Board of Directors

Meet cornwall fa's BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Cornwall FA is committed to increasing diversity within its Board of Directors by achieving a minimum 30% of each gender promoting a more holistic approach to decision making.

The Cornwall FA Board of Directors are required to direct the business affairs of the Association and to determine the vision, strategy, plans, policies and financial investment required to achieve the Association’s aims.

The number of directors shall be subject to a maximum of 12.

As a minimum one third of our Directors shall be Independent – these positions are recruited through an open process based on strategic and business needs.

Chairman & FA Rep: Geoff Lee

Vice-Chairman: John Fabby      

Finance Director: Peter Stevenson                        

Board of Directors: Geoff Lee, John Fabby, Dawn Aberdeen, Peter Stevenson, Steve Lawrence, Steve Carpenter, Rachel Williams, Gaynor Baldwin

Independent Non-Executive Directors: John Fabby, Peter Stevenson, Rachel Williams and Gaynor Baldwin

Elected by FMB: Geoff Lee, Steve Carpenter, Steve Lawrence

 

Geoff Lee

Geoff Lee - Board Chairman, FA Rep

Geoff was elected to Cornwall FA Council in 2002.

He has represented Cornwall on the National FA Council since 2005 and has been Cornwall Board and Council Chairman from 2008 to present.

Geoff has a background in teaching where he taught in Cornish Schools for 34 years after training to be a teacher at Exeter St Lukes College.

He was once a County player and player for a number of South Western League teams and after stepping away from playing was then County Youth Team Manager and Former Chairman of Cornwall Schools Football Association.

Geoff was born East Ham, London and is a West Ham Supporter.

 

John Fabby

John Fabby - Vice Chairman and Football Development Independent Director

 

 Peter Stevenson

Peter Stevenson - Finance Director 

Peter is a Chartered Accountant with offices in Launceston and Falmouth and has been involved with Launceston AFC for many years including being finance director since 2000. Peter is also the Finance  Director of South Western Peninsular Football League.

Although never playing football himself, his daughter played for 10 years with a claim to fame of scoring in the FA cup.

Away from football Peter enjoys spending time with his family and working! In earlier life when he was fitter Peter was a qualified British Canoe Instructor.

 

Dawn Aberdeen

Dawn Aberdeen - Chief Executive, Company Secretary

Other than as a pitch-side parent and spectator, Dawn's involvement in football started as Club Secretary of Charlestown Youth Football Club in January 2000, a role she did for many years.  Dawn also sat on the committee of the East Cornwall Youth League for 2 seasons.  During this time she started working for the County FA on a part-time basis, then full-time. It was in 2007 when Dawn became Governance Manager and following an extended period of covering for the County Secretary whilst on sick leave she then applied for, was interviewed and became the first Chief Executive (title change) on 1st October 2011. 

 

Steve Lawrence

Steve Lawrence - Safeguarding and Referee Director 

Falmouth-born (Liverpool supporter since the 1960s) Steve enjoyed success in “junior” football before becoming a referee in 1975. Refereeing in local leagues, the old South Western League and at County Championship level, he was appointed to referee both the Senior and South Western league cup finals in 97/98.  Becoming a referee assessor (Observer) in 2000 he observes those seeking promotion at County, Supply and National League levels. A CCFA Council and Board member since 2016, he is currently the Board Safeguarding Champion, using knowledge and experience gained from almost 25 years as a school Governor, also sitting on both the CCFA annual awards and groundsman of the year panels.

A staunch supporter of referees he has held many “offices” within the Referees Association, currently a County Life member receiving both local and national awards for his service. He also holds a “Humpty Dumpty” award received many years ago when, at half time, he fell over a wall at Mawnan Smith not realising that he’d dropped his pencils. Cautions were not issued in the second half and fortunately no goals were scored!

 

Steve Carpenter

Steve Carpenter 

Steve moved to Cornwall in 1974 on joining the Royal Navy and spent most of the next 28 years based at RNAS Culdrose. During this time, he played badly (his words) for a small number of teams in the local area before turning his hand to coaching, managing and refereeing where he was fortunate enough to officiate on Service and Inter Service matches around England and in such varied countries as Kuwait and the Philippines as well as local games.  Injury ended his active involvement on the field and his Naval career in 2002.  Since 2008 he has been involved in league administration on the Falmouth/Helston League, the Trelawny league and latterly the St Piran League where he is the League Secretary.

Steve first joined the then Council in 2012 as the Trelawny League representative before taking a break from football during the 2017-18 season to go travelling.  He was re-elected in 2018 as an Area Representative (West). 

Steve is currently the Chairman of the Rules and Competitions Working Group and was elected as County Vice Chairman in 2020 and voted Chairman in 2022.  

Originally from Scunthorpe he remains a committed follower of The Iron.

 

Rachel Williams

Rachel Williams - Director for Inclusion and Diversity

Rachel is an experienced Inclusion and Diversity (I&D) professional, currently leading the I&D agenda for the House of Lords. Driving forward significant culture change within the House of Lords for both its employees, the public and the House's Members. Beginning with a blank page, in 2016 she began by making the economic case for inclusion to senior stakeholders with the same informed zeal as the compelling social case. Key parts of her current role involve providing strong corporate leadership, championing inclusion and diversity internally and sharing best practice externally, whilst influencing and changing the culture of the organisation.

As the leading source of expertise about I&D within the House of Lords Administration and owner of the comprehensive ‘Focus on Inclusion Strategy’, her role is to identify potential issues, risks and develop effective interventions and creative initiatives. Since 2016 Rachel has lead the House of Lords to achieve the following accolades: Disability Confident Leadership Status, Ranked 15th in the UK’s Top 50 Inclusive Employers, Achieved Gold status in the Inclusive Employers Index, recognised as the Highest new entry to Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index (64th) and Placed 47th in the UK Social Mobility Foundation’s employers Index.  Rachel was also shortlisted for Inclusive Companies, Head of Inclusion and Diversity of the year award in 2019. 

Previously, Rachel worked in the financial services arm of EY (Ernst and Young), delivering projects such as the firm's first Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic development and retention programme and social mobility outreach schemes. Rachel started her career in inclusion in a consultancy role at Inclusive Employers advising private, public and third sector organisations such as the Royal Navy, Macmillan Cancer and the Co-op designing various initiatives and culture change projects. 

Rachel is an avid football fan experiencing the highs and more frequently the lows that come with following Preston North End, whilst occasionally dusting off her own boots at St Agnes Women’s FC .

 

Gaynor Baldwin

Gaynor Baldwin - Independent HR Director  

Working full-time in professional football, Gaynor is the current Head of People for the English Football League. Gaynor has wide-ranging knowledge and involvement in recruitment, management development, managing change and the overall running of a commercial business. She is a trustee of a defined benefit pension scheme and member of a pension governance committee.

Away from work, Gaynor is an avid football supporter and really enjoys watching teams at all different tiers. Aside from football, Gaynor also supports a local community project that helps bring people together over the festive period.