Steering Group
YCC’s Steering Group comprises our two co-chairs, the chairs of our working groups, and the City of York Council's Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency. It exists to coordinate efforts, strategise on overarching issues and oversee governance arrangements.
Co-Chair of the York Climate Commission
Henrietta Stock is a chartered energy engineer with over 20 years' experience in sustainability, working across both climate mitigation and adaptation strategy. The early part of her career was focused on low-carbon technologies, industrial energy-efficiency and demand side response, tackling challenges across a number of high energy-consuming industries. More recently she has led the development and implementation of sustainability strategies across utilities and construction, including co-developing the water industry's net zero carbon roadmap. She is currently responsible for managing a corporate carbon removals strategy, working closely with several eNGOs to support the delivery of net zero, nature recovery and climate resilience ambitions. Away from the office, when not working on her whole-house energy-efficiency retrofit, she is a passionate hillwalker and loves spending time with her family in the outdoors.
Co-Chair of the York Climate Commission
Jennifer is Founder and CEO of Frankly, a leadership development consultancy working with businesses to align people and planet with profit. She has run her business successfully for over 10 years working across a variety of sectors. Prior to that, she held a senior executive position at Vodafone in various roles from customer lifecycle management, marketing, communication and culture change. She is an Ambassador for IDAS charity, a published author and hosts the local York People-Planet-Pint meet-up. She is passionate about bringing people together to do good for the climate as well as championing positive change that benefits all.
Email: jennifer@wearefrankly.co.uk
Shaun is Head of Carbon Reduction at City of York Council, with responsibility for realising the council ambition for York to be a carbon neutral city by 2030. Previously, Shaun specialised in smart energy planning and solutions at the Greater London Authority and low carbon heat networks at the Royal Borough of Greenwich. He started his career in sustainability 15 years ago providing environmental advice to businesses in the North West. He has Masters in Environmental Management & Sustainable Development and is an Associate Member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment.
Email: Shaun.Gibbons@york.gov.uk
Chair of the Health and Climate Working Group
Peter Roderick is the Director of Public Health for the City of York Council, overseeing public health services in the city and acting as the Council’s chief advisor on health issues. He is interested in improving all aspects of human health, including helping people live healthy lives, improving the health of communities, tackling the wider determinants of health including poor housing, poverty, the commercial determinants of ill health, and declining planetary health, as well as protecting residents from health hazards, including the effects of climate change.
Email: peter.roderick@york.gov.uk
Chair of the Transport Working Group
Andy D'Agorne has been a City of York councillor for 20 years and served as Executive Member for Transport between 2019 and 2023. He is now retired but actively involved in York Bus Forum, York Environment Forum, York Cycle Campaign and the York Civic Trust Transport Advisory Group. He has worked in Education as a Careers Advisor at York College and has been an active trade unionist and environmental campaigner in York and Sheffield. As a Geography graduate and longstanding Green Party member, he is passionate about tackling climate change and boosting jobs through switching to active travel and improving home insulation and renewable energy.
Email: andydag@talktalk.net
Chair of the Connecting with Green Spaces Working Group
Holly Hennell is the Manager of York Cares, the employee-volunteering charity and the Community Impact Manager of Aviva, York. Her roles involve engaging, inspiring and motivating others to participate in social action. She is committed to asset-based community development, working with local stakeholders to address local community needs. She has a passion for connecting people and places. She has a keen interest in the environment and in raising awareness about urban green spaces in York and the benefits of nature on wellbeing.
Email: holly.hennell@york.ac.uk
Chair of the Future Buildings Working Group
Denise is a research librarian by profession. She worked in Sheffield City Council in economic development and voluntary/community sector liaison. She has also worked as a fundraiser and events organiser. Moving to York in 2000, she was an elected councillor for Guildhall ward for 8 years and Executive Member for Housing between 2019 and 2023. She helped set the design requirements for the council’s Passivhaus housing sites and initiated a Retrofit Strategy for York. Now retired, she is a director of York Community Energy, contributed to the new Retrofit Strategy for York & North Yorkshire – and has retrofitted her own 1930s semi. She is passionate about the social and economic benefits of climate and nature action for everyone.
