Philip Tasker, Board Member, East Midlands Development Agency

As the Vice Chancellor of a large university in the East Midlands, I sit on the Regional Development Agency Board as an education representative.  The agency recognises fully the vital role that the education sector plays in the economic health of the region.  Our discussions have often ranged over the direct economic impact that universities and colleges bring as major employers, the essential work we do in developing the skills that underpin our economy, and the research and development that supports both existing businesses and new companies that are essential to our future.

I have been able to play a part in enhancing the work between the agency and education to benefit the region. The universities and colleges have directly influenced the Regional Economic Strategy and contributed to policies on skills, graduate retention, business start-ups and investment in technology. We have established regular meetings between the agency executive and the university vice chancellors where we share strategies that will enhance the region’s performance.

I have been the lead Board Member in the Agency for Innovation.  I have been fortunate to be so directly involved in one of the most important but also most exciting parts of the agency’s work.  We developed one of the first comprehensive innovation strategies and its implementation has seen real beneficial changes across the region.  I sit on East Midlands Innovation, which is our Science and Industry Council.  It involves both universities and leading industrialists and business people, and oversees the Regional Innovation Strategy.  We have established new ways of stimulating knowledge transfer and networking between businesses and between research centres and business through our “iNets”.  We have supported grants and business support to encourage and nurture innovation in our key industrial sectors.  On a lighter note, we sponsor the Lord Stafford Awards and, as a judge, it has given me great pleasure to visit innovative companies across the  region.  Our annual iFestival celebrates and publicises innovation through many events across the region designed to stimulate everyone from school children to mature businesses to consider innovation.

On the EMDA Board, I have been able to participate in and contribute to all areas of the agency’s work.  I have also been able to help in the good governance of the organisation through membership of the audit committee.  EMDA is a great organisation made up of special and committed people who are making a real and sustainable difference to our region.  It has been a privilege to be associated with it.

Tricia Pedlar, Board Member, East Midlands Development Agency

Given I run Strategic Spur, a marketing consultancy and work with a number of other businesses, one of my key questions before joining the emda board was practical - how it would actually work doing  2 days a month as a non-exec board member. This will give you an idea of how my Board meeting days (8 p.a.) work and the other days in the year focus mainly on lead role activities representing the agency.

Firstly, the schedule of Board meetings for the year go into my diary well in advance which is a great start. I get a pack of clear, indexed board papers about a week in advance, so plenty of time to read and prepare. Board meetings are well structured and very clearly chaired by our Chairman Bryan Jackson, so they are business like, purposeful and run to time, while allowing all of the board and executive members of the agency team plenty of chance to ask questions, add an external perspective or exchange views.

We all have lead responsibilities enabling us to champion an area of work, supporting the full time agency team, representing the board. I previously led on Regional Transport and Logistics issues, working with the Regional Assembly team, but for the last year have lead on twin passions of mine: Sport and 2012, ensuring the region gain economic benefit from the Olympics and Women’s Enterprise – working to maximise the number and scale of women owned businesses in the region.

Board meetings run from 9.30am to 12.30am, so our board PA plans our time efficiently to get the most out of the day. From a farming background, I join a Rural Business update with 2 other board colleagues first thing in the morning which focuses on key issues like how to help land based businesses access the £60m RDPE funding from Europe, or taking forward key actions from the recent East Midlands Rural Broadband summit emda organised with key partners to ensure rural communities and businesses are not disadvantaged with slow speeds in a digital age.

After the board meeting: Sport 2012, discussing how we could showcase successful East Midlands business and sports women to inspire others, and how we can keep growing the number of EM businesses with Olympic contracts via the Compete4 Olympic purchasing portal.

Then, Women’s Enterprise: where emda leads with Government for all the Regions, discussing key actions from the National Women’s Enterprise Task Force, which I sat on. Then discussing Business Support services to ensure they work as well for women as other customers, next feedback from the Women in Business Conference and Women of Worth Awards which I judged with Rosemary Conley, the inspirational health and fitness guru and Sam O’Regan, one of last years winners.

Finally a working session with the other board members who sit on the Shadow Joint Strategy Advisory Board, a new streamlined team of emda and Local Authority partners, to ensure we have a clear workplan in place to  deliver the joint responsibility for a combined regional economic and spatial strategy when the current law changes in April 2010.

A busy day, but a fulfilling one, meetings scheduled to use the time efficiently, superb support from the bright and professional full time staff, interesting perspectives from other board colleagues with their varied business backgrounds, but plenty of opportunity to check the public funding is being well managed, challenge, question and add constructive value, which is really our key role as board members.

If you are interested in applying, I’d suggest you contact an RDA board member for an informal chat. I did and found it really helpful.

Geoff Stevens, Board Member, East Midlands Development Agency

I have found the last six years as a Board Member of the East Midlands Development Agency some of the most rewarding and challenging in my public life.

During this time I have had rural, energy, environment and climate change as my brief. I live in the Derbyshire Dales and have a broad understanding of rural matters, but I was able to learn about other Counties in the East Midlands and their special needs.

My day has always started early, as I live at the north end of the Region, but I have never found this a disadvantage.  I have visited all parts of the region and have met many of the principle people who are involved in the Regional Rural Scene and have had some interesting meetings with those involved in energy and the environment.

Some of my most interesting days have been spent visiting and learning more about the innovative businesses which the agency has supported.  My own special interest has been seeing new and established businesses grow and develop with the help of the agency so that the Region is economically stronger in a growing competitive world.

Board Days are also interesting. I start early along with two other members of the Board with rural interests, with a rural briefing session with the emda Rural Team. The Board meeting follows with its challenging agenda, covering the wide range of Board activities, which lasts until lunchtime.  After lunch it’s time for the Board Resources Group of which I am a member, and once again the challenge is to scrutinise the granting of resources for large regional projects. After BRG it’s time for my Energy, Environmental and Climate Change briefing, and after a rewarding day I return home to North Derbyshire.

During my term I have visited London to attend meetings with Ministers and Civil Servants, representing the Agency and giving speeches and presenting awards on its behalf.

I have met many interesting people and visited many interesting developments, which will benefit the long-term sustainability of the rural East Midlands.

I like to feel that I have played my part to the full as a Board Member and I have the reward of knowing that I have played a small part in the excellent achievements of the East Midlands Regional Development Agency.