Claire’s keen interest in education was realised following a mid-career change in direction. After twenty-five years in the investment management industry, where she held board level positions at Gartmore Investment Management and Jupiter Asset Management, she resumed academic study and was subsequently offered teaching roles at Roehampton Business School and latterly the role of Fellow at the London School of Economics. A long time Richmond resident, Claire was Chair of Governors at The Vineyard School and has volunteered with the Citizens Advice team in Sheen. She is currently a Trustee of RPLC. A firm believer in the transformative potential of lifelong learning, Claire was appointed to the Board in March 2022.
Dave is a Chartered Management Accountant and has held senior management positions in Royal Mail, Metropolitan Police Service and Macmillan Cancer Support. As well as being experienced in finance, Dave has run large logistical operations, led Royal Mail operational teams and managed technology support during significant organisational change as well as high profile, sensitive policing operations and investigations. Dave is a firm believer that people are the key to successful outcomes and has significant experience in engaging with and managing key stakeholders. He also has a keen interest in learning and development with experience of introducing learning systems within organisations.
Dave is married and has five children – he has lived in the Borough of Richmond for over 40 years.
Elaine has led Access, Distance Learning and undergraduate Degree level provision for adult students in a variety of university, community and college contexts in London and other regions of the UK.
At Birkbeck University of London, Elaine developed and led an extensive university and community-based education programme designed to facilitate mature students’ entry to and inclusion in higher education. She built award-winning partnerships with other learning providers across London and also led the university’s Academic Professional Staff Development programme for six years.
Elaine was formerly an Assistant Dean for Education, seconded to the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Postgraduate Medical Education Deanery from the University of London. She has also held a long-standing educational advisory role with the General Medical Council.
Elaine holds a PhD from the University of London Institute of Education and she is also a fully trained CELTA teacher. She has written/ contributed to academic articles on different aspects of learning and teaching and continues to write on educational issues.
Tarloff has been working in the Higher Education sector for over twenty years, he is an Associate Fellow (AFHEA) and Associate Member of the Association for Learning Technology. He has worked for various universities and continuing adult learning colleges in the UK and Hong Kong, including the University of Oxford, City University of Hong Kong, HKUSPACE – The University of Hong Kong, and CUSCS – The Chinese University of Hong Kong. His different roles have involved teaching and learning support, digital education development, media production, programme management and quality assurance.
After he graduated from Engineering Physics, he attained two master's degrees related to IT and new media, a PgDip in Education and a Doctoral degree in Applied Language Sciences.
His latest research interest is using new technology to enhance teaching and learning, he was appointed to the Board in October 2023.
Staff Governor
Graham is Head of Women’s Education and Hillcroft Centre and is currently focusing on the development and expansion of the Women’s Education curriculum based at our site in Surbiton. Having studied health and psychology related subjects to post-graduate level and undergone teacher training, Graham has many years experience of delivering a wide range of teaching and training programmes to a broad spectrum of adult learners. Prior to the merger, Graham was Staff Governor on the Hillcroft College Board from 2016 and was appointed to the RHACC Board in 2017.
Jane O'Shea has spent her career working in publishing. Most recently she was Publishing Director of an independent start-up company which was successfully sold after 20 years of continuous growth. As part of her responsibility for the publishing, she was closely involved in marketing and publicity strategy. She has always been interested in education and means of achieving potential. She became a governor in 2014 and welcomes the opportunity to be involved in the local community.
John is Chair of the Audit Committee. John lives in St Margarets and has been an active governor at Orleans Park School in Twickenham since 2006, where he currently chairs the Governance Panel. In his professional career, he worked for a global oil and gas company primarily in IT and commercial management positions, and more recently has become a student at RHACC, attending courses in the School of Ideas and the Art School. He was appointed to the Board in March 2022.
Matthew is a Chartered Architect. He has worked in the construction industry for 20 years in a variety of sectors and roles. This has included working on major infrastructure projects and supporting clients with refurbishment and construction delivery as part of wider investment schemes. He has lived in Kingston for over 10 years and has been supporting the college as an independent advisor since 2018.
Nick is Chair of the Finance and Resources Committee. Nick has lived in the Borough of Richmond for over 30 years. He has a long-standing interest in education and training, is a Fellow at the Royal Society of Arts and was previously a Chair of Governors for a school in Twickenham. During his career, he has worked with organisations on a wide range of growth, organisational and public service reform issues. For ten years he led PwC's Public Centre Research Centre, using his skills in policy, research and economics to author and edit a range of publications. He concluded his career at PwC as a member of their UK Government & Public Sector Leadership Team and Social Mobility Advisory Group. He now runs his own business and was appointed as an Independent Governor in March 2021.
Rob spent a forty-year career in the commercial and financial services sectors. Initially, as a Management Accountant before a career change led to developing deep skills as a Learning and Development manager across a range of technical, operational and management disciplines. He is a strong advocate for lifelong learning to foster career development and personal wellbeing. Rob has lived in the borough for over 25 years and has engaged in several voluntary and community initiatives. Rob was appointed as an Independent Governor in July 2024.
