Our Board

Dennis Bradley, Chair of the Board

Dennis has been a Board member since November 2016 and prior to that he was Chair of our Scrutiny Group. He previously chaired the Finance and Development Committee and is a member of the Finance and Investment and HR and Remuneration Committees. 

With two Masters degrees, he has over 40 years’ experience in the public sector. Driven by a strong social conscience and experience of the workings of large, complex organisations he spends his time since retiring assisting as a Chair of Governors as well as his work with Livin.  

Dennis believes that a secure, affordable home is a necessity for all and is committed to bringing his experience and skills to help support the Board.

Kevin Thompson, Board Member

As a former County Councillor for the Spennymoor and Middlestone Ward and Town Councillor for Byers Green, Kevin has always held community and local priorities firmly at the forefront of his responsibilities. He is a member of the Housing and Communities and HR and Remuneration Committee.

As a school Governor Kevin has a strong interest in matters around education, as well as social housing and welfare reform. At Durham County Council his key area of interest was planning. Kevin strongly believes that the transparency of the public agenda is paramount at a grass roots level, working for the benefit of the community. Kevin has previously served on our Board through periods of significant transformation and contributed to developing Livin as an efficient and sustainable business, supporting tenants to improve their lives.

In line with the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code, in April 2024, Kevin was appointed as our Member Responsible for Complaints (MRC) and is responsible for making sure our Board receives regular information on complaints, that provide insight on our complaint handling performance.

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Norman Rollo, Board Member

Norman has been a Board member since November 2016.  He is currently Chair of the HR and Remuneration Committee and a member of the Audit and Risk Commitee. 

With a professional career in human resources and management consultancy, Norman has also, in previous roles, been responsible for developing community services and providing excellent customer support. 

Brought up in a council house, Norman is proud of what good social housing can offer to tenants and the respect and self-worth it can bring to those it supports.  He is committed to ensuring our tenants receive great services delivered with care, courtesy, fairness and respect.

Charlotte Harrison, Board Member

Charlotte has been a Board member since February 2017. She is the chair of the Housing and Communities and a member of the HR and Remuneration committee.

With over 20 years’ experience in the housing sector across a variety of housing organisations, Charlotte began her career in London working for a Latin American Housing Co-operative which was part of a wider network of agencies working with the Latin American community.  Since then Charlotte worked in the South West and North East before joining the Northern Housing Consortium where she led the policy and public affairs service for 12 years. Charlotte is passionate about the role housing can play in supporting opportunities for both individuals and communities and is committed to bringing her experience and knowledge to the Board.

Natalie Wilkinson, Board Member

Natalie is passionate about regenerating communities, improving homes and the environment and supporting residents to live happily and independently in places they are proud of. She is experienced in leadership, strategy development and project delivery having worked for multiple local authorities, most recently Middlesbrough Council, for many years.

Natalie brings to the Board knowledge and experience of the housing sector, development, regeneration, and corporate services. In her most recent role as Head of Development, she worked on a range of transformational projects to grow high-quality housing supply and in doing so formed successful partnerships with Registered Providers, Homes England, housebuilders, and central government. She is a member of the Finance and Investment Committee and Housing and Communities Committee and is the Chair of the InsightXchange.

With a strong social purpose, Natalie is dedicated to supporting youth and community groups, volunteering in her spare time to help raise funding and use her knowledge to help local groups to continue to offer vital opportunities to local people.

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Stephen Watson, Board Member

Stephen joined the Board in May 2023 bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience in audit and risk from his 30-year career working with organisations such as the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors, Home Office, DEFRA (RPA), Baker Tilly, RSM, Northumberland County Council, and Durham University. 

He is a Fellow member of the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors (CFIIA), holds an MSc in Audit and Consulting, and has Platinum accreditation as a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

Stephen is dedicated to using his personal experience to add value to the work local organisations deliver. He believes strong leadership and governance are vital to building safer, more cohesive communities. He is the chair of the Audit and Risk Committee and a member of the Finance and Investment Committee.

