Trustees

Board of Trustees

Chair: Archbishop Bernard Longley

Bernard Longley, 9th Archbishop of Birmingham, is Chair of the Bishops’ Conference Department of Dialogue and Unity and Episcopal Liaison to the Travellers’ Issues Working Group.

Archbishop Longley also sits on the Mixed Commission of the Conference of Religious. Archbishop Longley was appointed by Pope Benedict as a member of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization and the co-Chairman of the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC), with oversight of the third phase of Anglican-Catholic dialogue.

Jacqui Francis

Jacqui's consultancy, AdinaMay, provides specialist recruitment services. She brings a constructive external perspective to senior recruitment campaigns for ministerial appointments, executive and non-executive roles and membership of regulators and expert bodies.

Jacqui is a member of the Judicial Appointments Commission recruitment panels and she serves on the Bar Standards Board, Independent Appointments Panel. Locally she is a Citizen Member of Birmingham City Council - Independent Remuneration Panel. Jacqui is a previous ministerial appointee Lay Adviser on the West Midlands Strategic Management Board responsible for public protection arrangements. Jacqui also volunteers at PAUSE a mental health drop-in centre for young people.

Bishop David Evans

Bishop David Evans carried out his studies in preparation for the priesthood at the Venerable English College in Rome and was awarded a licentiate in philosophy and theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. He has previously held the roles of parish priest and of formator and vice-rector at Saint Mary’s College, Oscott and as Episcopal Vicar.

He is a member of the Birmingham Metropolitan Chapter, a Judge of the Birmingham Metropolitan Chapter, and a member of the Bishops’ Conference Department for Dialogue and Unity. He has served on the English Anglican- Roman Catholic Committee and the Bishops’ Conference Committee for Faith and Culture.

Bishop Timothy Menezes

Bishop Timothy was the Dean of St Chad's Cathedral from 2019 to his ordination as Bishop in July 2024, and also served as Parish Priest at Sacred Heart and St Margaret Mary, Aston, from 2022.

He was the Vicar General for several years and also the Archbishop’s Secretary. He was also installed as an Ecumenical Canon at Lichfield Cathedral in July 2022.

Following his Ordination in 1995 to the Sacred Priesthood he served at St Michael’s, Wolverhampton; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Redditch; St Thomas More, Coventry. 

He studied for the Priesthood at St Mary’s College, Oscott, and the Venerable English College, Rome.

Bishop Richard Walker

Bishop Richard Walker is a Priest of the Archdiocese of Birmingham.  He has served in the parishes of Christ the King, Coventry and St. John the Evangelist and St. Joseph the Worker, Banbury.  From 2003-2014 he was a member of the Formation Staff at St. Mary’s College, Oscott, for the majority of which time he was Vice Rector.  From 2015-2020 he was the Director of Ongoing Formation for the Archdiocese and from 2017-2020 a member of The Archdiocesan Safeguarding Commission.  He is also a Trustee of St. Mary’s College, Oscott.  In September 2020 Archbishop Bernard Longley appointed him as Vicar General and a Trustee of the Archdiocese.  He was ordained Bishop in July 2024. Before training for the priesthood at Oscott and The Venerable English College, Rome Bishop Richard studied law and qualified as a solicitor in 1985.  He has a Licentiate in Dogmatic Theology from the Gregorian University, Rome.

Canon Jonathan Veasey

Canon Jonathan Veasey is a priest of the Archdiocese of Birmingham and serves as Parish Priest of Sacred Heart and Holy Souls in Acocks Green, Birmingham, and as Vicar General.

Canon Jonathan has served as Director of the Diocesan Education Service leading the strategic development of Catholic education for the schools of the Archdiocese.

He currently serves as the Chair of the Diocesan Academy Strategy Board and as a lead trustee for Catholic education.

Christopher Loughran

Chris has recently completed a 30-year career with Deloitte, the international professional services firm. Joining the embryonic management consulting division of Deloitte (then Touche Ross and Co,) in Birmingham in 1987, he has worked both nationally and internationally with the firm. He was admitted to partnership in 1993, led the Technology Consulting practice from 2002-2010 and returned to Birmingham in 2010 to assume the role of Senior Partner for the Midlands Region from 2010-2015. He served as an elected member of the Board of Partners from 2010-2016.

He has served on the Board of Marketing Birmingham from 2011 to 2017 and its successor, the West Midlands Growth Company from 2017 to 2020. He was Deputy Chairman of the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership from 2015 to 2020 and Chairman of Midlands Connect Steering Group from 2017 to 2020. Chris served as High Sheriff of the West Midlands in 2018/19 and was made a Deputy Lieutenant in 2019.

Having retired from Deloitte in 2018, Chris now serves as a Trustee on the Boards of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the CBSO Development Trust and the Lord Mayor of Birmingham's Charity. He is President of Birmingham & Solihull Rugby Club (where he was previously Chairman for ten years) and Honorary President of Birmingham's oldest musical theatre company, BMOS.

Sophia Pain

Sophia is a qualified accountant who has spent her career working in Financial IT Consultancy in the UK and abroad. She has been a charity trustee on a number of educational charities.

