Letter from the BHS – BHS Trustee Election 2019
Dear all,
We are delighted to announce the results of the 2019 Trustee Election which were made public at the Election Board Meeting that took place on Tuesday at Head Office. Following the ballot open to all members of the Society, four new Trustees have joined the Board to bring their wealth of experience to the Society’s governance process. We also say goodbye to our retiring board members, Chairman, David Sheerin, Lotta von der Heyde (Vice-Chairman), Kirsty Handel, Christine Worthington and Martin Clemmey.
The election result was as follows:
- BHS Specialist Trustee – Education: Sarah Simpson
- BHS Trustee –Sally McCarthy received 1467 votes
- BHS Trustee – Tim Lord received 1225 votes
- BHS Trustee – Fran Mason received 1143 votes
- BHS Trustee –Anita Quigley received 1141 votes
- BHS Trustee –Brenda Watson received 736 votes
A total of 2373 individual members voted with each member having a choice to cast up to three votes. The voting process was carried out by an independent third party, Mi-Voice.
Tim Lord has taken on the role of Interim Chairman, elected by his fellow Trustees and a Vice-Chairman will be selected at the September Board meeting (4 September 2019). Diane Tranter, Specialist Trustee for Access, Jane Domhill Specialist Trustee for Strategic Commercial and Business Development and Ken Law Specialist Trustee for Safety remain on the Board of Trustees, each with a further term to share in accordance with their previous appointment. The new Board is in the process of recruiting Specialist role of Treasurer.
A message from the Interim Chairman, Tim Lord; “David Sheerin has been a remarkable Chairman for The British Horse Society and we are very grateful to him for his dedication and passion during his three years as Trustee and latter three years as Chairman. As David has completed the maximum six year term, my fellow Trustees and I would like to take the opportunity to thank David and recognise some of the major BHS achievements under his guidance and governance.
The Society has soared to new heights with David as Chairman, building on the solid foundation passed on to him by Chairmen and Trustees past. During our 70th year we reached our landmark 100,000 members, an achievement that David was immensely proud of and rightly so. With accolades including an increase in membership income of 70%, a growth in professional staff of 60% and reaching a volunteer resource of over 1000 volunteers. David will leave an indelible mark on The British Horse Society. During David’s tenure the BHS Education System was modernized and the Equine Excellence Pathway launched leading to a 53% increase in candidates seeking professional qualifications. With the launch of the Challenge Awards in 2019 the BHS now has an offering for recreational riders, making the education system more accessible to a larger proportion of our growing membership. An advocate for all of our activities, David has worked tirelessly to promote and enhance our activities across Education, Welfare, Access and Safety to make us a leading voice within the equestrian industry, for the benefit of horses across the UK and Internationally.
Very best wishes,
Sarah Phillips
Chief Operating Officer