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Ryan Appleby, Board Member

With nearly 20 years of sector experience from his previous roles within social housing providers to his current role as Director of Asset Strategy and Investment at The Guinness Partnership, Ryan is Chair of the Finance and Investments Committee and a member of the Audit and Risk Committee.

Ryan is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Building, Association of Building Engineers and Institute of Engineer and Technology, and has a wealth of specialist knowledge in construction, building and engineering, asset management, and a clear understanding of financial acquisitions and investment.

Ryan is keen to make a difference to the local area, support the provision of vital services that meet the diverse needs of communities and to help support tenants and prospective tenants to access warm, affordable and safe homes.

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Elaine Middleton, Board Member

With a career dedicated to the social housing sector, and with over 19 years of experience working with landlords, Elaine brings to the Board knowledge and experience of supporting organisations with business projects including regeneration proposals.

Elaine has knowledge of customer insight and data analysis, technology and people development, marketing strategies, and project management. having worked as an internal consultant driving continuous improvement.

She is passionate about making a difference through community investment and supporting local people and businesses. She is a member of the Housing and Communities and Audit and Risk Committees.

Joanne Race, Board Member

Joanne is a strategic Human Resources Director with over 30 years of experience across multiple sectors, primarily in Higher Education at Durham University. She is responsible for the strategic leadership of HR and organisational development functions ensuring compliance with best practice and legal standards.

Throughout her career, she has led change management initiatives, promoted diversity and inclusion, and overseen significant capital projects. She is also an ex-officio member of Durham University's People Committee, Remuneration Committee, and Nominations Committee, and has influenced the national HR agenda through her roles in various high-level bodies.

Joanne is passionate about improving prospects and life chances for people in the North East, where she has lived most of her life. She believes in the transformative power of education and skills training. She is a member of the Audit and Risk and HR and Remuneration Committees.

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Alan Boddy, Chief Executive and Board Member

Alan has a track record of delivering transformational change since joining us when we were established in 2009.  He is a housing, performance and human resources professional with a people centric approach and an advocate of excellent customer service.

He holds postgraduate diplomas in Housing and Human Resources , a Masters Degree in Strategic Human Resource Management and is a member of both the Chartered Institute of Housing and Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Having grown up in one of our communities he is aware of the social and economic challenges that many face. He is committed to making life changing improvements for people and their communities, and has dedicated 30 years to delivering a range of housing, property and support services.

Sean Brodie, Executive Director and Board Member

With over 19 years of direct housing experience Sean’s career has spanned both industry and the charitable sector, joining us as an Executive Director in July 2015.

Sean has a wealth of expertise and leads the Finance, Property Services and Development teams. He also has Executive responsibility for managing the Construction Related Services Contract with Mears plc. He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and is also a qualified Corporate Treasurer.

Committees

Housing and Communities Committee

The Housing and Communities Committee comprises: Charlotte Harrison (chair), Natalie Wilkinson, Kevin Thompson, Elaine Middleton and Pam Mastrantonio.

The committee is responsible for monitoring customer experience and asset management.

Audit and Risk Committee

The Audit and Risk Committee comprises: Stephen Watson (chair), Norman Rollo, Ryan Appleby, Elaine Middleton and Joanne Race.

The key responsibilities of the committee are risk, control and governance and associated assurance through a process of constructive challenge.

Finance and Investment Committee

The Finance and Investment Committee comprises: Ryan Appleby (chair), Dennis Bradley, Natalie Wilkinson, Stephen Watson and Pam Mastrantonio.

The committee reviews and monitors our programme of development and financial performance.

HR and Remuneration Committee

The HR and Remuneration Committee comprises: Norman Rollo (chair), Charlotte Harrison, Dennis Bradley, Kevin Thompson and Joanne Race.

The key responsibilities of the committee are to provide oversight over the appraisal arrangements for the Chief Executive, and remuneration arrangements for the Chief Executive and Executive Directors in accordance with their contracts of employment.