This month, we officially say goodbye to Joanna Brown, Lay Director on our Governing Board, and welcome our newest Lay Director, Mark Stobbs.
Joanna Brown
Joanna served on the Board for two full terms, six years in total. She was Chair of the Membership Services Committee (MSC) for most of this time and, through this role, ensured members’ voices were heard.
Having had previous experience of membership bodies, she was very aware and understanding of members’ concerns and was always there to bring these to Board discussions. Joanna also service on the Nominations Committee, helping to recruit members to committees and lay directors to the Governing Board. She will be missed with her clear, calm and considered judgements in all her work. We would like to formally thank Joanna for her service to the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC).
Mark Stobbs
Whilst one door closes, another opens and we now welcome our newest Governing Board Lay Director, Mark Stobbs.
Mark was selected following intense interviews from a panel of applicants and has spent most of his working life with professionals and regulation. Most recently, he was Director of Scrutiny and Quality at the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Although most of his work dealt with statutory regulators, he was also involved with accrediting and reviewing the accredited registers.
Before that, he was Director of Scrutiny and Quality at the Law Society and involved with developing the Society’s offer to its members. He previously worked for the Bar Council in a number of roles, including being the first Director of the Bar Standards Board.
In the course of his career, Mark has developed a great respect for the work of professionals and the support that they can provide members of the public. He’s also been keen to ensure that the public is able to maintain confidence in the professions and can rely on strong competence and ethical behaviour.
‘I’m excited to join the Governing Board of the BAcC. Health care goes well beyond the regulated professions and I’m keen to contribute to the development of a trusted, thriving group of professionals, so that patients can make their own informed choices about their care.’
The Governing Board (GB) of the BAcC is made up of five practitioner directors (including the chair) and four non-practitioner directors. The role of the Governing Board is to ensure that the BAcC meets its responsibilities to:
· Promote the benefits of traditional acupuncture as a valid system of healthcare
· Safeguard the public
· Promote BAcC members’ interests
· Uphold benchmark standards of education and practice
To find out more about the governance of the BAcC and to put faces to names of all of our Governing Board members, you can read more here.
Jennifer Norton, CEO
October 2023
