The Board
To ensure our success, it is vital that the we are governed effectively for the benefit of our customers. Governance describes the way in which Adra is managed.
The governance arrangements of all Welsh housing associations are regulated by the Welsh Government. For more information on this, please visit our Regulation page. We strive to follow sector best practice, including complying with the CHC Code of Governance.
We have a strong Board of Non-Executive Directors, who make the key business decisions and set our priorities and strategic direction. This helps ensure that the company remains:
· solvent
· well run
· delivers the outcomes for which it has been set up
The Board’s composition and operation are governed by our Rules. The Board has two Committees which review specific business areas:
· the Audit & Assurance Committee
· the Customer & Assets Committee
We also have a Standing Panel, they look at matters of:
· Appointment
· remuneration
· Disciplinary
These deal with specific business areas, and their remit is defined in our Standing Orders.
We have a flexible Board size, ranging from 9 and 12 full Members. This includes 2 Tenant Members; and up to 2 from the Local Authority. We also co-opt extra Members to bring specific additional skills. The Board Members bring with them different skills, knowledge and experiences to provide objective oversight and strengthen the way we are managed.
Board recruitment opportunities
Get to know our Board Members
Hywel Eifion Jones (Chair)
(Independent Board Member)
Eifion serves as Chair of the Board, and also sits on the Board’s Appointment, Remuneration & Disciplinary Panel (ARDP).
Eifion is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, following 34 years in senior appointments with Barclays. He also served as Anglesey County Councillor and as a member of the North Wales Police Authority. He now sits as a Magistrate Board, Gwynedd Pension Board, and Residential Property Tribunal of Wales
Sasha Davies (Vice Chair)
(Independent Board Member)
As well as serving as Vice-Chair, Sasha sits on the Customer & Assets Committee and the ARDP. She is a director of her own business / consultancy, specialising in business and community development; and stakeholder engagement. Sasha also served as Head of Commercial at Natural Resources Wales; and prior to that, as Head of Strategic Development Wales at Horizon Nuclear Power. Other roles have included Strategic Director Economy & Place at Conwy County Council; and Programme Director for Anglesey Energy Island.
Mark Jones
(Independent Board Member)
Mark is the Chair of the Customer & Assets Committee. He served with North Wales Police for 30 years, including in Command positions across the force, but predominantly in Gwynedd and Anglesey. He also serves as a school governor.
Cai Larsen
(Local Authority Member)
Cai sits on the Audit & Assurance Committee, and the ARDP. He has 20 years’ experience as a Head Teacher of a local primary school, gaining experience in finance; change; and people management. He serves on a number of Council Committees.
Dawn Jones
(Local Authority Member)
Dawn became an Adra Board Member in 2022, and sits on the Customer & Assets Committee. Dawn has over 30 years’ experience in working with children, young people, and their families. She is the Vice Chair of the Governors of Ysgol Maesincla, and Treasurer of the Llygaid Maesincla community group. In her Councillor role, Dawn sists on a number of Gwynedd Council’s Committees.
Deiniol Evans
(Adra Board Member)
Deiniol sits on the Customer & Assets Committee, and previously served on Adra’s subsidiary company, Medra. He has over 40 years of diverse professional experience in the construction industry, with 28 years in the private, public and housing association sectors at senior management level. He is a Chartered Surveyor and prior to his retirement, was Director of Development and Technical Services with the Pennaf Housing Group. Before joining the Group in 2003 he was the Director of Development and Technical Services at North Wales Housing Association.
Dafydd Edwards
(Independent Board Member’)
Dafydd joined the Board in 2022, and is the Vice-Chair of the Audit & Assurance Committee.
He is a qualified accountant and had held several strategic roles at Gwynedd Council, including being involved in negotiations when the Council’s housing stock was transferred in 2010; and serving as Treasurer for 19 years. Other roles have included Director of the Gwynedd Pension Fund; Statutory Finance Officer of Snowdonia National Park Authority; and Treasurer of North Wales Fire & Rescue Authority.
Huw Gareth Pritchard
(Independent Board Member): Gareth sits on the Audit & Assurance Committee, and the ARDP. He has retired from North Wales Police after 34 years of service – this included serving as Chief Officer. In this work he led on national projects, including the Welsh language for Welsh forces. He also serves as a School Governor and a Search and Rescue volunteer.
Sharyn Williams
(Tenant Board Member)
Sharyn sits on the Customer & Assets Committee, and the ARDP. She has an MA in Social Policy and Social Research, and has worked as a Trainee Careers Advisor. Sharyn has also worked for Bangor University, as an Engagement Officer, and Student Liaison Tutor. She also serves as a Unit Leader for Girlguiding Cymru.
Nick Bennett
Denise Stone
(Tenant Board Member)
Denise sits on the Customer & Assets Committee. She has held management roles in residential care homes and a community cafe; and prior to that, was a Lecturer in psychology, health, social care, and counselling.
Will Nixon
(Adra Board Member)
Will sits on the Audit & Assurance Committee. Will is a member of the Chartered Institute of Housing, having spent over 30 years working in the housing profession. His experience has been in delivering major regeneration programmes, and senior roles within housing policy and housing management. More recently Will was Deputy Chief Executive of Aspire Housing where he was also Managing Director of their award-winning social enterprise training subsidiary. He is a Board member of Social Enterprise UK and has also served as a Board member on
the Chartered Institute of Housing and Housemark Boards.
Nigel Sinnett
(Medra Chair / Medra Board Member)
Nigel is a freelance property and development consultant, having recently left the Ateb Group where he was Group Property Services Director for 19 years. A Chartered Surveyor by profession, he brings to the Board key skills in facilities and estate management, engineering and capital development. He has served on several Welsh Government steering groups and is a previous Chair of Community Housing Cymru’s Technical Services forum and Chair of the RICS West Wales Group. He is a keen supporter of regional rugby and of the arts and is a Board Member of the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven.
Rhys Parry
Rhys is Adra’s Director of Resources and serves on the Medra Board.
Rhys has worked in senior finance roles for 30 years across various sectors, including higher education, local government, the housing sector and the private sector. Before joining CCG in 2015 he worked at Bangor University for ten years.
After graduating from Manchester University with a joint honours degree in Mathematics and Information Technology, he qualified as an accountant and is a full member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). He is Chair of Governors of a local primary school, is a Welsh speaker and is married with two children.
Being a Board Member
Being a Board Member requires a degree of time commitment, which includes:
- attending meetings
- events
- training.
Board Members are given support and are able to take advantage of continuous development opportunities. We are always keen to hear from people interested in joining our Board.
For an informal chat please contact Aled Davies, Head of Governance:
- email: governance@adra.co.uk
- 0300 123 8084
We are looking for new board members.