Chairman - Gillian Bryce Expand Gillian graduated in Medicine from Glasgow University in 1980 and became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh four years later. She was appointed as a Consultant in Accident and Emergency Medicine at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton in 1992 and was Medical Director of the South Western Ambulance Service between 1994 and 2009. She has been involved at a national level in training and guidelines for paramedics. Gillian has been interested and involved in pre-hospital medicine throughout her career and appreciates the vital role played by the air ambulance in delivering high quality care to patients. Future development of additional clinical skills for aircrew is something she hopes to help take forward. When not occupied with work and hospital matters she likes to travel to far flung places!
Anna Phillips Expand Anna is a Solicitor who specialises in providing pragmatic solutions and specialist property to charities and social enterprises. She grew up in South West and studied at Leicester University and then the College of Law. Anna is currently a Legal Director at Foot Anstey. Anna lives on the Blackdown Hills with her husband, two daughters and a small menagerie. She is keen on the outdoors and on the arts. Anna likes to paint when she can find the time. So far as aeronautical links go, Anna is the great grand daughter of 'Bunny' Butler - an aircraft engine designer with the Cosmos Engineering Company at Fishponds Bristol who in 1937, together with Roy Feddon designed, (amongst others) the Jupiter engine which represented a significant aeronautical advance of its time.
Colin Launchbury (Company Secretary - Non Trustee) Expand Colin is a qualified accountant and worked for 20 years as Chief Accountant of an electrical wholesaler. In 1998 he joined the NHS as Finance Director of Dorset Ambulance Service. The ambulance service was instrumental in setting up the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance Charity in 1999. He became a Trustee of the newly formed Charity, a post he held until September 2000 when the ambulance service trustees were gradually replaced with independent trustees from the counties of Dorset and Somerset. Following the amalgamation of Dorset Ambulance and West Country Ambulance in 2006 he became Deputy Finance Director of the newly formed South Western Ambulance Service, a position he held until his retirement in 2011. Colin has provided financial information to the Charity since its inception as well as being the Company Secretary. He is married to Dawn, has a son, daughter and a four year old grandson and currently lives in Highcliffe, Dorset.
Richard Kennedy Expand Richard recently retired as a Chartered Accountant and partner with PKF Francis Clark LLP, the largest firm of accountants in the South West. He grew up in Taunton and studied Law at Southampton University before training as an accountant with a national firm in London. He then spent a few years working in Richmond, Surrey before returning to work in Somerset. Richard works in Taunton and advises owner managed businesses, charities and professional practices. He lives nearby in the countryside with his wife Julia and they have two grown up children and one grandson. Outside work he enjoys sailing and is a sporadic and very average golfer and tennis player.
Simon Jones Expand Simon has worked within the aerospace and defence industry for over 30 years, with the last 23 spent with Leonardo Helicopters, where he sits as part of the Senior Leadership Team. Simon has a wide breadth of business knowledge and experience, including working extensively overseas, including two long term assignments in Canada and Denmark. Simon is a Trustee of the Leonardo Helicopters Pension Scheme and a Governor of Preston School in Yeovil; he became a Trustee of DSAA in 2018. Simon lives in a village on the Somerset Levels with his wife Amanda and spends his limited spare time cycling, skiing, kayaking, competing in motorcycle trails and is actively involved in the community, having helped organise two local charity events for the last 20 years.
Wendy Green Expand Wendy graduated in Pathology from University of Cambridge in 1983; since then she has had an interesting and varied career. Initially Wendy worked in technical management roles with food manufacturing companies. After an extended childcare break, she took on a range of clinical governance and project management roles within both the NHS and two independent hospices. She also spent several years working as School Food Project Manager for Somerset County Council. Currently Wendy is a Senior Clinical Claims Manager for WPA Health Insurance, based in Taunton. Wendy lives in Chard, where she is an active member of local church. She enjoys walking and singing and also trips to London to visit her 2 adult children.
Tracey Killen Expand Tracey worked in retail throughout her career with the John Lewis Partnership. She ran the John Lewis shop at Cribbs Causeway, before moving across to Human Resources where she became the Director of Personnel for the Partnership and a member of the Board before retiring in April this year. Tracey is a Non-Executive Director of Morgan Sindall PLC where she Chairs the Remuneration Committee and is also a member of the Audit and Nominations Committees. She is a Fellow of Be the Business - a not for profit organisation that supports SME's to improve their business performance, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel, and a Governor at Merchants Academy school in Bristol, which is part of the Venturers Trust where Tracey also sits on the HR Committee. Tracey lives in a village in South Somerset and loves to cook, entertain, garden and walk.
Sue Heyes Expand Sue has spent her career within the HR profession, working across a range of retail and financial service sector organisations. Her final position, before becoming an Independent HR Consultant, was supporting the relocation of Lloyds Register (LR) Marine to the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute; a collaboration between LR and Southampton University. The early part of Sue’s life was spent in Wimborne before she moved to the South East of England with work, moving back to the Wimborne area in 1990. She has been a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development for over 30 years and currently supports her local branch as a volunteer. Sue has been married to Alan for 38 years and has a grown-up son. Her hobbies and interests are varied and include gardening, cooking and a wide range of crafting.
Sarah Day Expand Sarah works for the Healthcare Financial Management Association as a policy and research manager, supporting NHS finance staff across the UK to understand national policy and guidance and address knotty problems across all health sectors. Prior to this she worked as a management accountant in the NHS in Somerset; the South-west region; and, latterly, in a national role with NHS England. Sarah started her career at Westland Helicopters working as a structural design engineer on the EH101, having graduated with a degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Bath. With a CV full of health and helicopters, DSAA is an obvious choice to support as a trustee! Sarah is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and holds a MBA. Sarah lives on the Somerset Levels and, when time allows, enjoys gardening and walking.