Directors & Board Representatives

In drawing a Board together Didcot First sought out individuals who have a genuine interest in making Didcot a more positive place to live, work and invest. Our representatives are key drivers within the local community and we welcome enquiries from potential new members to ensure Didcot has a fully inclusive voice.

Founder Board business members brought vital funding to Didcot First, combined with strong local knowledge and a desire to make the area a thriving place for employment, education and to live. Each of the founders has a seat on the Didcot First Board and they are joined by others who bring expertise from the realms of Housing, Education, and the Third Sector (voluntary, community and social enterprises).

In 2024 Didcot First created The Didcot Community Forum as a means of influencing and steering initiatives in a co-ordinated and resourceful way. The Forum is able to identify issues and together with partners, deliver meaningful solutions to the town.

If you or your organisation would be interested in joining Didcot First you can contact us here.

Board Directors

David Pryor – Chair & Founder of Didcot First

Olly Glover – MP for Didcot and Wantage

Philip Campbell – Commercial Director at MEPC

Monika Zemla – Director, Leasing & Business Development, Harwell Campus

Richard Kennell – Founder & CEO of SOFEA

Maria-Chiara Lagana – Manager of Didcot B Power Station

Emma Reynolds – Headteacher, UTC Didcot

Catherine Steele – Chief Operating Officer, Ridgeway Education Trust

Nigel Frankland – University of Reading

Kate Wareing – Chief Executive of Soha Housing

Richard Benton – Company Secretary of Didcot First

Adrian P. Mancuso -Director, Diamond Light Source

Tom Pierpoint – Commercial Development Director (Interim), GWR

Noel Staunton, Managing Director at Taylor Wimpey plc Southern Counties

Ruth Elliot – Chief Financial Officer, Director of Property and Corporate Services, UKAEA, Culham

Liz Kitchener – Science & Technology Facilities Council

Sue Scane – Community Representative

Board Contributors

Di Chesterman, Chair of Sustainable Didcot and Director, The Barn

Mark Chapman, Technical Director, Taylor Wimpey Southern Counties

Eleanor Willis – Representative, GWR

Jackie Logan-Member of Board of Trustees, Didcot Community Partnership

Mark Wilkinson- Taylor Wimpey Southern Counties

Hayley Gasgoigne, MP’s Representative

Elizabeth Paris – Deputy Lieutenant for Oxfordshire