Senior Leadership Team (SLT)
David Warnes - Principal & Chief Executive
David Warnes has been working in the Further Education sector for nearly 30 years. After qualifying as a lecturer in 1996, he started his teaching career at Richmond upon Thames College. teaching A-levels, vocational courses and assessing Apprenticeships. He progressed into various management positions, including Curriculum Director of IT, Business, Travel, Sport and Leisure. He then went on to chair the national network of Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) in Sport, before being seconded to work on the education programme for the London 2012 Olympics.
David has been the senior strategic lead for Apprenticeships, Business Development and HE at both East Surrey College and London South East College, and was most recently Deputy Principal at West London College, before joining Chelmsford College as Principal and Chief Executive in October 2022.
David is a keen amateur gardener, movie buff and walker, and particularly enjoys exploring the remote corners of the West coast of Scotland.
Debs Hurst - Chief Operating Officer
Debs started her finance career in Further Education Sector in the late 1980's working for East Surrey College and then Nescot after which when she left to go travelling for a year. After being in the commercial and not for profit sector she joined Chelmsford College in July 2013 as Director of Finance (shared with South Essex College) before taking on more responsibility and is now the Chief Operating Officer for many of the support functions. Debs enjoys keeping fit, DIY and is also a Trustee of the charity, Next Chapter who provide free services to support people experiencing domestic abuse.
Debbie Garroway - Deputy Principal - Curriculum and Quality
With over 41 years in education, Debbie brings a wealth of experience spanning early years, primary education, further education, and teacher training. She began her career as a nursery nurse in a primary school before returning to study once her children had grown up, moving into the FE sector 19 years ago.
Her teaching background includes early years education, primary teaching, and training the next generation of teachers. Before joining Chelmsford College, she worked in two FE colleges, including one in the northeast of England, and has held a variety of management positions, serving as a senior leader for the past decade. In these roles, she has been the strategic lead for teaching, learning and assessment, student experience, and curriculum, successfully guiding colleges through Ofsted inspections with good outcomes.
Since joining Chelmsford College in September 2021, she has continued to champion inclusion and currently serves as the strategic lead for mental health. Beyond the college, she chairs the Inclusive Stakeholder Alliance, is Deputy Chair of the AoC Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Reference group, and is also a trustee for a mental health charity. She is a strong advocate of coaching and mentoring to support staff progression.
A proud Sunderland supporter, Debbie enjoys holidays abroad, kayaking, and spending time with her family.
Roney Brooks - Executive Director of People and Organisational Development
Roney is an experienced Human Resources professional with over 30 years' experience spanning both public sectors including education and NHS Mental Health and private industries such as food manufacturing, subsea telecommunications (Merchant Navy), and accountancy. For the past 10 years she has held senior strategic HR roles, driven transformation and fostering inclusive cultures. Her core strengths include employee relations, performance management, cultural transformation and organisation design, recruitment & selection for high performing teams and safeguarding management. Promoting the health and wellbeing of staff and developing collaborative working environments where people thrive is also a passion.
As a Charted Fellow of the Charted Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Roney is an enthusiastic advocate for lifelong learning and professional growth, and will begin her Master's degree in September 2025, further deepening her expertise in workforce strategy.
Alan Burgess - Director of Campus - Moulsham Street
Alan Burgess is an experienced leader in the Further Education sector, with over 18 years working across teaching, curriculum leadership, and strategic development. Since qualifying as a lecturer in 2012, he has taught across a wide range of programmes, including 16–18 learning, apprenticeships, and Higher Education. Alan’s progression into leadership saw him take responsibility for a broad curriculum portfolio, including Professional Construction subjects such as Civil Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Management, and Design, alongside core Construction and Engineering trades. He has held senior roles at colleges including Suffolk New College and Barking & Dagenham College, where he led in areas such as apprenticeships, technical education, and higher education.
He is particularly focused on staff and learner development, inclusion, and wellbeing. Alan is committed to working with employers and external stakeholders to ensure the curriculum offer reflects local and national priorities, helping to prepare learners with the required skills and knowledge for meaningful, long-term careers.
