2017.
Retired Board Members
Nadia Fortune-Nesbit
Retired Board Member
Nadia is Operations Manager for Cariocca Enterprises Ltd. She joined our Board in 2015.
Lorri Holding
Board Member, Chair of Remuneration and Selection Committee
Lorri is the Group Older Persons Services Lead at ForViva. She is one of our longest serving Board members having joined our Board in 2008.
David Brown MCIH
Board Member, Deputy Chair
David is Managing Director of Pine Court Housing Association. He is responsible for the day to day operations in delivering quality neighbourhood and community services to diverse local communities. David is our Deputy Chair, sits on our Audit Committee and joined our Board in 2014.
Rob Wakefield BSc CPFA
Co-opted Board Member
Rob is the Chief Executive of Community Gateway Association (CGA), a housing association that owns and manages over 6,000 homes in Preston. At CGA Rob is responsible for all matters of corporate strategy, tenant and colleague engagement, service delivery and the development of new homes. Prior to joining the Board in 2016 Rob’s involvement with Arawak Walton began in 2014 when he became a Co-opted Member of the Audit Committee.
Professor Carol Baxter CBE FRSA
Board Member
Carol is a Trustee for the Centre for Aging Better and the Employers Network on Equality and Inclusion. She also serves as a Non-Executive Director for Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust. Now retired, Carol was the Head of Equality, Diversity and Human Rights for NHS employers and joined our Board in 2017.
Mike Cartwright
Retired Board Member, Chair of Tenant Quality Panel
Mike is a retired Class 1 HGV, taxi and bus driver and later in life a TV/Video repair worker. A current tenant with Arawak Walton, Mike has been a member of our board since 2010.
Board Member, Deputy Chair
David is Managing Director of Pine Court Housing Association. He is responsible for the day to day operations in delivering quality neighbourhood and community services to diverse local communities. David is our Deputy Chair, sits on our Audit Committee and joined our Board in 2014.
Rob Wakefield BSc CPFA
Co-opted Board Member
Rob is the Chief Executive of Community Gateway Association (CGA), a housing association that owns and manages over 6,000 homes in Preston. At CGA Rob is responsible for all matters of corporate strategy, tenant and colleague engagement, service delivery and the development of new homes. Prior to joining the Board in 2016 Rob’s involvement with Arawak Walton began in 2014 when he became a Co-opted Member of the Audit Committee.
Professor Carol Baxter CBE FRSA
Board Member
Carol is a Trustee for the Centre for Aging Better and the Employers Network on Equality and Inclusion. She also serves as a Non-Executive Director for Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust. Now retired, Carol was the Head of Equality, Diversity and Human Rights for NHS employers and joined our Board in 2017.
Mike Cartwright
Retired Board Member, Chair of Tenant Quality Panel
Mike is a retired Class 1 HGV, taxi and bus driver and later in life a TV/Video repair worker. A current tenant with Arawak Walton, Mike has been a member of our board since 2010.
Hilda Kaponda FCCA, MBA, BEng
Board Member, Chair of Audit Committee
Hilda is a Director at Hilko Consulting Ltd. She has worked in social housing since 1995 and has held senior finance roles at a number of organisations including as a Regulator at The Housing Corporation. Hilda was previously Director of Finance in Equity Housing Group and Director of Finance and ICT at Eastlands Homes Partnership Ltd. She joined our Board in 2015.
Charles Jarvis
Board Member
Charles was previously a Director at the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and now is a PG Researcher for the University of Manchester. He is a member of our Audit committee and has been a member of the Board since 2014.
Paul Roberts
Co-opted Board Member
Paul is a Freelance Consultant and previously worked for Leeds and Yorkshire Housing Association as a Corporate Services Director. He was lead in establishing and recruiting the new Board at CGA and has developed a Risk Management Framework for both the CGA and LYHA. Paul joined our Board in 2017.
Susan Taylor MSc
Retired Board Member
Susan is the Assistant Director of Infrastructure and Quality at the Big Life Group. She is a Board member and member of our Audit Committee and joined in 2014.
Board Member, Chair of Audit Committee
Hilda is a Director at Hilko Consulting Ltd. She has worked in social housing since 1995 and has held senior finance roles at a number of organisations including as a Regulator at The Housing Corporation. Hilda was previously Director of Finance in Equity Housing Group and Director of Finance and ICT at Eastlands Homes Partnership Ltd. She joined our Board in 2015.
Charles Jarvis
Board Member
Charles was previously a Director at the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and now is a PG Researcher for the University of Manchester. He is a member of our Audit committee and has been a member of the Board since 2014.
Paul Roberts
Co-opted Board Member
Paul is a Freelance Consultant and previously worked for Leeds and Yorkshire Housing Association as a Corporate Services Director. He was lead in establishing and recruiting the new Board at CGA and has developed a Risk Management Framework for both the CGA and LYHA. Paul joined our Board in 2017.
Susan Taylor MSc
Retired Board Member
Susan is the Assistant Director of Infrastructure and Quality at the Big Life Group. She is a Board member and member of our Audit Committee and joined in 2014.