Who's Who

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Our experienced, skilled and committed team works across our Combined Authority areas, offering practical support, raising awareness of local energy schemes, attracting investment and developing innovative projects.

Hub Manager

Karen Oliver-Spry

Karen leads the strategic delivery of the Hub co-ordinating its day-to-day functioning and reporting to both the government and the Hub Board.

Prior to joining the Hub, Karen manged the capital investment programme at the former Humber Local Enterprise Partnership.

Envelope

Local Projects

Louise Jackson

Programmes Manager

Louise Jackson

Programmes Manager

Louise manages the Net Zero Hub’s discretionary funding programmes; including coordination of projects, financial management, reporting and evaluation, alongside supporting DESNZ with reporting and monitoring. She also leads the Local Capacity Support, bringing the Regional Managers together to develop projects into investment-ready propositions. Prior to joining the Hub, she worked in the education, employment, and skills sector both in private and public organisations and supported investment projects and programmes – ranging from cultural festivals to capital investment – at the Tees Valley Combined Authority.

Email:louise.jackson@teesvalley-ca.gov.uk

Andrea Baxter

Regional Project Manager, North Eas

Andrea is Regional Project Manager for the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority area helping to develop and deliver local energy projects in Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland.

Andrea Baxter

Regional Project Manager, North Eas

Andrea is Regional Project Manager for the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority, helping to develop and deliver local energy projects in County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland South Tyneside, and Sunderland.

Email:andrea.baxter@northeast-ca.gov.uk

Oluwafemi Omoniyi (Femi)

Regional Project Manager, West Yorkshire

Femi is Regional Project Manager for the West Yorkshire Combined Authority area helping to develop and deliver local energy projects in Leeds, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield.

Oluwafemi Omoniyi (Femi)

Regional Project Manager, West Yorkshire

Femi is Regional Project Manager for the West Yorkshire Combined Authority area helping to develop and deliver local energy projects in Leeds, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield.

He has previous experience working on scientific projects on the energy transition particularly the uptake and distribution of Hydrogen and biomethane for heat and transport applications.

Email:oluwafemi.omoniyi@westyorks-ca.gov.uk

George Lee

Regional Project Manager, South Yorkshire

George is Regional Project Manager for the South Yorkshire Combined Authority area helping to develop and deliver local energy projects in Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham.

George Lee

Regional Project Manager, South Yorkshire

George is Regional Project Manager for the South Yorkshire Combined Authority area helping to develop and deliver local energy projects in Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham.

He previously specialised in built environment, energy management, EV charging, and carbon accounting and net zero pathways and joined the Hub from Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council.

Email:george.lee@southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk

Harry Baross

Regional Project Manager, Hull and East Yorkshire

Harry is Regional Project Manager for the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority area helping to develop and deliver local energy projects in East Riding and Hull.

Harry Baross

Regional Project Manager, Hull and East Yorkshire

Harry is Regional Project Manager for the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority area helping to develop and deliver local energy projects in East Riding and Hull.

He joined us from North Yorkshire Council where he was Climate Change Programme Manager for the former Scarborough Borough Council. Prior to this he was Climate Change and Carbon Reduction Officer for the North York Moors National Park Authority.

Email:harry.baross@hullandeastyorkshire.gov.uk

John Millen

Regional Project Manager, Tees Valley

John is Regional Project Manager for the Tees Valley Combined Authority area helping to develop and deliver local energy projects in Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, and Stockton-on-Tees. John will also be offering his expertise in the wider North East and Yorkshire region.

John Millen

Regional Project Manager, Tees Valley

Dani is Regional Project Manager for the Tees Valley Combined Authority area helping to develop and deliver local energy projects in Middlesbrough, Darlington, Hartlepool, Stockton and Redcar and Cleveland. She is also the Chair of the cross-Hub Green Skills Working Group.

She was previously a Consultant at an IT consultancy, gaining experience business analysis, and project management across multiple sectors, including Higher Education, and Social Housing.

Email:dani.jackson@teesvalley-ca.gov.uk

Callum Pickersgill

Policy Assistant

Callum Pickersgill

Policy Assistant

Callum provides support to public sector organisations across the North East & Yorkshire to help them decarbonise their estates through access to skills, funding, and capacity.

Callum joined the team from Calderdale Council where he helped to develop the authortity’s Local Area Energy Plan.

Email:callum.pickersgill@westyorks-ca.gov.uk

Mohammed Hussain

Programme Officer

Mohammed is our Programme Officer supporting with finance and risk.

Mohammed Hussain

Programme Officer

Callum provides support to public sector organisations across the North East & Yorkshire to help them decarbonise their estates through access to skills, funding, and capacity.

Callum joined the team from Calderdale Council where he helped to develop the authortity’s Local Area Energy Plan.

Email:callum.pickersgill@westyorks-ca.gov.uk

TBC

Regional Project Manager, York and North Yorkshire

This position – serving York and North Yorkshire – is currently vacant.

TBC

Regional Project Manager, York and North Yorkshire

This position – serving York and North Yorkshire – is currently vacant.

Email:enquiries@www.neynetzerohub.com

Public Estate Decarbonisation

Heat Network Zoning

Marian Kempson

Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme Manager

Marian leads our Public Sector Decarbonisation programme, which provides support to public sector organisations on the decarbonisation of their estate.

Marian Kempson

Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme Manager

Marian leads our Public Sector Decarbonisation programme, which provides support to public sector organisations on the decarbonisation of their estate.

She has considerable experience and technical understanding of building decarbonisation as well as developing successful PSDS funding bids and programme delivery.

Email:marian.kempson@westyorks-ca.gov.uk

Lauren Kemp

Heat Network Zoning Lead

Lauren works to engage stakeholders across the Hub region to help local areas prepare for the implementation of Heat Network Zoning.

