Our Directors
Wey Valley Solar Schools (WVSS) is a producer co-operative which was formed in the summer of 2011 to raise capital from the local community to install solar panels on schools in Surrey. It was formed by people living in the Guildford and Godalming area and the membership of WVSS predominantly but not exclusively comes from this area. The Co-operative's members include the schools with solar panels and the Students' Union at Godalming 6th Form College.
The Directors of the Co-operative are all unpaid by the Co-operative.
Mike Smyth MBE - Chair
Mike is a solicitor who lives in Milford. He is the Chair of Energy4All (unpaid), a social enterprise that promotes and organises the community ownership of renewable energy and used the skills and experience gained in that role to establish Wey Valley Solar Schools Co-operative. He retired in 2008 from Lawrence Graham, a major London based firm of Solicitors, where he had been a partner for more than 20 years, specialising in corporate and commercial law. Mike is a former chair of The Friends of the Earth Trust for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. He was awarded an MBE in 2023 for services to Energy4All and the environment.
Andrew Smith
Andrew retired from full time work in August 2015 after 40 years in education. He was Headteacher of Rodborough School for the last 11 years of his career having previously been Headteacher at Winton School in Andover for 8 years. He started his career as a Geography teacher and this is where his interest in sustainability began. Whilst Andrew was at Rodborough the school developed its environmental credentials by becoming a ‘Green Flag’ school and by being an active force in the creation of WVSS. Andrew worked for the Godalming Confederation of schools as an educational consultant before fully retiring.
Mariana Spater
Until 2017 Mariana was Managing Director of Fountain Television in Wembley, the largest purpose built TV studio in Britain, from where the X Factor was broadcast. She qualified as a Chartered Accountant with a predecessor firm of Haysmacintyre. Mariana served as trustee and Chair of the charity Royal Surgical Aid Society from 2010 to 2014 and has served as Chair and Trustee of Fulham Palace Trust from 2017 to date. She is currently Finance Director of Fine Cell Work which is a rehabilitative prisoners’ charity and has also been a long standing supporter of community energy and is a member of a number of other community energy projects.
Andrew Dalton
Andrew has recently retired from a career in investment management and has just completed a Master’s degree in Global Energy and Climate Policy at SOAS, London University. He has also worked for several years in management consultancy specialising in information systems. Andrew has been a member of Wey Valley Solar since its inception. He is keen to volunteer to help the continuing development of the Co-op.
Laura Wilson
Laura has 20 years experience of working in the environment sector, 10 of which have been spent in community energy. She has lived in Farnham since 2021. Prior to that she lived in South East London where she was a volunteer director for SE24 Community Energy and was instrumental in instigating its community LED lighting project. She is currently acting Head of Younity, which is a Joint Venture between Mid-Counties Coop and Octopus Energy, supporting the growth and development of the community energy sector. She is also a Trustee of charity Energy Alton where she is leading on a project to develop a shared ownership solar farm in East Hampshire.