TRUSTEES
Our Trustees bring a wealth of knowledge and experience from across the environmental, water, conservation, engineering, governance and business sectors. Together, they provide strategic leadership, oversight and guidance to help Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust achieve its vision of healthy rivers and thriving catchments for people and wildlife. Meet the individuals who help shape and support our work across Essex and Suffolk.
Jane Burch Chairman
Jane is a farmer’s daughter with a deep love of the countryside and environment. She has lived and worked in Suffolk for nearly forty years. Jane has recently retired from her role as Suffolk County Council’s Flood and Coastal Policy Manager with responsibility for working in partnership with many organisations and communities to deliver a range of innovative coastal, environmental and flood management projects; formulating the Council’s flood management policies and representing the Council at a national level in matters of coast and water management.
Previously Jane she was employed as environment/coastal advisor for the County Land and Business Association, has been a political agent and run an agricultural training group. Since retiring she has been appointed as a Trustee of the Essex & Suffolk Rivers Trust and a member of the Regional Flood & Coastal Committee, which ensures she continues to be involved in local and national water management policy and projects.
Sarah Morton Treasurer
Sarah is a Chartered Management Accountant with over 30 years financial management experience in local government. She is experienced in working with both financial and non-financial colleagues to act as a conduit for information between the operational business and the strategic decision makers.
Sarah is now focusing on her interest in sustainability and environment and is working for ProVeg as a programme analyst as well as a voluntary role in schools for Animal Aid.
Dr Alan Woods Secretary
BSc (Hons) Rural Environment Studies, PhD Integrated Land-use Monitoring
Following an initial career in land and water policy with the RSPB and CLA, Alan now works with trade associations to enforce industry Codes. His wider experience embraces strategy, governance and stakeholder engagement.
Alan chaired the Environment Agency Anglian Region Environment Protection Advisory Committee from 2004-12, chaired the Welland Valley Partnership’s Resource Protection Group from 2011-14, and was Secretary of the Cam Valley Forum from 2020-22. He has just joined Anglian Water’s ‘Get River Positive’ Expert Advisory Panel.
Adrian Wood Trustee
Adrian is an aquatic biologist with over 20 years' experience working for the Environment Agency, where he currently leads the Field Monitoring Team across Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. Since joining the Agency in 2006, he has held a range of technical and leadership roles spanning freshwater ecology, environmental monitoring, fisheries, biodiversity and geomorphology.
His expertise includes freshwater ecology, water quality, river habitat assessment, aquatic plant and macroinvertebrate surveys, saltmarsh and seagrass monitoring, ecological restoration, and environmental impact assessment. Adrian is also BASIS accredited for aquatic plant control advice and has extensive experience in environmental management and policy.
Living on the Tendring Peninsula with his family, Adrian loves the wild, untidy corners of East Anglia and is passionate about protecting and restoring the region's natural environment.
Anna Martin-Edwards - Trustee
BSc (Hons) in Environmental Science, PIEMA.
Anna is Operations and Development Director for Groundwork East heading up the Campaigns and Awareness, Sustainable Business Services and Landscape Architecture themes of work across the region. She is an experienced environmental scientist and operations director with circa. 17 years’ experience.
Anna has extensive experience of designing, developing and providing services to communities, schools and businesses – including many water related initiatives. Anna is an IEMA member at Practitioner level, Suffolk Inward Investment Ambassador, and board member for both Wild Anglia, and the Suffolk Sustainability Institute.
Tara Arnold - Trustee
BA (Hons) Geography, MSc Cities and Culture.
Tara is a charity leader with expertise in governance, fundraising and grant making. Her work is centred on creating collaborative partnerships that ensure philanthropic goals make the biggest impact.
Tara has held a wide range of fundraising and charity leadership roles, most recently as Interim Director for the Sweaty Betty Foundation. She is now a freelance grant making and fundraising consultant. She is also a non-executive Director for the charity Birthrights.
Henry Wilkes - Trustee
MRICS
Henry Wilkes is a Chartered Surveyor with 30 years’ experience of advising on international agribusiness and real estate projects at a senior level.
Henry is the founder of InvestAg LLP, an advisory firm for international agricultural and real estate investors, which provides consultancy, M&A and asset management services. Prior to this he was Director at Savills (L&P) Ltd. Henry is also a partner in his family’s farm in Essex, which is part of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme.
Tom Palmer - Trustee
Tom has over 16 years’ experience working within local authorities across the country undertaking activities ranging from engagement and enforcement to policy setting and scheme delivery. To date Tom has worked on projects that have increased flood resilience to hundreds of properties across the region.
He was previously project sponsor for the award winning £6m DEFRA-funded Catchment to Coast FCRIP project, which used new and innovative measures to reduce flood risk, reduce coastal erosion and improve drought tolerance at 16 sites across South Essex. In his current role Tom leads delivery of the capital programme at Essex County Council which uses innovative measures to improve resilience to flooding, drought and the wider impacts of climate change.
Tom has a passion for holistic water management, partnership working and identifying opportunities to deliver multiple benefits. With a young family who share his love of the outdoors, Tom intends to use his experience to help ensure the critical role of our rivers and streams are given the central focus required in such a water stressed region.
Simon Tiller - Trustee
Simon has worked in charity policy campaigning for more than 15 years. He has led successful campaigns securing change from government and companies on a range of issues from healthcare, to social security, education, energy and nature. He currently leads on policy campaigns for a large national charity, and is inspired by people coming together to make change happen. He lives in a village in north Essex and enjoys going for walks with his family.
Chris Whitehouse - Trustee
Chris was born and brought up in Essex before studying Geography at the University of Cambridge. He has over 25 years’ experience working in professional services providing advice to central, regional and local government on the case for infrastructure, including the consideration of sustainability and social and environmental impacts.
Alongside his role as a technical specialist, he is responsible for the strategic and operational management of his international team. He is a CMI Chartered Manager and has an MBA from the Open University.
Find out more
Our trustees provide strategic direction and governance for the Trust, helping to ensure we deliver maximum benefit for rivers, wildlife and communities across Essex and Suffolk. To learn more about how this vision is put into practice, explore our projects, meet our staff team, or read our strategy document.