Marna has a 1^st class honours degree from University College London. She was a graduate entrant to the civil service and an HM Inspector of Taxes District Inspector by the age of 26. She left to join Price Waterhouse as a senior manager and was then headhunted to join KPMG where she was a partner for 13 years, specialising in mergers and acquisitions.

She subsequently set up and still runs her own award winning eco tourism business in Cumbria and is CEO of Energy4All, a not for profit social enterprise based in Barrow which to date has raised over £18m of equity for renewable energy co-operatives they have set up in various UK locations.

Katie, set up Walby Farm Park with her husband in 2008, successfully establishing a farm visitor attraction within the constraints of World Heritage Site, alongside a now mainly beef and arable farm. It has won many awards since its inception, including National Farm Attraction of the Year 2010.

She is currently taking a break from her land agency career but in professional life is a Chartered Surveyor (Rural Practice). She ran the Rural Property Sales team for Penrith Farmers’ & Kidds and prior to that worked for an international property company in York. She has a MSc in Rural Estate Management from Nottingham University.

Graham is Chief Executive and Managing Partner of Lamont Pridmore, a three-partner firm of chartered accountants, tax and business advisers with offices throughout Cumbria. Graham has developed the practice from small beginnings into a nationally recognised multi award-winning organisation, helping many local businesses and practitioners develop in a similar way. Lamont Pridmore was named as one of the fastest-growing firms in the UK in the Accountancy Age Top 100 and has won a string of national and regional awards including Independent Firm of the Year (North of England) in the British Accountancy Awards.

Graham is the founding president of Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, Joint Chair of Theatre by the Lake in Keswick and a National Business Awards judge in the categories of Entrepreneur and SME of the Year. He is a former High Sheriff of Cumbria and a past Chairman of the Cumberland Society of Chartered Accountants.

He is also an author and lecturer for the Institute of Chartered Accountants, the Association of Certified Accountants and other training organisations

Dave left school at 16 for an Apprenticeship in Vickers. He gained his qualifications in further education, paid for by Vickers, and then thanked them immediately by leaving the shipyard to go into further education. Dave taught for 27 years at Furness College, becoming a Senior Lecturer responsible for Shipbuilding Apprentices, Welders, Shipwrights, Boiler Makers, Sheetmetal Workers and Marine Plumbers. He finished at Furness College and became a Councillor in 1996, holding various positions such as Chair of Leisure Services Committee, and becoming Deputy Leader and then, last year, Leader of the Council. He also chairs the Stakeholders Group for the Nuclear Facility at the dock.

Dave’s hobbies include collecting model soldiers. He is passionate about ancient history and is a Richardian.

Gordon is a retired management consultant and former senior civil servant. He has extensive experience of working in urban and rural regeneration projects and in vocational education and training. He has led projects to refocus private and public sector organisations through programme and employee performance management systems.

Gordon was elected to Eden District Council in May 2003. He has been a member of the Planning and Licencing Committees. He was appointed to the Council’s Executive in May 2008 and was elected Leader of the Council in April 2010. As leader, he initiated a restructure of the Council and reviews of all expenditure. The outcome is that Eden Council has a balanced budget for the first time in many years.

Gordon is a member of Cumbria Leaders’ Board, Connecting Cumbria Project Board, Cumbria Health and Well Being Board and is Chair of Governors at Lazonby C of E Primary School. He is a strong advocate for rural communities and is committed to sustaining rural  towns and villages and promoting progressive employment and training opportunities for young people.

Moira has been Principal of Carlisle College for nine years and is also currently Chair of Cumbria Work Based Learning Forum. This is a partnership of Colleges and Training Providers in Cumbria. She has extensive experience in education and skills across a wide spectrum of institutions and ages, including Higher Education. In her time as Principal Moira has consistently championed the value of vocational education and training and played an active role in many local and regional partnerships. Currently Moira is a member of a National Association of Colleges and Skills Smart Steering Group which is leading the development of professional retail skills across the Country.

Moira is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and is the Skills Representative on the Cumbrian LEP.  In recognition of her services to Further Education Moira was awarded the OBE in the December 2012 New Year’s Honours List

Bill was born in Abbeytown and educated at Abbeytown, Wigton and Wadham College Oxford. He has been awarded medals from a number of European Universities including the Czech Scientific University Gold Medal and the Charles University Prague Silver Medal. Prior to joining the Lake District National Park Authority, his career was mainly overseas in Europe and the Middle East, where he directed British Council operations in many countries for almost thirty years. He was Director of The Department for Technical Cooperation with Overseas Countries at the London HQ from 1979 to 1982 and latterly Counsellor at the British Embassy in Algiers, Lisbon and Prague. Bill was awarded an OBE in 1986. He has been a Silloth Parish Councillor and an Allerdale Borough Councillor since 1999, including several years as portfolio holder for rural regeneration. Bill has been Chairman of the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty since 2002. He joined the Lake District National Park Authority in 2007 and was elected Chairman of the Authority in 2008.

Eddie Martin was commissioned in the Royal Navy and spent several years with the Royal Marines during which time he gained a DMS (Dist) and MSc in Management from Bath University. He was appointed as a serving brother of the OStJ in 1975. On early retirement from the RN he was employed by a large independent school, ending his formal career there as resident Housemaster. He was elected to Rutland District Council and led the crusade to ensure Rutland became a unitary authority, which it finally achieved in 1997. He was elected the Authority’s first Leader. Appointed to Cumbria County Council in 2001 as a Leadership Support Officer, he retired and was elected to the Authority in 2009. He was elected Leader of the Council in April 2010. Eddie is Chair of Cumbria Leaders’ Board.

Stephen has spent most of his working life in the tourism industry both within and outside the county. Over the last 20 years he has developed businesses in Cumbria, including the Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel and Mountain Goat, working over that time to improve the economic sustainability of the local community through improved job opportunities and recognition of the quality of the service provided, and promoting the county internationally. Stephen is closely involved with Cumbria Tourism, a Founding Committee Member of the Japan Forum Marketing Group, a Committee Member of the US Forum Marketing Group, Director/Trustee of the Lake District Summer Music Festival and a Director/Trustee of the Lake District Tourism & Conservation Partnership.

With a strong track record in corporate finance, bringing significant financial expertise to the Board, Jackie is responsible for financial governance and for strategy at BAE Systems Submarine Solutions. Jackie is a Board Member of Barrow Regeneration and an ex Board member of Furness College and Lakeland Power Ltd. As a native Cumbrian who has been fortunate to spend most of her career working locally, Jackie has a passionate belief in the area and a desire to ensure the future growth of the Cumbrian business economy, opening up new opportunities.