The board of directors of the Gloucestershire Community Energy Co-operative currently has five members with a range of complimentary skills.
Matt Partridge (Chairperson since April 2024, elected September 2022)
Matt Partridge is the Development Director and a co-owner of REG Power Management, a well-established UK onshore wind and solar development business. Matt is also Treasurer of Nailsworth CAN.
Matt has spent his entire working life involved in the UK onshore wind and solar energy development sector following his graduation from the University of Southampton in 1994 (BSc Hons Geography). In that time Matt has held senior positions at National Wind Power (now RWE Renewables), Gamesa Energy UK and Ecotricity.
Peter Boait (Treasurer since April 2024, elected September 2018)
Peter Boait is a chartered electrical/electronic engineer with a PhD in energy systems. For the last 15 years he has been performing and leading research and development around renewable energy systems, as Research Fellow at the Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development at De Montfort University. This work contributed to the realisation of the Energy Local model for community energy schemes. Other examples of recent research publications cover “smart grid” demand response techniques and sustainable operation of mini-grids in the developing world.
Peter is a founder member of Gloucestershire Community Energy Co-op, and chaired the board for several years. He is keen to find innovative roles for the co-op that will enable communities to benefit from the ongoing transition to a smart grid and decarbonisation of heat.
Nathan Cole (Secretary – elected September 2022)
After making efforts to minimise his own carbon footprint (solar panels, heat pump, electric car, renewable energy supplier, green banking, diet change…), Nathan started looking for opportunities to have a greater impact towards tackling the climate emergency. Through GCEC and volunteering with The Big Solar Co-op, Nathan hopes to progress the deployment of renewable energy systems across Gloucestershire and beyond!
Richard Walter (Elected AGM 2012)
Originally from a farm in Devon, Richard has lived in Cheltenham for nearly 40 years working as an engineer then an engineering manager in the public sector. He had been involved in voluntary activities for most of that time. He initially did conservation work with the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, then acted as secretary of a Reserve Management Committee. He has also been Treasurer & Webmaster of Cheltenham Film Society, Treasurer & Webmaster of Transition Town Cheltenham and a trustee of The Rendezvous Society. He is currently Treasurer and a founding member of GCEC, Social Media manager for Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Steam Railway and a DJ and Sound Engineer at Foxford Community Radio in the West of Ireland.
Richard installed solar PV, solar water and a wind turbine on his house in Cheltenham in 2005, recently adding battery storage and refurbished an old cottage in Ireland with solar water, PV and a ground source heat pump. He also installed and manages a solar powered “off grid” system on a house in Spain including remote monitoring, control and security systems on all properties.
Richard served as the Treasurer and operations manager of GCEC until April 2024.
Eileen Morrison (Elected September 2022)
Eileen Morrison, originally from Yorkshire, spent all her career in the public sector, working at a university and for various civil service departments, retiring from middle management in 2011. Since then she has had various voluntary roles in corporate governance, including serving on the boards of Age UK Gloucestershire, Healthwatch Gloucestershire, the Students’ Union of the University of Gloucestershire, and the Audit Committee of Gloucestershire College. Eileen current volunteers with Healthwatch Gloucestershire, the School of Health and Social Care at the University of Gloucestershire, takes part in cognitive research, and helps edit a quarterly magazine. Since 2013 Eileen has had casual work as an exams invigilator at a state school.
Rob Jones (Co-opted September 2024)
Rob has extensive experience of accounting, auditing, corporate advisory and financial analysis. His career was as a Chartered Accountant (with EY) and Financial Analyst (with Standard & Poor’s).
In retirement he has been channelling his climate ‘guilt’ into action. He is a volunteer with, and director of, the Big Solar Co-op. He is a member of the Stroud Area Community Energy Network. He organises his village’s climate action group. He has internally insulated his home, has solar panels, a battery, a heat pump and an EV. He is a trustee for a charity that helps children with disabilities and has been the treasurer of his village’s hall.