Trustees - Methodist Independent Schools Trust (MIST)
TRUSTEES
Revd Dr Calvin T Samuel - Chair of MIST
(Appointed 2020)
Calvin is a Methodist Presbyter, currently stationed in the Southend & Leigh Methodist Circuit and between 2005 – 2010 served as a School Chaplain at Farringtons School. Throughout Calvin's career he has taken a deep-rooted and well-known interest in Schools and their ministry. Having written his PhD on the theme of Holiness and the Holy School, Calvin joins MIST at a time when it seeks to enhance its provision of Christian witness and action.
Calvin has long standing links with Methodist Schools, having educated his children at a Methodist school and having previously served on the MIST Board as a Trustee.
Mrs Elaine Cleland (Deputy Chair of MIST)
(Appointed 2016)
Elaine has wide ranging experience in senior management and leadership both in business and education.
Her focus has always been on the engagement and development of the people, empowering them to perform more effectively to enable an organisation to realise its full executive and commercial potential.
Revd Stephen Burgess
(Appointed 2017)
Stephen initially trained as a Chemist and worked in industry before undertaking a PGCE followed by a couple of years teaching in a secondary school. He then trained for ordained Methodist ministry, retiring in 2017 after 37 years in the “active work”. His ministry has included 20 years as a School Chaplain: seven years at Farringtons School, followed by 13 years at The Leys School, where he was also a Housemaster for five years. In 1990, Stephen exchanged for twelve months with the Chaplain of Newington College, Sydney. Four years as Superintendent Minister of the Cambridge circuit was followed by 13 years as Chair of the York & Hull district.
Stephen is married to Barbara, a retired teacher who taught at St Faith’s School for ten years before moving to the Minster School in York. They have two adult sons – both of whom are past pupils of St Faith’s School and The Leys School.
Sailing with young people is a passion, and Stephen skippers offshore yachts for the Rona Sailing Project in a voluntary capacity.
Mr Tim Emmett
(Appointed 2023)
Tim is an education industry specialist, with a focus on market development. He has worked across all education sectors in the UK and internationally and understands school governance in the independent and maintained sectors. Tim's education industry expertise encompasses finance, marketing and public affairs experience.
Mrs Bernasia Halikowa
(Appointed 2023)
Bernasia has over 40 years’ experience leading high-profile assignments involving organisational change management, post-mergers restructuring, business performance improvement, HR strategy and implementation.
Mr Tony Harris
(Appointed 2022)
Tony is Chair of governors at Farringtons School, a trustee of Inspiring Lives Education Trust and a former Trustee of Epworth Education Trust.
He is a chartered surveyor specialising in property dispute resolution as arbitrator and as a Chair in the First-tier Tribunal Property Chamber. He is a member of the Methodist Church and has previously acted for various church bodies in a professional capacity as a valuer under the Charities Act.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and has an LLM in Advanced Commercial Property Law.
Mr Stephen Holliday
(Appointed 2019)
Stephen Holliday was educated at Batley Grammar School and Jesus College, Cambridge where he read history. After working as an Operations Manager for British Rail based in Dundee and Glasgow, he decided to become a teacher. In 2000 he became Headmaster of Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital in Bristol, retiring in 2020.
He served as Treasurer of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC) from 2013-2019 and as a Board member of the Independent Schools’ Council during the same period.
Stephen is currently a Reporting Inspector for the Independent Schools’ Inspectorate. A local preacher, he is also Vice Chair of Trustees at Cliff College, a Methodist Theological College, in Derbyshire. In his spare time he enjoys supporting Leeds United, skiing and ornithology.
Mrs Henrietta Mbeah-Bankas
(Appointed 2022)
Henrietta is the Head of Blended Learning and Digital Literacy Workstream Lead at Health Education England and was previously the Topol Technology Review Project Lead. She is a Darzi Fellow alumnus, a previous NHSE Clinical Nursing Fellow in Research and Evaluation and a visiting lecturer at UCL. She is also an NHS Clinical Entrepreneur.
Henrietta remains a Registered Mental Health Nurse with an overall desire for improving access and equity in all healthcare related matters and education.