Lauren Kemp

Heat Network Zoning Lead

Lauren works to engage stakeholders across the Hub region to help local areas prepare for the implementation of Heat Network Zoning.

She joined the Hub from Kirklees Council, where she was a Project Manager within the Policy, Partnerships and Corporate Planning service, working with colleagues across the organisation and key stakeholders in the development and delivery of major policy documents such as the annual Council Plan.

Email:lauren.kemp@westyorks-ca.gov.uk

Domestic Retrofit

Nicole Huston

Housing Retrofit Project Manager

Nicole leads the Hub’s housing retrofit activity, including managing the Warm Homes Social Housing Fund. Combined with the previous Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, these programmes are on course to deliver energy efficiency home improvements at over 23,000 homes.

Nicole Huston

Housing Retrofit Project Manager

Nicole has worked in numerous roles across the housing sector, both for Local Authorities, Housing organisations and charities, including working as Project Development Coordinator at National Energy Action, managing a £26 million Redress Fund on behalf of Ofgem and the government.

Email:nicole.huston@teesvalley-ca.gov.uk

Kay Thompson

Project Co-Ordinator

Kay provides support to the Hub’s programme delivery, including the monitoring and reporting functions of retrofit project.

Kay Thompson

Project Co-Ordinator

Kay provides support to the Hub’s programme delivery including the monitoring and reporting functions of retrofit projects.

She joined the Hub from the Tees Valley Combined Authority where she coordinated a number of programmes to support businesses within the Tees Valley including a SME Energy Efficiency Scheme. Kay also supported the Hub with delivery of the Rural Community Energy Fund.

Email:kay.thompson@teesvalley-ca.gov.uk

Jo Thompson

Project Co-Ordinator

Jo provides support to the Hub’s programme delivery, including the monitoring and reporting functions of retrofit projects.

Jo Thompson

Project Co-Ordinator

Jo provides support to the Hub’s programme delivery with a particular focus on retrofit. She previously delivered the Hub’s Local Energy Advice Demonstrator programme, which piloted six innovative projects aimed at giving energy advice to hard-to-reach communities and people in hard-to-treat properties. Jo joined the Hub from the Tees Valley Combined Authority where she coordinated several programmes to support local businesses.

Email:jo.thompson@teesvalley-ca.gov.uk

Community Energy

Abbie Rodger

Project Manager

Abbie manages the Hub’s regional funding and support programmes for Community Energy including the Great British Community Energy Fund.

Abbie Rodger

Project Manager

Abbie manages the Hub’s regional funding and support programmes for Community Energy including the Great British Community Energy Fund.

Her background is in environmental geography, housing retrofit schemes, and home energy efficiency and renewable technology programmes, which she managed while working for the Energy Saving Trust.

Email:abbie.rodger@teesvalley-ca.gov.uk

Susan Manson

Community Energy Development Officer

Sue’s role is to identify potential community energy projects within local communities and provide advice, support and signposting to help communities develop local-led community energy projects and investible business cases for saving, managing and generating energy.

Susan Manson

Community Energy Development Officer

Sue previously managed the Trees on Tees initiative, which aimed to plant 1 million trees in the Tees Valley. Prior to this she has worked as a project officer on a wide range of landscape, environmental and community engagement projects for the public and charity sectors.

Email:susan.manson@teesvalley-ca.gov.uk

Emma Dowson

Project Officer

Emma provides support to the Hub’s Community Energy workstream, focusing on delivery of national funding programmes.

Emma Dowson

Project Officer

Emma provides support to the Hub’s Community Energy workstream, focusing on delivery of national funding programmes.

She joined us from Hartlepool Borough Council where she worked for almost 18 years in departments including Cultural Services and Childrens Social Services, including as part of the Tall Ships Hartlepool 2023 team where she headed up the team of volunteers looking after the visiting ships, supported event delivery, and liaised with other volunteer and Community Groups.

Email:emma.dowson@teesvalley-ca.gov.uk

Engagement and Advocacy

John Hart

Strategic Stakeholder Manager

In John’s words "they do the Net Zero stuff, I do the Hub stuff". He leads the teams knowledge transfer programme and acts as a point of contact between regional stakeholders and national government, working to promote wider visibility of the Hub and deliver better understanding of the Hub’s activities.

John Hart

Strategic Stakeholder Manager

John joined the Hub in March 2023 from Tees Valley Combined Authority, where he co-ordinated and authored the Regional Net Zero Strategy. The role also saw him manage the Tees Valley Local Enterprise Partnership, the authority's principle forum for engaging with the local business community.

Email:john.hart@teesvalley-ca.gov.uk

Rachel Currie

Project Officer

Rachel supports delivery of the knowledge sharing aspects of our Memorandum of Understanding with government by engaging with partners on a national, regional, and local level to ensure key information is disseminated through in person and online events and the Hub’s suite of thematic newsletters and briefings.

Rachel Currie

Project Officer

She joined us from Durham County Council's Energy Management and Sustainability Team where she focused on countywide decarbonisation projects such as heat networks and sustainable food and agriculture.

Email:rachel.currie@teesvalley-ca.gov.uk

Who's who

Hub Manager

Local Projects

Louise Jackson

Andrea Baxter

Oluwafemi Omoniyi (Femi)

George Lee

Harry Baross

John Millen

Callum Pickersgill

Mohammed Hussain

TBC

Public Estate Decarbonisation

Heat Network Zoning

Marian Kempson

Lauren Kemp

Domestic Retrofit

Nicole Huston

Kay Thompson

Jo Thompson

Community Energy

Abbie Rodger

Susan Manson

Emma Dowson

Engagement and Advocacy

John Hart

Rachel Currie

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