SEH Board Members

Chris has spent his entire career in the property sector. After selling his own agency to a large plc he grew their leasehold management business into one of the UK's leading managing agents.

He has held several high-profile roles within the sector, running managing agents and being involved with mergers and acquisitions. Chris has particular experience of working with institutional investors and LPA Receivers, both managing leasehold and national residential portfolios. He also acts as a manager appointed by the First-tier Tribunal.

Chris is now part of the senior leadership team of a national managing agent specialising in the leasehold and private rented sectors. Chris is a Chartered Surveyor and Fellow of the Institute of Residential Property Management.

Roger is a Chartered Accountant and has worked with all sizes and types of enterprise but spent most of his career in the Insurance Industry mainly working for mutuals in a range of roles including Finance, Audit, Risk and Compliance jobs.

For over 10 years now Roger has held various independent non-executive board roles including the NHS, Social Housing and Social Care organisations. 

Outside of work Roger is married with two grown up children and in his spare time cuts the grass, reads a bit and watches Football when he can. 

I have lived in Southend since 1974, I have been married for 38 years and have 4 children. I joined the South Essex Homes Board in October 2019.

I have a varied work experience including 12 years for a large social housing provider as part of a national management team developing community project and building partnerships to support tenants and the wider community. Additionally, I have 20 years experience working in the Voluntary and Community sector and currently work for a charity in the Rochford district in a communications role. I am also a Trustee of a Southend based charity.

Previous roles include, 7 years working as Media and Communications Manager for a large local charity and teaching at South Essex College. Prior to that I was a Southend taxi driver for 9 years before returning to full-time education.

I applied to become a Board member to contribute something positive and give a customer’s perspective. As a tenant it is important that our views are heard and I will do my best to raise issues and concerns effectively.

I have lived and worked in Southend all my life. I first started helping SEH when I was invited to a meeting in January 2006 that was to do with ASB.  I have been a member of groups of residents who have helped SEH since then, so have years of working alongside SEH’ Management and Officers.

My main task as a Board Member is to help and make sure that SEH is the ALMO that looks after us for as long as possible. Then my second task is to see that the residents get the correct services that they are due.

I work with SEH officers who oversee the contractors that work within our homes. I work alongside Officers and have an input when they are selecting the contractors and awarding contracts. I also meet the contractors along with SEH officers on a monthly basis as a resident representative, keeping an eye on how they are performing.

I was previously on the Board for a 3-year period from March 2016, following this I held the position of Chair of the Southend Tenants & Residents Federation from October 2019 to June 2022, where I made many contacts within the City Council. 

As the Board’s Resident Champion, I am approachable and attend many residents’ meetings, focus group meetings and council meetings, so that way I understand many concerns that residents have and pass them on to the correct person within SEH or the City Council and that way I do what I can for our residents.

I have lived in Southend-on-Sea for over 25 years, previously living in South London, West Midlands and Bristol. I am a proud husband of 41 years, a dad of 3 and a grandad of 3. I am worship leader and a deacon at Avenue Baptist Church. I like to write and perform poetry as often as possible.

I have been employed both in industry and community work, my heart however is when working with the vulnerable and often forgotten in our society. I previously set up and managed a charity in South London that ran 10 community day centres across 4 Boroughs, attracting European, Central and Local government funding, as well as funds from trusts and businesses. I am an advocate for diversity, equality and ethicality.

I have a very calm nature and am able to deal with all situations without them turning into a crisis. I believe I have a great rapport with, and am able to build trust with, all that I come into contact with. I have excellent communication skills both written and verbal. I have been interviewed live on radio and television. I have experience in speaking publicly to both small and larger audiences.

James joined the Board in October 2024 and as an Independent Board member and Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee.

James has served on various Boards in the public, private and charitable sectors.   James spent 10 years as a banker in Africa and the UK.  James lives in Southend where he was a Member of Parliament for 19 years.  He served for a number of years as a government minister under three different Prime Ministers and across 10 departments.  When not at work James cooks, walks Doris the black Labrador and runs with Southend Flyers.

Rachel joined the Board in October 2024 as an Independent Board member and Chair of the Personnel & Remuneration Committee.

Rachel is currently the People and Culture Director and Deputy Chief Executive of CHP, a housing association based in Chelmsford.  In this role, she leads a range of corporate services functions, including HR and Governance, and is the Leadership Champion for both Wellbeing, and Diversity and Inclusion. 

In her career she has worked across all HR disciplines, in sectors as varied as manufacturing and financial services, and brings a wealth of commercial experience to her roles in the housing sector.  Rachel is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and regularly acts as a CIPD mentor to support the development of HR professionals. She currently serves on the Pension Strategy Board of Essex Pension Fund as an employer representative.

Rachel has lived in Essex for over 25 years.  When not at work or with family, she can often be found backstage supporting her local amateur dramatic society.  She has also previously been a Sunday school teacher, a charity fundraiser and a primary school governor, and finds great joy and reward in giving back to her local community.

On retiring as Director of the Cambridge Centre for Housing & Planning Research in December 2017, Professor Michael Oxley was appointed an Emeritus Senior Fellow at the University of Cambridge.  

Previously Professor of Housing at De Montfort University and a Research Fellow at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, he has published widely in the field of housing policy and housing finance, including work on investment in social housing in the UK and internationally. His book Economics, Housing and Planning is used on many university courses, and he is a co-author of 'Bridging the gap between social and market rented housing in six European countries?' 

Michael is a member of the Chartered Institute of Housing. He has been a non-executive director of two NHS trusts, a housing association, and the Nottingham ALMO.  Michael enjoys travelling, the theatre and following Leicester City.

Cllr Anne Jones joined the South Essex Homes’ Board on 21 May 2024.  Cllr Jones is Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing.

Cllr Jane Norman joined the South Essex Homes’ Board on 21 May 2024.  Cllr Norman is Cllr for St Lukes Ward and sits on several Council Committees.  She is Chair of Appeals Committee A.

Cllr Margaret Borton joined the South Essex Homes Board on 21 May 2024.  Cllr Borton is Cllr for Victoria Ward and sits on several Council Committees.  She is Vice Chair of Development Control Committee.