Myerscough Corporation Chair steps down

Allan Foster has an almost 12 year association with Myerscough, and succeeded Stuart Heys as Chair of our Corporation in 2020, but is now stepping back to spend more time with his family.

Allan joined the Corporation in 2012 after a 35-year career in higher education, and prior to that a period at the British Institute of Management. After leaving BIM in 1971 he moved to Sheffield Polytechnic (now Sheffield Hallam University) between 1971 and 1980, Preston/Lancashire Polytechnic (now University of Central Lancashire) 1980 to 1988, University of Manchester Graduate School of Business Studies 1988 to 1994, and finally Keele University between 1994 and 2005.

He subsequently taught part time at Manchester Metropolitan University and has been a consultant to a variety of companies and educational institutions globally. He was responsible for leading the development of various areas of learning support and resources, information management and IT, media production and archives and has written extensively on these topics.

He was a director of a university press and has been actively involved in scholarly publishing and the challenges this faces in a fast moving digital landscape. He served on management and governance boards at these institutions and on numerous external bodies in higher education and research. In the last decade he has served as a senior governor at Lytham St Annes High School, one of the biggest secondary schools in Lancashire, and is currently Chair of the School’s Resources Committee.

His educational philosophy has always been to put the learner at the centre of all endeavours and he’s proud that Myerscough’s ethos is entirely consistent with this.

In summer 2023, Allan was awarded a Myerscough Honorary Fellowship in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the education sector.

We thank Allan for his many years of dedicated service to Myerscough College and University Centre and with him all the very best for the future.

Allan will be succeeded by previous Vice-Chair, Jane Booker.

Jane joined the Corporation in 2016 and in addition to serving as Vice-Chair, has undertaken duties including Chair of Audit Committee, and the Link governor for Safeguarding and EDI.

Jane is a graduate of UCLan in the days when it was known as Preston Polytechnic, and she practised locally as a solicitor for 27 years.

She retired as a solicitor in July 2014 and has since then undertaken various voluntary positions mentoring and assisting young people, setting up their own business, fundraising for the Children Today Charity and being an active member of the Board at the Dukes Theatre in Lancaster.

The Myerscough Corporation is a legal body constituted under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 and consists of twenty members from all walks of life and a cross section of the community which it serves. In business terms it equates to a board of directors in a company. The current board includes people drawn from a range of backgrounds and experience who make a vital contribution to the work of the College.

Duties include attendance at Corporation meetings, committee meetings and training events.