The Trustees

 

Judie Hodsdon was co-opted as a Trustee in 2021. Judie is the Chair of the Trustees.   She has lived in Cheltenham since the early 1970s and, since retiring from the Civil Service in 2009, has held several trustee positions (including Bletchley Park and the Cheltenham Trust) and been very active locally (school governor and Chair of Friends of Pittville).  She has been a Friend of The Wilson for many years and hopes that, by becoming a trustee, she can contribute to The Wilson becoming an integral part of Cheltenham’s cultural life again and a shining example of what a civic museum and art gallery can be. You can contact Judie here

Kat Hoerath was co-opted as a Trustee in 2023. Kat leads on the Events at FOTW. She grew up in Austria, received her architecture and art history degree from Syracuse university in the US, and moved to Cheltenham early 2022. She is the co-founder of her global architecture and design practice which has offices under Denver, CO, US and Cheltenham. Her commitment to cultural engagements and community empowerment is reflected in the interest in the museum and its mission. To email Kat click here

 

Vanessa Graham was co-opted as a Trustee in 2021. She is currently membership secretary.  A History and Art History graduate, she has worked in publishing, first as a Publisher of History and History of Art, and then in Marketing. She is a trained Primary Teacher and Market Researcher – with a passion for art and education. Her other voluntary work is with National Garden Scheme in Gloucestershire.  To email Vanessa click here.

 

Irene Finlayson was co-opted as a Trustee in 2023 and is Secretary of the Trustees.  Irene grew up in Glasgow, a city rich in art and architecture to which she was introduced at an early age. She moved to Cheltenham in 1993 and after retiring as International Officer at UCAS, became involved with the Cheltenham Festivals, the Playhouse Theatre and a talking newspaper for the visually impaired. She enjoyed so many events organised by the Friends that she happily put her name forward to become a Trustee.

Steve Sasanow was  co-opted as a Trustee in 2024. He was managing director of Knighton Enterprises Ltd, an energy publishing and consultancy company, for 37 years.  He was also a founding director of Renews Ltd, the company which established the UK’s first electronic newsletter covering the renewable energy sector. Trained as a journalist, he has a BA in psychology from Brooklyn College (City University of NY) and an MSc in journalism from Boston University.  He has lived in the UK since 1979 and became a naturalised citizen of the UK in 2003.

 

Michael Bourne was co-opted as a Trustee in 2024 and is Co-Deputy Chair. His early career was spent in the City of London followed by retail financial services working for Halifax and Marks & Spencer. Latterly he worked for the National Trust and Environment Agency in planning and performance roles. He has lived in Cheltenham since 2007. Michael is a keen traveller interested in all forms of the  Arts. He is also Chair of the Cheltenham Film Society.

 

Cristina Hall was co-opted in 2024 and is Co-Deputy Chair. She grew up in Switzerland and gained a degree in Economics from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. She has been working as a research analyst in fund management for over 30 years. She recently completed a masters degree in Cultural Leadership at the University of Maastricht and the Royal Academy of Arts in London. She is passionate about art and Local Authority-run museums in particular.

 

Rachel Roberts was co-opted in 2022.

Andy De Souza was co-opted in 2024 and is the new Treasurer.