Executive Board of Trustees

The Society is run by its Executive Board of Trustees including four honorary officers. The Board has powers to co-opt up to three additional members. Elections take place at the Society’s AGM in July of each year.

The Board of Trustees – until the 33rd Annual General Meeting in July 2025 the trustees are:

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Clive Stone FTLS

Chair

Clive Stone FTLS

Clive is active in a number of organisations including being CEO of LCS Professional Services, his management consultancy company founded in 2010, Chairman of Seven Trent Trust Fund, a Deputy Lieutenant for the County and a Trustee of various charities including Services For Education.
He previously founded Redcliffe in 1987, where he was the CEO and Chairman for 26 years. In December 2013 he sold Redcliffe which, at that time, was recognised as one of the UK’s leading independent catering services, employing 250 personnel and providing full facility management to clients throughout the Midlands. In 2016 he also sold his conference and banqueting company. In 2006 he was awarded the Midlands Business Director of the Year by the Institute of Directors.
He has previously served as an Executive Committee Member and until his election as Vice-Chair was Hon. Secretary.

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Joe Gaytten

Vice Chair

Joe Gaytten

Joe joined the Lunar Society in 2021. He is an economist by background and has been a civil servant for ten years, currently working in the Department for Transport. He previously worked at the Northern Ireland Office, His Majesty's Treasury, East West Railway Company, Defra and DCLG (now DLUHC).

Obsessed with economic and political history, especially within the Midlands, Joe appreciates how important the Society and its members have been to both over the years. He is also passionate about volunteering and community and is currently a school governor in Harborne where he lives with his young family. Joe is Devon-born but was raised in Stourbridge.

Charmaine Burton

Charmaine Burton FTLS

Honorary Secretary

Charmaine Burton FTLS

A social entrepreneur, communications specialist, political broadcaster and a former House of Commons Committee on Standards Lay Member, Charmaine also became the vice chair of the committee on Standards Sub-Committee Code of Conduct and Guide review in March 2019. Charmaine is a member of the WMPCC Strategic Policing and Crime Board and a Council member of the Community Media Association. She is also executive producer and presenter of the Different Anglez politics and current affairs radio show.
Previously a Member of the Executive Committee, Charmaine has been responsible for creating and delivering several of the Society’s events, most notably the highly successful hustings prior to the election of the Mayor of the Combined Authority of the West Midlands, and West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner in 2021 - the only events in the region to have representation from every candidate.

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Vacancy

Honorary Treasurer

Vacancy

David Dundas

David Dundas FTLS

Trustee

David Dundas FTLS

Graduating from St Andrews in 1964 with a degree in Chemistry and Biochemistry, I trained as a petroleum engineer with Schlumberger. My early career included field service engineering roles in Paris, Pau, Algeria, Nigeria, and Patagonia, followed by a managerial position at Texaco Europe in Brussels. I managed a factory producing analytical chemicals in Belgium before shifting to marketing at Wynns and then Dow Corning Europe. After consulting for the European Commission, I joined Lion Industries, eventually relocating its headquarters to the UK in 1988, where I remained until selling the company in 2016.
As a retired professional, I now focus on advising local authorities on reducing fossil carbon emissions and combating climate change. I served as a Lichfield City Councillor for over 20 years and a public Governor of Burton hospital for 7 years. I'm a Fellow and Trustee of The Lunar Society, leading its Climate Change Working Group.

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Deirdre LaBassiere FTLS

Trustee

Deirdre LaBassiere FTLS

Deirdre LaBassiere LL.B (Hons) is a governance specialist with 18 years’ experience in legal and regulatory environments. Her vast experience includes advising, training and supporting organisations in governance, compliance, risk and assurance; more recently in data protection with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Deirdre is currently the Governance & Compliance Manager at Housing21, a leading provider of retirement housing and extra-care living for older people and is also a much sought after public-speaker and consultant.

Deirdre was an early board member of organisations such as the Black Solicitors Network, the Future Melting Pot CIC and the Birmingham Leadership Foundation and has served as Honorary Secretary of the Lunar Society. A passionate advocate for women’s rights, she currently serves on the board of Women Acting In Today's Society (W.A.I.T.S).

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Sandy Taylor

Trustee

Sandy Taylor

Sandy has been a member of the Lunar Society since 2001. His background is in planning, economic development, and climate change and sustainability, working for Birmingham City Council. He has had experience working across the West Midlands and at European level through the Eurocities Network and has been a Trustee of the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust and was a member and past Chair or the RTPI Regional Committee. He is an RSA member and has lived in Birmingham since 1985. He is a member of the Society’s Climate Change Working Group.