Email: denisecraghill@gmail.com
Co-Chair of the York Educators for Climate Action Working Group
Joy is an educator, currently Deputy Principal & Deputy CEO at York College, with over 10 years’ experience in a range of strategic roles in Further Education Colleges. She is currently responsible for leading Curriculum and Student Experience while focusing on providing a future-facing curriculum, designed and delivered in partnership with staff, employers and other stakeholders. She chairs the York College Sustainability Group, where the focus is on Campus, Curriculum and Community, and leads on embedding sustainability in learning for all students. Her passion is developing people, whether they are young people, adult students or staff.
Co-Chair of the York Educators for Climate Action Working Group
Adrian is a Senior Lecturer in Sustainability and currently Deputy Head of Department (Teaching, Learning and Students) in the Department of Environment and Geography, University of York. He has held several strategic teaching and learning leadership roles in the department and across the university that have facilitated, alongside several funding awards, initiatives designed to embed climate and sustainability education in Higher Education curriculum and delivery. He has extensive experience of co-designing interdisciplinary modular and programme learning opportunities with students and external partners from the UK and overseas. His passion is to ensure that all students can leave University with the enthusiasm, knowledge and skills to help deliver a more sustainable and just future.
Email: adrian.gonzalez@york.ac.uk
Co-Chair of the Future Economy of York Working Group
James is an Environmental Advisor at Kier, where he offers environmental management guidance to construction sites alongside the auditing of them. Prior to this, James worked as a Sustainability Coordinator, analysing environmental data and conducting waste audits. He holds a Master of Science in Sustainable Development from the University of Sussex, where his research focused on the role of technological innovation in advancing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. James's passion lies in allowing small to medium-sized businesses to experience the environmental, social and financial benefits that practising sustainability can bring.
Email: james_ship@hotmail.co.uk
Co-Chair of the Future Economy of York Working Group
With a background in corporate sustainability and green finance, Tia Maria has worked with global organisations, including DFS and Sysco International, helping them communicate their climate impact through frameworks such as TCFD and CSRD. Before that, she spent a decade consulting with EY and Deloitte, specialising in risk, governance, and sustainability assurance.
Tia's academic research at the University of Leeds explored how universities can unlock funding for climate action, including innovative tools such as crowdfunding. Now on sabbatical from the corporate world, she is focused on community-led change and new economic thinking. As co-chair of the Future of Economy Working Group, she is passionate about helping shape inclusive, resilient approaches to resource use and economic design in York.
Email: tiamariamaria@gmail.com
Councillor Jenny Kent is Executive Member for the Environment and Climate Emergency for CYC. Having studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford, Law at City University, London, and Dispute Resolution at the Centre for Conflict Resolution Santa Monica, she has worked as an Editor for McGraw Hill Energy Desk, Editor for a startup app tackling diabetes, a Barrister at 14 Gray’s Inn Square, London and Park Court Chambers, Leeds and taught in the York University Law Department. For the last six years, she worked with the Against Malaria Foundation, top-rated Charity by Give Well Charity evaluator every year since 2009 and a leader in the Effective Altruism movement.
Email: Cllr.jKent@york.gov.uk
Chair of the Waste and Circular Economy Working Group
Dael began his work in sustainability in 2022, when he raised concerns about recycling at his job. This quickly led him to take a role in his company's sustainability team, where he found himself empowered to implement changes and develop the processes already in place. He rapidly progressed to leading the team, taking on more responsibility and finding a passion for driving a more sustainable industry. During the course of his endeavours, he joined events hosted by the Green Business Forum and York Climate Commission, while championing his employer to become leaders within the industry. Eventually, he took up his current role as Chair of the Waste and Circular Economy working group.
Email: daelrobinson3@gmail.com
