Alex has been Chief Executive of Landex ‘Land Based Colleges & Universities Aspiring to Excellence‘ since January 2021. Prior to that, Alex was the Director Of Quality Enhancement at Landex. She has an extensive background in the Land Based sector which has included managing and developing a full range of curriculum including Higher Education, as well as driving and monitoring quality improvement. She has managed a number of specialist land-based centres and associated staff and resources. Her current industry involvement in Agriculture and Equine ensures she is in touch with current developments and challenges within the sector.
Alex brings to the role a significant understanding of land based industries, in addition to her experience as a manager in further education colleges, and more recently with Landex. In her spare time she farms with her husband in Yorkshire
Tim is responsible for the Horticulture at all five RHS Gardens including the oldest and most visited garden, RHS Wisley in Surrey, and has also led on the delivery of their newest Garden, RHS Bridgewater (in Salford, Greater Manchester), which opened in 2021. Collectively the gardens welcome 3 million visitors each year and cultivate over 30,000 different plants. His work across the RHS has included community and education programmes, sustainability, and key networks from Partner Gardens to the RHS Plant Trials and the experts who help. Through RHS Bursaries, we help many horticulturists in their careers which includes The Garden Club of America/RHS Fellowship. As a lifelong horticulturist and botanist, Tim always had an interest in growing plants and understanding their diversity, his wider work includes cultivated plant conservation and research into the mint family, notably Lavender and Rosemary. He is a Fellow of the Landscape Institute and Member of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture.
Marcus is the Principal and Chief Executive of Reaseheath College and University Centre, appointed from 1st August 2018. Marcus previously spent nearly four years as Principal at Northumberland College, with another five years as Vice Principal and Head of the College’s land-based provision at Kirkley Hall. He is also a director of the College’s subsidiary company DART Limited. Marcus has a wealth of experience in further education, apprenticeships and higher education partnerships, much of it spent in land-based and rural education.
Marcus has represented land-based Colleges on a number of regional and national groups, and currently sits on the Landex board and Chairs the Land Based Learning board. Marcus is also the author of Horse Business Management.
Simon works with his family to manage a small arable farm in Lincolnshire. He holds BASIS and FACTS and does most of the agronomy on the farm. They use GPS and yield mapping to make key agronomic decisions. They are in countryside stewardship, with wild bird and nectar mixes. This year Simon is taking part in ‘tractors into school’, and thinks it is very important to educate children on the role of farmers and their importance working with environment.
Julie Milburn has an extensive professional history which includes over 20 years’ experience in further and higher education. She has previously been Vice Principal at Farnborough College of Technology (FCOT), covering both FE and HE with extensive involvement in industry partnerships, and previously Head of School at FCOT. Prior to FCOT, Julie had been at Newbury College and at East Durham & Houghall College in a variety of teaching and management roles. Whilst at East Durham and Houghall, Julie was based at Houghall campus, the specialist residential land based college campus in County Durham.
Julie has a background in Sports Science and has worked closely with sports based and many other employers and businesses. Julie has extensive professional expertise and experience in the design and delivery of curriculum for Further and Higher education and the quality improvement of the same. Julie also has extensive professional expertise of supporting and safeguarding students being the Designated Safeguarding Lead for Sparsholt and Andover Colleges.
