Vacancies
FISA Steering Group
Please note for this role the nominee must be a member of FISA, or join, thus agreeing to support the Accord and act as a FISA ambassador.
More information
All Institute representatives serve an initial two-year term. In addition to attending the meetings, we ask that Institute representatives provide reports to Council and occasional updates for TREES magazine. A full briefing document is available on request should you be interested in the role. The role is not remunerated, but all out of pocket expenses will be covered by the Institute.
Register your interest
If you are interested in representing the Institute, please provide a short statement (max. 400 words) covering how your skills and experience could best be used in the role. Please send your nomination to the Institute’s Technical Policy Manager, Shona Smyth MICFor
Formal ICF Representation
Our representatives sit on groups, panels and committees across the sector and are a crucial touch point between Institute staff, Council and membership. Previous representative reports to Council can be found in the Members’ Area.
Groups we're represented on
Neville Elstone MICFor & Graham Garratt FICFor
Advises the Forestry Commission England on grants, regulations, partnerships and policy.
Alastair Durkin MICFor
Reviewing BS5837 and BS3998; remit also includes a sustainability standard and drafting a new standard on tree safety inspection.
Harry Wakefield MICFor
Makes recommendations to the Health and Safety Executive on a range of health and safety issues.
Tom Jenkins FICFor
Sounding board to Defra’s Tree Health Policy section discussing topical policy issues.
Neville Elstone MICFor
Stakeholder group led by Defra to seek views from land use sectors and keep them informed of developments in the scheme.
Sonia Lorenzo Martín MICFor
The national woodland biodiversity forum, providing advice to Forestry Commission England and Natural England on the links between forestry policy and biodiversity.
Provides expert support and leadership to the FISA Chair and CEO to improve health and safety standards in forestry.
Rob Coventry MICFor
Drives forward climate change work on behalf of forestry in England, providing a point of focus for climate change adaptation in the sector.
Martin Gammie MICFor
Extensive network of organisations promoting green infrastructure in the UK, sharing best practice and influencing decision makers.
Andrew Vaughan FICFor
Representative panel of industry, environmental and other stakeholders reviewing Forestry Grant Scheme policy and delivery.
Claire Wightman MICFor
Connects the college and the wider industry to ensure relevance of courses, share ideas and develop future foresters.
Ben Quarcoo MICFor
Communicates to wider industry on tree health action plans and management strategies.
Ross Weddle MICFor CEnv
Provides strategic direction for the organisation.
Elaine Dick MICFor, Amy Mitchell MICFor and Stuart Wilkie FICFor
Manages the affairs of UKWAS, the national forest certification standard for the UK.
Robert South MICFor
Advises the Executive Board of the Woodland Carbon Code on its application, promotion, revision and further development.
England Red Squirrel Action Plan
Dr Kristin Waeber MICFor
Supports the delivery of the England Red Squirrel Action Plan actions across England alongside representatives from England’s red squirrel community groups.
Research Subcommittee
Charles Dutton FICFor
Contribute to discussions around the grey squirrel fertility control programme, as well as guide and develop various other areas of squirrel research to help deliver the aims of the partnership.
Ian Lee MICFor
A network of organisations that collaborate to protect, manage and enhance the capital’s trees and woodlands.
Our work on other groups
Institute staff sit on a number of groups – below are some of the main ones. Members and staff also represent the Institute on a range of time-bound groups and committees, such as the UKFS review group and various other working groups and research steering groups.
Dr Rob Hawkins – Education & Outreach Officer
Develops and maintains apprenticeships in England in arboriculture, forestry and horticulture. The Institute sits on both the arboriculture and forestry subgroups as well as the management subgroup.
Louise Simpson – Executive Director
Ministerially-chaired stakeholder roundtable on skills and workforce needs relating to Government’s nature and biodiversity agenda, aiming to improve our evidence of short, medium and long terms skills needs to deliver our nature and biodiversity goals, and a comprehensive sectoral action plan.
Shona Smyth MICFor – Senior Technical Officer
EPF works together to influence environmental policy and its formulation by ensuring that environmental sustainability is high on policy agendas.
Dr Rob Hawkins – Education & Outreach Officer
The Forestry Skills Forum (FSF) is dedicated to promoting education, skills, learning, development and careers across the forestry sector in England and Wales.
NTSG was formed to carry out research into tree risk, produce a set of basic principles as a framework for tree safety in the public interest and a guidance document on tree safety management for landowners and managers.
Louise Simpson – Executive Director
Advises the Scottish Government on strategic policy issues influencing the implementation of the forestry strategy objectives, forestry targets and SG outcomes.
Louise Simpson – Executive Director
ICF sits on the Delivery Advisory Group and a stakeholder group supporting the implementation of the England Trees Action Plan
Louise Simpson – Executive Director
The purpose of the Alliance is to promote and enhance plant health and biosecurity measures in the United Kingdom and beyond.
Dr Rob Hawkins – Education & Outreach Officer
The Skills Group was set up to develop a plan of action to ensure the forest and timber industries have the skilled and diverse workforce required.
Shona Smyth MICFor – Senior Technical Officer
The Trees and Design Action Group (TDAG) is a not-for-profit collaborative forum facilitating co-working that promotes the role of the urban forest across the UK.
Shona Smyth MICFor – Senior Technical Officer
The Forest Plastics Working Group includes a range of sector representatives aiming to advocate and facilitate good practice around the use of plastic, research and share information on alternatives.
To hear more about the work of any of the above, please contact our Technical Policy Manager.
