As well as the usual corporate processes and organisational protocols of any Annual General Meeting, such as approving the most recent Annual Report, the IHBC’s 2019 AGM elected board members and trustees for the coming year, including new Chair, David McDonald – to take over from now Past Chair James Caird – and Vice Chair, Lone le Vay, as successor to Kathy Davies – while also approving the ‘Proposal for future governance of the Institute’ (download).
IHBC’s Past Chair James Caird said: ‘I’m delighted to be passing the baton on to the safe hands of David, and would like to thank both trustees and staff, outgoing and incoming, for their hard work and support during my tenure.’
Interview with David McDonald for the Hilton Hyde Park’s anniversary
‘It has been a challenging but rewarding role. However I am especially pleased with the firm foundations we have laid so successfully for the next stage of modernising IHBC’s governance. David McDonald’s election offers critical continuity at a time of huge change, while Lone offers essential ‘new blood’ at the IHBC’s top table.’
IHBC’s new Chair and – until September – President, David McDonald, said: ‘It has been a great time in Nottingham and I’d like to offer a special thanks to all outgoing officers, especially James and Kathy’, as well as departing staff.’
‘And I’m delighted – and excited – to have the opportunity to lead IHBC at this critical juncture in its evolution.’
‘Of course my main role is to build on current work and progress, such as the governance proposals and our support for Branches, members and practitioners around skills and accreditation.’
‘However I am determined also to advance new areas too, including securing accessible top quality local CPD support for specialists, and really lifting our profile across practice, political and client bodies.’
‘Indeed, in response to feedback from our Governance consultations, I will give special priority to the need to raise the public profile of the Institute. By chance, I have already taken the opportunity at the Annual School to be interviewed by BBC Radio Nottingham.’
‘The success of this year’s Annual School has also reminded me of the value of high quality CPD tailored to the specific needs of the full spectrum of our interdisciplinary membership, IHBC accredited and otherwise.’
Lone le Vay, IHBC’s Vice Chair said: ‘I want to offer my sincere thanks to everyone who has encouraged and supported my nomination.’
‘For those who do not know me I am an architect and currently Treasurer and Secretary of South East Branch, while I also convene the IHBC’s Legal Panel. I have worked for many years in local authorities providing conservation and design advice, most recently managing an historic environment team, and I am also currently a Design Council Built Environment Expert (BEE).’
‘I have been actively involved with the Branch working group developing the programme for next year’s annual school – the 2020 Brighton School, on ‘Old towns – New futures’, which we will host in June next year.’
‘I do look forward to taking on my new role, not least to extending the work of my predecessor, Kathy, especially that wider engagement within the Institute – linked to the ‘IHBC+’ programme – and across the historic and built environment sector as a whole. I also look forward to working with colleagues on advancing the new governance proposals for the Institute, and making sure they work as intended for both current and future members.’
IHBC Director Seán O’Reilly said: ‘This year also saw the successful introduction of a new online proxy voting system. This demonstrated how well we can support engagement with our democratic processes, in line with the ambitions of our governance proposals.’
‘The departure of two excellent members of staff in recent months – Carla Pianese and Kate Kendall – inevitably has impacted on the pace of our progress. I would like to thank them again for their hard work, but also reassure everyone that we will continue the kind of member-focussed reforms that have helped secure the voluntary input and top notch CPD that made Nottingham such a resounding – and record-breaking – success.’
See more on the ‘Proposal for future governance of the Institute’ (download) with more background at governance.ihbc.org.uk
For full details of the AGM see the IHBC’s AGM papers (distributed to members)
See and sign up for alerts on the 2020 Brighton School, exploring ‘Old towns – New futures’, 18-20 June, 2020.
