Nichola brings a wealth of organisational knowledge to the role with her experience as a Trustee, a Guardian on the Advocacy Committee, and prior experience on the Education and Training Committee. Nichola is a conservation architect and SPAB Scholar (1998) and while in practice, she led conservation projects at sites including Hardwick Hall, Tyntesfield, Broughton Castle, and the Royal Institution. She has since taken on leadership roles with Historic Royal Palaces and most recently with English Heritage; for a number of years as the charity's Head of National Projects but since 2020, as Stonehenge Director.
Board of Trustees
Executive Board members are the trustees of the SPAB and directors of the Incorporated Association. They are responsible under charity law for governance of the SPAB, delegating management responsibility to the director and staff. The Board has up to 12 members, 8 of whom must be Guardians - one appointed from each of the Guardians’ committees. It can also co-opt additional members with specialist skills who become Guardians. The Board meets five times a year. Guardian-trustees and co-optees serve for three years. No member may serve for more than six years in succession. Guardian-trustees must step down once their Guardian tenure comes to an end. Honorary officers – Chair, Vice Chair and Treasurer – are elected by the Board.
Chair
Nichola Tasker
Vice Chair
Charles Wagner
Charles graduated as a civil engineer, was awarded an SPAB Scholarship in 1980 and went onto work for English Heritage. He left in 2015 to be a heritage and planning consultant, and work with the Built Heritage Consultancy. He is President of the Association for Studies in the Conservation of Historic Buildings (ASCHB) and Co-chair of the Heritage Alliance’s Spatial Planning Advisory Group. He is actively involved in building conservation with the Mausolea & Monuments Trust, his local historic cemetery friends, his local amenity societies and Fulham Palace.
Treasurer
Chris Wheaton
Chris has been a financial analyst for over twenty years but his most fulfilling roles have been voluntary ones. His most recent volunteer work was as a trustee of a sizeable multi-school charitable trust with annual income of over £30m and nearly 500 employees. Chris has been a SPAB member for at least 10-15 years and has loved old buildings for as long as he can remember.
Our trustees
A brief description of Trustees and Guardians.
Tríona Byrne
Tríona is a structural engineer and SPAB Scholar passionate about vernacular architecture. She co-founded and chairs SPAB Ireland.
Hazel Morris
Hazel is a chartered surveyor and values commercial property across the UK. She is the chair of the Kent and Surrey Regional Group.
Conor Meehan
Conor Meehan is a fully qualified civil, structural and environmental engineer with almost ten years’ experience in site supervision and project management. He is a SPAB Scholar and managing director of Triskele Conservation Ltd.
Duncan McCallum
Duncan is Strategy and Listing Director at Historic England. He has over 30 years of experience in the heritage sector.
Jamie McNamara
Jamie has worked on historic regeneration schemes and managing building repair grants. He currently mentors community groups in all things heritage across Scotland for The Scottish Civic Trust.
Mildred Cookson
Mildred joined the SPAB in 1976 and has been a Mills Section committee member for many years also serving as Chairman for three years.
Richard Max
Richard is a solicitor and specialises in planning and compulsory purchase law.
Catherine Cullis
Catherine is the past churches and cathedrals officer for the SPAB and her career has concentrated on the care of historic ecclesiastical buildings