This passion is driving her current work at HEE and her entrepreneurial work in the development of an AI-powered culturally sensitive mental health and well-being screening tool.
Lady Fiona Mynors
(Appointed 2020)
Fiona was born in London, graduating from UEA in English before gaining a teaching qualification. She taught and led departments in maintained and independent academic secondary schools across England, including in Wolverhampton and Liverpool, before settling in rural Herefordshire to become head of an IAPS school.
She has been Chair or Vice-Chair of large HMC, IAPS and GSA schools, and a maintained special school. She is currently the safeguarding governor of a rural primary school.
Fiona was a Reporting Inspector, trainer, monitor and editor for the Independent Schools Inspectorate for 20 years.
Active in the diocese and her local village church, Fiona is member of the Hereford Diocesan Safeguarding Working Group and independent chair of Hereford Cathedral’s Safeguarding Management Group.
Busy with family, for relaxation she reads, gardens and the labradors make sure that she takes plenty of exercise!
Revd Dr Jonathan Pye
(Appointed 2020)
Jonathan is Chair of the Bristol District of the Methodist Church and Honorary Bishop of JoonGang, South Korea. He is Honorary Research Fellow in the Centre for Ethics in Medicine / Senior Teaching Associate in Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol.
He has degrees in Theology and in Divinity from the University of Durham and a PhD from the University of Leeds. Prior to becoming Chair of the Bristol District, Jonathan was Principal of Wesley College, Bristol, a recognised teacher in the University of Bristol and an external examiner for St. Mary’s University, London. He has taught and lectured widely in the UK and internationally and published, especially in the field of Theology and Healthcare. Jonathan has served on a wide range of Connexional Committees, including the Faith and Order Committee and The Faith and Order Executive. He is the co-Chair of the Methodist-Anglican Panel for Unity and Mission (MAPUM) and represents the Methodist Church on the Enabling Group of Churches Together in England (CTE). He is a Governor of Kingswood School.
Jonathan is married with two adult children.
Dr Neil Tunnicliffe
(Appointed 2018)
Neil was educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield, and at The Queen’s College Oxford where he attained a First Class degree in Literae Humaniores and a D.Phil. in Ancient History.
On leaving university Neil worked for the Rugby Football League, where he was Chief Executive between 1998 and 2000. Since then he has continued to work in sport as the Principal of Wharton Consulting, a specialist consultancy which advises a range of Olympic, Paralympic and professional sports on their strategy, governance, talent development and high-performance programmes.
Neil was a Governor at Woodhouse Grove School between 2002 and 2011. He lives in Harrogate and is married to Rachel, who is a partner in a law firm. They have two teenage children, and are active members of St Mark’s Church, Harrogate.
Mr Richard Thomas
(Appointed 2021)
Richard is a Chartered Building Surveyor, former owner and now consultant of RTP Surveyors which has offices in Falmouth and Bodmin.
Brought up in Altrincham, Cheshire, Richard attended Altrincham Grammar School and later obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Building Surveying at Leicester and started his surveying career with Strutt and Parker in London before moving to Cornwall in 1983. For a short while, Richard worked with Stratton and Holborow before establishing his own practice, now RTP Surveyors, in 1986, managing and overseeing its growth into the largest independent firm of Chartered Building Surveyors in the County. In 2018 Richard sold his interest in the practice but remains a consultant to the firm.
Richard is a qualified arbitrator and his professional work in a consultancy capacity is generally expert witness mediation and building pathology.
Richard lives in Constantine with his wife Sara and attends the church there. They have two now grown children both of whom were educated at Truro School.
Mrs Gill Wilson
(Appointed 2023)
Gill is a retired headteacher with experience in both state primary schools and independent prep schools. She also worked for the Independent Association of Prep Schools as a team inspector and as a mentor of new Heads. In addition, she represented other headteachers at the GEMS Group of Schools. Gill was a governor at Woodhouse Grove School with special responsibility for EYFS.
Gill is currently serving as a Chair of Governors at a Methodist prep school in Yorkshire where she was the Designated Governor for Safeguarding before becoming the Chair in 2022.