Mepal and Witcham C of E. School Local Governing Body (LGB)

Elizabeth Stazicker

Elizabeth Stazicker, brought up first in inner Essex, and then in North Norfolk, was lucky enough to be funded, through a county scholarship and her parents’ sacrifice, to attend the Girls’ Public Day School Trust’s Norwich High School for Girls. As a result of their excellent teaching she gained a scholarship to Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, to read Modern History (which covered c430AD – 1914).

She thereafter studied archive administration at University College, London, and spent her career in the local government archives service; from the mid-1990s, when she moved to Mepal, she was Cambridgeshire’s County Archivist and Head of Heritage. Since 2005 she has continued to work part-time as archivist to King’s Ely and honorary archivist to Ely Cathedral, as well as serving a number of roles in the village and county community, including as churchwarden of St Mary’s Mepal.

She says that she will work as long as she can to ensure that the good fortune she enjoyed is shared, as far as can be in present political circumstances, with those around her.

Jane Lucas

I live in Witcham and have been a teacher (primary and now secondary maths) for nearly 20 years. Prior to that I worked in finance. I have been a staff governor of Thomas Easton primary school in Wimblington and until recently was a parent governor at Witchford Village College (WVC).

I am now a member of the Morris Education Trust. My three children attended Sutton Primary School and WVC and have now all left home.

I am a Parish Councillor in Witcham and have joined the Governing Body at Mepal and Witcham to contribute to my local community and bring the benefit of my governor and teaching experience to the help further improve the school.

Rev. Mary Hancock

Coming originally from Devon, I have lived in Cambridgeshire since 1979. After a career as an applied invertebrate ecologist, team manager and business development manager, I was ordained in the Church of England in 2007 and served my title post in North Cambridgeshire/ West Norfolk in five villages between Wisbech and March.

While there I regularly went into two C of E primary schools and two LA primary schools taking assemblies and helping with RE. I was a community governor of Emneth Primary School for three years. Currently I am the vicar/rector of Sutton, Mepal and Witcham, and am also a Foundation Governor of Sutton C of E VC Primary School, and a Trustee of Sutton Poorsland.

My expertise includes: experiment design and analysis, project planning and management, team leadership and management, process improvement, facilitation, communication. I have degrees in zoology and theology, and a publication record (peer reviewed papers, edited papers, book chapters and popular articles) as well as experience in radio and TV broadcasting.

Richard Holdaway

Richard is married to Laura with two teenage daughters Thea and Lacey. The family have lived in Witcham for the past 8 years, previously to that in Wardy Hill and Ely.

Born in London he’s moved around the UK with his job and has now settled in Cambridgeshire for the last 15 years.

Richard is The National Account Manager – Team Leader for Corus and Laura Ashley hotels, which owns 7 hotels in the UK. Spending his career in the hospitality industry ranging from small independent hotels to working for Hilton Worldwide for over 10 years managing global accounts.

He comes with a wealth of experience from business development, people management and the hospitality industry.

The family are keen riders and he spends his time with his daughters in their outdoor activities along with their two dogs and several chickens.

I am a Chartered Mechanical Engineer, a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, a Member of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, registered with FEANI (European federation of engineers) with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from City and an MBA from Warwick Business School.

I am originally from a small village near the coast in the New Forest in Hampshire. I left to study mechanical engineering in London and to begin my career in engineering in the oil and gas industry and was initially involved in designing pipework for platforms in the North Sea. From there I moved around a little from Scotland, the North East, back to London and subsequently settled in Hertfordshire for a while, having gained wide experience in various industries. I then worked for a large pharmaceutical company for 25 years in various building services/utilities/facilities and estate management roles until I retired in 2017 from a global role leading facilities services compliance.

Retirement and a change in my wife’s career presented an opportunity to move away from Hertford and we settled in Mepal towards the end of 2018.