Alongside his college leadership roles, Alan has supported other senior leaders in the sector through coaching. Alan also contributes to the wider sector as a Lead Consultant for City & Guilds, supporting the development of Construction qualifications, including specification writing, exam production, and national grading.
Outside of work, Alan enjoys football and coaches a youth team at Braintree Town FC. He also spends time outdoors with his dog, ‘Diggers’.
Phil Clark - Director of Campus - Princes Road
Phil has been a senior leader within the Further Education sector for over 15 years and held a teaching role for 10 years previous to this. Having worked in different areas of the UK, including East Yorkshire and The Humber, the East Midlands and London, Phil brings a wealth of knowledge from not only the world of further education, but also from employer and industry engagement.
Phil has a passion for expanding opportunity for our learners, particularly through apprenticeships and engaging with local and national industry to develop and expand progression into employment. Phil has worked extensively with a number of awarding bodies, in particular as a consultant with City & Guilds.
Sarah Hamilton - Executive Director of Innovation and Partnerships
Sarah Hamilton brings over 27 years of experience in the further education sector, having worked across FE colleges, national and independent training providers, and playing a pivotal role in establishing a new provider from inception. After completing three years in higher education and being awarded an ATI in Textile Design and Technology, Sarah spent a short period in sales before transitioning into the education sector, where she developed a deep and lasting commitment to supporting lifelong learning and skills development. Her career has focused on apprenticeships and adult learning, with a strong track record in middle and senior leadership roles.
As Executive Director of Innovation and Partnerships, Sarah currently leads a broad portfolio that includes marketing and admissions, careers, and business development. She led the development of the college’s Business Unit, which has successfully expanded the recruitment and delivery of adult learning and apprenticeship provision. As Skills Nominee, she contributes strategically to Ofsted inspections, focusing on skills development with local and regional stakeholders. Sarah is known for her dynamic and collaborative leadership style, characterised by energy, positivity, and a deep commitment to partnership working. She fosters a culture of innovation and inclusivity, empowering teams to deliver high-impact outcomes for learners, employers, and the wider community.
Rebecca Leech - Director of Learner Experience and Essential Skills
Rebecca is a compassionate and learner-centred leader, known for her supportive and empathetic approach to education. With over 19 years in Further Education, she has progressed through roles including Learning Support Assistant, Lecturer, Curriculum Manager and Head of Department. Now as Director of Learner Experience and Essential Skills, she drives inclusive practice and meaningful learner engagement across the college to help Unlock Potential.
Sean Parker - Director of MIS and Digital Transformation
Sean Parker is an experienced Director of MIS with over 20 years in the Further and Higher Education sectors. He specialises in managing government-funded programmes, ensuring compliance with DfE funding regulations, and developing robust MIS and reporting systems. Sean has led operational teams across multiple institutions, driving quality assurance and strategic delivery of apprenticeship programmes, amongst others. His expertise spans MIS system management, DfE funding rules, and stakeholder engagement at all levels.
Penny Petch - Director of Teaching, Learning and Quality
Penny Petch started her career as a nurse and midwife before retraining as a teacher following completion of her BA (hons) Social Science with Sociology whilst at home as a full-time mother. Her teaching career started at North Herts College where she quickly became Curriculum Area Manager for Health and Social Care. This was followed by a move to Newham Sixth Form College as a Head of Department for Social Sciences, teaching A level and vocational courses. Her career at Chelmsford College started in 2008 as the manager for the 14-16 Alternative Provision. After six months, she moved into the Head of Teaching and Learning role and became the president of the national professional body for teachers, the Institute for Learning, in 2013. This coincided with completion of her Masters in Education in which she explored the nature of professionalism and what it meant for the sector. After becoming a member of the Senior Management Team in 2015, Penny became the Director of Teaching, Learning and Quality in 2017 and continues to feed her passion for high quality evidence-based teaching practice.