Directors

Mike Smyth – Chair, Director

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. He was a founder investor in Keepsafe Limited with Rod Edge. He is the former chair of Friends of the Earth Trust for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is active in its local group, Guildford and Waverley Friends of the Earth.

Andrew Smith – Director

Andrew was the Headteacher at Rodborough, an Academy Secondary School in Milford, Surrey, from  September 2004 until he retired in June 2018. A Geography teacher by trade, Andrew has always considered himself a teacher first and a specialist second. He is passionately interested in how we teach children and the way they learn. He was Deputy Headteacher at Farnham Heath End School, Surrey for 6 years and prior to his appointment at Rodborough was Headteacher of Winton School in Andover, Hampshire for eight years. Rodborough was inspected under the new Ofsted framework in December 2009 and was awarded an Outstanding judgement. The school has moved from Satisfactory to Outstanding in just three years. Over the last ten years the school has actively taken on sustainability agenda.

Nigel Roby - Director

Nigel has been a member of Wey Valley Solar since its launch and a director since May 2021.  He is also a member of a number of community energy coops such as the Highland Energy’s Kinlochbervie hydro scheme, Edinburgh Solar, and the Schools Energy Cooperative. Over the last two years, he has been active in trying to bring more schools and other third sector organisations into Wey Valley’s community energy approach. He worked in publishing for nearly 40 years latterly owning and running The Bookseller – a magazine, online and events company for the book trade –  till its sale in 2020.

Mariana Spater – Director

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 is an experienced community energy project manager who 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 starting their community LED lighting project. In her day job she is a senior project manager with Community Energy South and leads on its successful Pathways Programme in Hampshire, as well as developing new business opportunities. Prior to entering the wonderful world of community energy, Laura worked in both the public and charitable sectors in carbon reduction and waste management roles.