Sophia was a governor of Newman University for nine years, during which time TDAP powers were granted and university status achieved. She was a member of the Estates Committee during the build of their new library. Her final role was as Chair of Council.

Peter Vella

Peter has enjoyed a varied career, predominantly across travel, tourism, aviation, construction and education sectors. He spent twelve years as an executive director of Birmingham Airport Ltd, five years with Interserve plc operating as CEO of a group of companies building schools in Leeds, St Helens and Sandwell followed by four years as Director for the Malta Tourism Authority in the UK and Ireland. Peter served a school governor from 1999 until 2007. In 2014 he founded an academy trust based in Leeds and was appointed as its first CEO.

Peter has also held a number of non-executive directorships including six years with Marketing Birmingham. He has extensive experience of working across the private, public and charity sectors. Peter currently serves as a non-executive director for HotelshopUK Ltd and is a fellow member of the Institute of Travel and Tourism. In 2016 Peter was invested as a Knight of Magistral Grace for The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta and plays an active part within the organisation.

Tom Piotrowski

Tom works for one of the largest national social housing providers focusing on some of the most vulnerable client groups across the Midlands region. His expertise is in project management, business and community development within the local government and charitable sector.

He has been involved in launching several community cohesion initiatives including Talk To Me Worcester  and is one of the founding members of the Growers United for Charity initiative which has raised tens of thousands of pounds for charitable causes through sport engagement. He is the co-convener of Green Christian in Worcester, an ecumenical network of Christians working on environmental issues. 

Tom, born and raised in Poland, earned his undergraduate degree in philosophy, and did further studies in the United States where he lived for 10 years. He has received graduate and post graduate degrees in law from Staffordshire University.

For the past 16 years Tom has been proud to call Worcester his home where he belongs to Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish. 

Kari Gordon

Kari is an education specialist and author with her own educational consultancy company. She has a Master’s Degree in Education. She was Head of Heritage Education for Warwickshire County Council and lectured in Education at Warwick University. 

Her consultancy work has included projects for local and national arts and heritage institutions. 

She has extensive governance experience in  both primary and secondary sector in Catholic schools. Until 2023 she was Catholic Mission Director of Our Lady of the Magnificat MAC. She is currently a member of the Archdiocesan Education sub-committee. 

Kari is dyslexic herself and passionate about inclusion, raising the aspirations and achievements of children and young people and sharing the joy of her faith. She has four children one of whom is severely disabled. She is an active member of the SVP and worships at St Francis Parish in Kenilworth.

Sub-Committees

(Trustees highlighted in bold)

Finance

Members: Chris Loughran, (Chair), Bishop David Evans, Bishop Timothy Menezes, Bishop Richard Walker, Canon Jonathan Veasey, Sophia Pain. Attendees: Eric Kirwan, Sue Simkiss.

Meets at least four times a year to consider and take major decisions on financial issues.

Finance Committee Terms of Reference

The Poor Mission Fund and Levy Review (Finance sub-committee)

Members: Bishop David Evans, Canon Tom Farrell, Mgr Mark Crisp, Fr Rob Taylerson. Attendee: Sue Simkiss.

It meets every 1-2 months to decide upon requests for Poor Mission Fund grants and reviews on Parish Levies and is a means of wider consultation with clergy.

Property

Members: Chris Loughran, Bishop David Evans, Bishop Richard Walker, Bishop Timothy Menezes, Canon Jonathan Veasey. Attendees: Eric Kirwan. Toni Guest

Meets at least four times a year to consider and take major decisions on property issues.

Property Committee Terms of Reference

Care of Clergy

Members: Chair - Fr Jeremy Howard, Canon Jonathan Veasey, Fr Pat Brennan, Fr David Doran, Pat Deeley
Attendees: Eric Kirwan, Deacon Paul O’Connor, Paula Mitchell, Clare O’Brien

Meets three times a year to consider and take major decisions on issues relating to clergy welfare, including retired clergy.

Care of Clergy Committee Terms of Reference 

Education

Members: Kari Gordon (Chair), Peter Vella, Bishop Timothy Menezes
Attendees: Steve Bell, Eric Kirwan, Clare O’Brien

Meets quarterly to consider and take major decisions on educational matters as implemented through the Diocesan Education Services.

Education Committee Terms of Reference

Investment

Members: Chris Loughran (Chair), Sophia Pain, Peter Vella. Attendees: Eric Kirwan, Sue Simkiss

Meets three times a year to consider and take major decisions on investment issues in conjunction with the Diocese's Investment Managers.

Investment Committee Terms of Reference

Workforce and Remuneration Committee

Members: Jacqui Francis (Chair), Peter Vella
Attendees: Eric Kirwan, Deacon Paul O’Connor, Julia Hale

Meets four times a year to consider and take major decisions on issues relating to employee matters - recruitment, evaluation of pay structures etc. and communications.

Workforce and Remuneration Committee Terms of Reference

Safeguarding Trustee Sub-Committee

Members: Jacqui Francis - Chair (temp), Bishop David Evans, Canon Jonathan Veasey, Kari Gordon, Attendees: Sandra Satchell, David Sullivan, Sr Una Coogan, Helena Kirk, Desi Rodrigues, Paul Donnelly, Eric Kirwan, Claire Reay, Angela Arkley, Bev Lewis.