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Dr Rashida Sharif

Trustee

Dr Rashida Sharif

Rashida served as an active member of the Lunar Society Executive Board Committee for well over 10 years. She has been in education for well over 40 years. During this period she has held senior positions in schools and local authorities including as Director for Inclusion. She has been inspecting schools across the age range and settings, including special schools and initial teacher education (ITE) for over 30 years. She was until recently one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) employed by Ofsted. She is continuing to support schools in challenging circumstances as well as leading on inspection work in the UAE. Outside Education she has been a non-executive director with Sandwell Health Authority and Birmingham Children Hospital for over 20 years. She continues to work with the voluntary and private sector and is currently one of the directors at a local charity, free@last as well as working with a number of Multi Academy Trusts in Birmingham. She also works with the school of Sanctuary.

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David Searle

Trustee

David Searle

David is a marketing professional with experience working in media, communications, marketing and PR. He has managed company websites, social media, physical and online events, internal and external communications, branding and media relations. David has a degree in politics from the University of York and a diploma in professional marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. David has also worked abroad in Hungary and China, teaching English, and as the managing editor for an expat lifestyle magazine in the city of Hangzhou.

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Amrick Singh Ubhi

Trustee

Amrick Singh Ubhi

Amrick Singh heads up Civic Engagement & Partnerships on behalf of the Nishkam Group of Organisations. He brings a vast experience of working with educational, voluntary, public agencies, charities, criminal services, faith, and community organisation to the Lunar Society.

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Professor Jonathan Green

Trustee

Professor Jonathan Green

Jon is a Professor of Life Sciences Education at the University of Birmingham. He has been Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education at the University since 2013 and he has oversight of quality assurance, degree apprenticeships and was involved in setting up the University’s campus in Dubai. He is a Trustee of a Multi Academy Trust, a member of SO Vocal Community Choir and is training to become a qualified coach. He plans to set up an education-focussed group in the Lunar Society. Jo was elected as a Trustee of the Lunar Society in July 2024.

Observers

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Dr Peter Mayer FTLS

Observer

Dr Peter Mayer FTLS

Peter retired in 2007 as a consultant physician and honorary senior lecturer in geriatric and stroke medicine in Birmingham. His was also elderly service director and director of research and development in the community trust.

He is now a community representative on the partnership board of BSOL ICB and a Senior Adviser to the Birmingham Lunar Society.

Peter have been involved in the voluntary sector throughout his career. He set up a local Crossroads charity in 1984 and have been a national trustee of the Carers Trust. He was Founder and Chair of Age UK Birmingham. Trustee of the Cadbury Barn Trust. Chair West Midlands Branch of the Socialist Health Association.

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Carl Doherty

Observer

Carl Doherty

Carl is the link between Pertemps, the UK’s largest independent recruitment business, and the Lunar Society. Carl is responsible for multiple sites at Pertemps across the Worcestershire and Warwickshire area supporting businesses with temporary and permanent recruitment solutions. He is experienced in leading local, national and European wide recruitment campaigns with a focus on delivering a quality, cost effective service. Carl has been involved with the Lunar Society since 2023.

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Beate Pesian

Observer

Beate Pesian

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Wendy Meakin

Administrator

Wendy Meakin

Wendy Meakin is the Administrator for The Lunar Society, having taken over with Dr Jo Horton from David Clarke Associates. Wendy’s background has been in the Facilities Management industry working as a Contract Manager for the last 20 years. She has worked with various Facilities companies during that time. Her clients included high profile customers such as Selfridges and the BullRing in Birmingham plus many others across various industries. Prior to this Wendy worked as a PA to Chief Executives, Finance Directors and started her career at Matthew Boulton College as a receptionist. She has now moved to part time work to fit around family commitments.
In her spare time she enjoys reading, music – especially live events and is definitely a crazy cat lady!! Her other passions are Marilyn Monroe and her family.

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Dr Joanne Horton FRSA

Director of Operations

Dr Joanne Horton FRSA

Jo’s background is as an academic and practice-based researcher in metallised textile design. She most recently showcased her research in the Festival of Textiles at the Fashion and Textile Museum (London). She is an editor and author publishing and presenting internationally and is a Co-opted H.E College Governor and national judge.
She was featured as an expert-artisan on the BBC4 series Art, Passion and Power: The Story of the Royal Collection, demonstrating the process of electro-forming real roses, in a similar way to that shown by Elkington & Co. to Prince Albert in 1843, to presenter Andrew Graham Dixon. As such she is very interested in the intersections between art, science and technology and research from the perspective of maker-historian, with a focus on decoration, manufacturing, metal, Birmingham and the Black Country where she originally hails from.