Previously Chief Executive of the Heart of England Forest, the largest new native broadleaf forest in the country, Beth is a personal champion of skills development within the forestry industry. One of the first organisations to take on a new forestry apprentice, Beth also pioneered a one-year paid forestry internship programme, in recognition of the difficulties young people face entering the sector and led the charity in developing its learning and skills programme, creating Future Forest Guardians. 

Beth began her working life on a pig farm. An ecologist by training she spent several years as Director of Conservation and Marketing with Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. Following a brief sojourn to live and work in Poland, Beth has since had Chief Executive positions at the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, and Fair Train, a charity promoting the benefits of high-quality work experience and apprenticeships. 

Beth is the Chair of national pet welfare charity Blue Cross, which benefits from Lantra qualifications within its veterinary nursing and rehoming work, and in her spare time, Beth runs a smallholding with mixed rescue livestock as a hobby. Beth is excited to have been a part of the judging panel for the LBEL Awards and is very much looking forward to celebrating the inspirational stories and high-quality skills development journeys in a range of areas at the Awards Ceremony. 

David Grint

David has enjoyed a successfully and multi-faceted career including as Partner in a fresh food business, CEO of a software business, International Commercial Director for Bupa, Strategy Director for the BBC and Marketing Director for T-Mobile and Coca-Cola.

Having grown up in Norfolk and with a grandmother who had a smallholding raising sheep, poultry and dairy cattle, David joined RASE in Oct 2023.

Helen Sessions 

Helen is the Development Officer for The Chartered Institute of Horticulture and one of her key roles is to represent the CIH within the horticultural industry.  She brings a wealth of experience to the Institute, a chartered horticulturalist with an Honours degree in Horticulture, gained at Writtle College, Chelmsford.  

Helen has extensive experience in horticultural buying and supplier management both in large scale commercial and charity sectors.  She has worked as a specialist consultant in both the sustainability and commercial sectors. Helen enjoys travelling and has worked in commercial horticulture in both Australia and the Middle East.   

She lives in Devon with her husband Dan and their very demanding cat. 

John Moverley OBE 

John’s career has spanned the public, private and charitable sectors with 20 years at chief executive level including being Principal of two land-based colleges.

He also has extensive experience as both a Trustee and with Board appointments. John has held many national and regional roles and has considerable overseas experience and networks.  

He graduated First Class from Cambridge in 1971, being top student in his year, and holds honorary Fellowships at both the University of Central Lancashire and Myerscough College. 

John has particular skills in communications and interpretation of policy matters. John is the owner of JMM Solutions – a land-based consultancy. 

Lacey Pitcher 

Lacey is a registered veterinary nurse and editor of the VN Times. As a diploma nurse who didn’t have a smooth path through training, Lacey is passionate about widening participation and celebrating the talent and tenacity of others across the animal welfare, animal care and veterinary sectors.  

She has used her career passport to work in a variety of settings including working with Cheetahs in South Africa and Orangutans in Borneo. 

Mark Nason

Mark has worked in environmental research and education for 23 years, 15 of them teaching and leading teams at land-based colleges. He is a qualified teacher, has written and introduced new environmental courses, under- and post-graduate degrees, and apprenticeships.  

In his role with the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM), Mark helps to promote the highest standards of practice for the benefit of nature and society, and does his best to ensure that ecology and environmental management is a rewarding and inclusive sector to work in.  

Mark is a Council Member of the British Society of Soil Science and a committee member of the British Ecological Society, and Quality Assurance Agency.  

He is passionate about access to education and careers in the land-based sector. 

Robyn Lowe

Robyn is a small animal Registered Advanced Veterinary Nurse (RVN) who regularly writes articles for academic journals and publications for animal owners. Robyn has a passion for evidence-based medicine, has volunteered for Canine Arthritis Management to write owner literature. 

Robyn is also a Director of Veterinary Voices UK and runs the Veterinary Voices Public Page. She also campaigns on mental health and animal welfare issues. To this end she also sits on the Board of Trustees of Vetlife, the first RVN to do so in the charity's history. 

Sarah Palmer

Sarah studied at the Royal Agricultural College and the University of Warwick.  As well as practical farm experience she has worked in London and the Midlands for political and agriculture-related organisations including GJW Government Relations, the Royal Agriculture Society of England, Farm Energy Centre, and Town and Country PR.   

She worked for the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) between 2002 and 2013. Whilst working within the Warwick Business School’s Executive Education department she completed a postgraduate award in strategic leadership.  

Sarah returned to NFYFC in 2015 to help ensure that YFC members’ agricultural and rural concerns are represented nationally. 

Wayne Grills

Wayne first joined the British Association of Landscape Industries as Chief Operations Officer in 2011 and was appointed Chief Executive in 2015. Prior to joining BALI, Wayne had a variety of roles including being Chief Executive for a range of awarding bodies/training consultancy companies in a range of industries as well as being Managing Director of Lantra in 2006. 

During his tenure at BALI, Wayne has been instrumental in raising the association’s profile at both government and industry level. He contributes to key cross-industry working groups and committees, including the Ornamental Horticulture Roundtable Group, various Defra Working Groups, the Plant Health Alliance Steering Group and numerous other industry-led collaborative initiatives.  

Wayne represents the association on the All Party Parliamentary Gardening and Horticulture Group along with the Scottish Ministerial Industry Roundtable Group and is BALI’s key protagonist for the industry’s skills shortage, overseeing the launch and development of the BALI GoLandscape careers initiative, also ensuring BALI was at the forefront of the employer-led Trailblazer Apprenticeships.