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Trustees

A trustee may not serve for more than twelve years out of any fifteen.  There are always a minimum of five and a maximum of seventeen trustees (or eighteen if a national treasurer is co-opted).  The following are recommended for appointment as trustees at the 2025 AGM:

Dave Chapman (trustee since 2019 – nominated for third term of 3 years)
Guy Sears (new nomination – nominated for first term of 3 years)
Mike Wills (trustee since 2022 – nominated for second term of 3 years)

Dave Chapman

Having worked with Xerox Corporation for 30 years, Dave’s time there included 15 years reviewing operating company performance and driving change in Europe, East Asia and Africa and 5 years facilitating relationships between European, US and Japanese organisations.

Dave has been a member of IWA since 1973 and is a long-time boater. He has been heavily involved in IWA national festivals and chairman of Chiltern Branch since 2013.  He has been an IWA trustee since 2019.

 

 

 

 

 

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Guy Sears

Guy and his wife Carlie bought their trad in 2009 and enjoy travelling around the southern half of the network in all seasons. They got the bug in the late 90s when Carlie used a community charity boat to take local kids away for a break, leaving Guy literally holding the baby. But soon they could both take time to skipper the boats and holiday hires with their own family soon followed.

With an MA in Natural Sciences, he retains a love of nature, and the special places found on our canals and rivers. He has volunteered in a governance role with charities and not for profits for over 30 years, including chairing a major London youth club, governing and enlarging a local credit union, and serving as a church treasurer.

Professionally, although originally a solicitor bringing actions to protect investors, his middle years were at industry trade associations supporting members and lobbying law makers. Latterly, until retirement in early 2024, he served as an independent non-executive and as chair of a UK fund manager with a focus on governance, value for money, and culture.  Guy joined the finance committee in 2024 and has been an IWA member since 2012.

Mike Wills

Mike Wills has been fascinated by the inland waterways since his teens. Studying economic history helped develop the passion, and early experiences included digging out a disused lock and helping to raise a sunken wooden narrowboat which was subsequently converted into a houseboat. Regular towpath walks and dozens of narrowboat holidays helped him to introduce lots of his family and friends to the waterways. In 2019 he purchased part of a worsted mill and wharf on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal and subsequently has restored it to create a four storey house.

He is a Chartered Accountant and has worked as a senior civil servant, a tax partner in a medium sized practice and has been engaged as a non-executive director or consultant in a number of varied companies ranging from gold refining, electronic product recycling, pet food manufacture and insurance services. Most recent experience has been in setting up, running and subsequently selling a specialised school and as a non-executive director and trustee of a Housing Association.  Mike has also previously spent some years as Chair of Governors of both a primary school and a secondary school.  He was appointed an IWA trustee and a member of Finance Committee in 2022.

 

 

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