As an entirely voluntary organisation we rely on our fantastic committee members donating their time.
The committee consists of two parts: core members, who attend each committee meeting (every 6 weeks) and take on actions that enable WISP to run; and advisory members, who typically provide advice and/or a link between WISP and other local companies or organisations.
You can find out about all of our committee members below.

She now has over 15 years experience in the construction industry and qualified as an Architect in 2013, following 7 years at university. Her particular passions are residential works, community projects and works to existing buildings as these present some of the greatest problems to overcome and are the most rewarding in terms of fulfilling user and place led designs.
Now, as a mother of two and the managing director of her own company, AJ Architects, she aims to inspire future generations through STEM and WISP, including her two daughters, that with hard work and dedication anything is possible…and most importantly enjoyable!

By getting involved with WISP Becky hopes to be able to encourage and inspire more young women into technology and other STEM roles, and to help provide the support they need to continue in their careers.

Lorna Evans
Lorna is a Mechanical Engineer working at Babcock International based in Devonport, Plymouth. From a young age, Lorna has helped her dad when he was fixing his cars and going to car shows; this enabled her to pursue a career in engineering.

Vanessa Padfield
Vanessa is a Programmer/Analyst at Western Power Distribution. She always liked maths at school but it was a science teacher who told her she’d be good at physics. This inspired her to take the subject at University where she learnt some basic programming which led her to becoming a programmer.
Vanessa is inspired to encourage more girls into STEM subjects by her partner who is a science teacher. She decided to become involved with WISP after seeing how hard it was for Western Power to recruit women.

ADVISORY MEMBER
Earlier this year she was awarded Number 36 most influential woman in UK tech by Computer Weekly. She’s passionate about how to get more women into STEM and how we make sure no one is left behind by advancements in digital technology.

ADVISORY MEMBER

ADVISORY MEMBER
If anyone is interested in becoming a STEM Ambassador then please get in touch with Sam.

ADVISORY MEMBER
Steve’s recent non-executive positions include: Board Member, NHS Plymouth PCT (2007-11); Chairman of Guinness Hermitage Housing Association’s SW Area Committee (2005-13). Steve had a extensive career in the Electricity Supply Industry, where, with SWEB, he was a senior management consultant and business analyst. After completing his MBA he was seconded as Business Development Manager with South West Enterprise Ltd (SWEL), a private sector economic development lobby group and went on to become Executive Partnership Director of Plymouth 2020 Partnership (2000-03).

Lauren is a Creative Writing practitioner, lecturer and researcher, and is proud to represent the ‘A’ in STE-A-M; bringing the Arts into STEM subject areas and practice. In September 2018, she started a part-time lectureship at the Arts University Bournemouth, and so splits her week between Bournemouth and Plymouth. This presents a challenging work-life balance, but also enables Lauren to act as an ambassador for Plymouth, incorporating a broader scope of lessons-learned and best practice into her own arts-and-community engagement.
Joining the WISP committee is a considerable moment for Lauren, as she reluctantly relinquished science – and ‘all that techy stuff’ – after failing A-level Chemistry and scraping a C in Biology. Nevertheless, Lauren has always been fascinated by the ways in which science and maths drive artistic and fictional expression, and so she was excited to discover ‘Digital Humanities’, a practical example of how the Arts and STEM can work together. Lauren is writing an article series all about this. Check it out! http://thewritingplatform.com/
Lauren is looking forward to working more closely with women in STEM and learning about the exciting research and community ventures being carried out across Plymouth and beyond. She hopes to use creative writing to share stories about women in STEM and foster new understanding and collaborations between STEM and the Arts.

Owning and running his own digital agency DIG LAB – based in Plymouth, Garry loves working with small businesses, community groups and other freelancers (like him) on epic websites, awesome graphic designs, creative digital marketing campaigns and digital skills training that doesn’t suck.
Garry has two children (a boy and a girl) that have recently started school and he wants to spend some of his free time creating a better future for them.

Merika Kindlon
Merika has a business management background with specialist skills and expertise in product development, marketing and sales. Merika is the Head of Sales and Marketing at Nuffield Hospital in Plymouth, and previously worked as the Commercial Executive for Plymouth Science Park – as such she has excellent awareness of, and good relationships with many of the companies in the STEM sector in Plymouth and the surrounding areas.
Merika says, “I care deeply for others and, as a good communicator, I can well represent others; my strong belief in equality and fairness in the workplace drives me to create a level playing field where we lift everyone up and leave no one behind. I am hardworking, determined and believe in encouragement above all else.