Lord Lingfield Kt DL DLitt has announced that he will stand down as Pro-Chancellor of the University on 1 June 2013.
Appointed in 2006, Lord Lingfield has been highly active on campus and a keen supporter of many of the University’s events, during what has proved to be an incredibly successful period in Brunel's history. Lord Lingfield made it known earlier in the year that external commitments may inhibit his ability to make a continued contribution to the work of the University, but it is anticipated that his association with us will continue after his period of office has formally ended.
Jane Kelly, Chair of Council, thanked Lord Lingfield for his support for the University: "It is with regret that we accepted the resignation of Lord Lingfield and his presence at events such as graduation will be much missed by students and staff at the University. However, we congratulate him on his appointment by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills as Chair of the Group that will confer chartered status on institutions in the FE sector.
Vice Chancellor Professor Julia Buckingham added: "Although I am a recent arrival, it is clear that Lord Lingfield has been regarded with much fondness at the University. I am grateful for the contribution he has made to our work and look forward to welcoming him back on many occasions in the near future.
Lord Lingfield said of his time as Pro-Chancellor: "For seven years I have been privileged to be associated in this special way with a first class university. It has been a particular joy each year to meet many hundreds of new graduates at our Degree Ceremonies.
The University has commenced the search for Lord Lingfield’s successor and it is hoped that an announcement will be made before the end of the academic year.
Biography
Lord Lingfield was Director General of St John Ambulance for five years in the 1980s and was the senior education policy adviser to the Government throughout the early 90s. He was knighted for services to education in January 1993.
He devised and ran the programme for autonomy in state schools and was Chairman of the Grant-Maintained School Foundation from 1989 to 1998. He was the Chairman of a Review of Further Education in 2012 which resulted in the Lingfield Report, all the recommendations of which were accepted by government.
He has been a teacher, lecturer and company director and is the Founder Chairman of The English Schools Orchestra and of the League of Mercy, a charity which encourages and recognises voluntary work in caring for the sick.
He is a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London and his six-year appointment as Knight Principal of the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor (Chairman of the Knights' Council) was approved by the Queen in 2006. He is currently Knight President. He was awarded the Order of St John in 1984 and became a Peer of the United Kingdom for Life in 2010.