At the 2023 AGM on 6th December, three Trustees retired from WHUK. Sam Rose, Jane Gibson and David Holroyd all stepped down and we thank them all for their hard work. A number of candidates put their names forward as new Trustees and following an online election, these new Trustees have now joined the WHUK Board.
Brandi Hall-Crossgrove
Brandi is currently the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site Coordinator and have been in the world heritage sector for over a decade now. For the last two years I have started the Industrial World Heritage Site sub-group of WHUK that brings together 11 of the 33 UK sites. She is the ICOMOS UK Emerging Professional Representative as well as the ICOMOS EPWG European Regional Coordinator where she has brought together intergenerational dialogue to build succession planning within the organization. Brandi has also been voted onto the ICOMOS UK Executive Committee. Recently she started to revitalise the ICOMOS Industrial Heritage International Scientific Committee in conjunction with TICCIH. In her various roles Brandi has been able to give speeches and participate in International, European, and UK policy pertaining to the heritage sector.
Barry Gamble
Barry was born and grew up in the Westcountry, left for some years, and returned. He studied geology and geography before entering the heritage sector in 1996, first working in World Heritage in Guanajuato, Mexico. Barry’s World Heritage engagement continued in 1999, and 2003 to 2005, as Principal Author of the nomination of ‘Cornish Mining’ to UNESCO, inscribed in 2006; the first of many nominations undertaken for a range of countries, landscapes, and sites. He has a deep experience and working knowledge of UNESCO, the nomination process, and management planning, derived intensive practical experience mostly overseas. Barry made a substantial contribution to the inscription of nine foreign WHSs, with four more submitted and currently under evaluation in 2023. Recent involvement in the UK has been as advisor and co-author of The Great Spa Towns of Europe inscribed in 2021, as advisor and co-author of The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales inscribed in 2021, and Coordinator and Principal Author of Moravian Church Settlements, a transnational led by the US and including Gracehill in Northern Ireland.
Barry maintains active global links, with State Party contacts at Focal Point, ambassador, and ministry level. He has attended World Heritage Committees since 2006, on various State Party Observer delegations including the UK and more recently for Poland, Germany, Romania, Czechia, and Denmark. He has regular dialogue with UK international representatives up to Ambassador level.
Henry Owen-John
Henry retired from full time employment two years ago. He has been fortunate to gain expertise in heritage management and protection from a career with the Glamorgan Gwent Archaeological Trust, where, as well as fieldwork, he helped to develop an archaeological advisory service to local planning authorities, and with English Heritage/Historic England, where his work included heritage led regeneration and advice to government and others on international heritage conventions. This work included management and leadership roles and building relationships with a range of partner organisations. Henry also gained experience of governance when serving two terms on the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales.
While Jane Gibson has retired as a WHUK Trustee, she will remain co-opted onto the Board and continue to work with WHUK, in particular on its events programme.