Meet the Committee
Sara Crofts
Chair
I trained as an architect at Edinburgh College of Art where I specialised in historic building conservation at the Scottish Centre for Conservation Studies. I've worked for a number of architectural practices dealing with the repair and conservation of historic buildings in both Edinburgh and Cumbria.
I have also had roles with the SPAB and the Heritage Lottery Fund and have recently take up the role of Chief Executive at Icon.
I am a Europa Nostra council member and the Chair of Europa Nostra UK.
About Sara
Kate Pugh
Secretary
From 2003-16 Kate headed up The Heritage Alliance which brings together over 100 heritage organisations in England to create a stronger voice for the independent heritage movement. During this time she took part in Europa Nostra’s major project Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe published in 2015 as well as in capacity building days and other promotional events across Europe.
Since stepping down (and joining Europe Nostra as an individual member) she has followed her interest in fostering international relations through heritage.
About Kate
Jenna Johnston
Committee member
About Jenna
Jenna is the Senior Heritage Consultant for Buttress, based in Manchester, and works on a range of projects from non-designated assets to World Heritage Sites. She volunteers for the Valley Heritage Building Preservation Trust, which is a charity organisation seeking to instigate heritage-led regeneration in a deprived area of Lancashire, Heritage Trust Network, and the North West branch of the IHBC. Jenna graduated from the University of St Andrews in 2012 with an MA(Hons) in Art History and completed an MSc in Building Conservation and Regeneration in 2014 at the University of Central Lancashire.
Alexander Goodger
Committee member
About Alexander
Alexander is Museum Manager at Dundee Museum of Transport and a committed environmentalist and carbon literacy supporter, and advocates a plant-based diet. He is currently curating an exhibition inside Glasgow Science Centre for the United Nations COP26 Climate Change Conference planned for 2021. The exhibition focuses on sustainable transport, and the city of Dundee. He is working towards achieving carbon neutrality at Dundee Museum of Transport and has reduced the carbon footprint of the building by 37%. He has worked with the Keep Scotland Beautiful Scheme to spark conversations about climate change within Scotland.
Charles Thomson
Committee member
About Charles
Following a career first in local and regional planning, Charles moved into central government, initially in official trade publishing supporting British firms overseas. He then moved into the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, organising programmes for FCO-sponsored visitors, including many from the former Eastern bloc, preparing for accession to the European Union. Since retirement in 2002, he obtained an MSc in Historic Conservation and is now local committee secretary at St George’s German Lutheran Church (Historic Chapels Trust) and a trustee and committee member of The Friends of Czech Heritage (a Member Organisation). He sings in two choirs, and is a member of the National Trust and SPAB.
Following a career first in local and regional planning, Charles moved into central government, initially in official trade publishing supporting British firms overseas. He then moved into the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, organising programmes for FCO-sponsored visitors, including many from the former Eastern bloc, preparing for accession to the European Union. Since retirement in 2002, he obtained an MSc in Historic Conservation and is now local committee secretary at St George’s German Lutheran Church (Historic Chapels Trust) and a trustee and committee member of The Friends of Czech Heritage (a Member Organisation). He sings in two choirs, and is a member of the National Trust and SPAB.
Joanna Karmowska
Committee member
About Joanna
Joanna is a Senior Lecturer at Oxford Brookes University. She gained her PhD in Sociology from the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland, she has also undertaken executive education at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France. Her main focus of academic work has been on cultural and creative organisations, promotion of historic European cities, the social and economic value of cultural heritage, organisational temporariness as well as internationalisation. Joanna has been involved in wide range projects aimed at protection of European cultural heritage, she was a member of the Jury for European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards, Category: Research (2015-2019).
Lucy Hockley
Committee member
About Lucy
Lucy works in heritage learning and interpretation at the Weald & Downland Museum, and has served a term of office on the Council of Europa Nostra and on the jury of the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra awards.
Torsten Haak
Treasurer
About Torsten
Torsten is an architecture, planning & conservation graduate originally from Germany, who has worked in heritage and conservation across Scotland since 1995.
Torsten started his career as journeyman cabinetmaker before studying for a Diploma in Architecture & Town Planning at Hamburg University and Edinburgh College of Art. After two years as English teacher in Japan he completed a MSc in European Urban Conservation at Dundee University. After a period as the Buildings Adviser for the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust and then managing the Arbroath Townscape Heritage Initiative, Torsten became the first Director of Glasgow City Heritage Trust in 2007.
Jamie Davies
Committee member
Jamie is an International Partnerships and Engagement Manager for the Arts and Humanities Research Council. He has been a Committee Member for the National Lottery Heritage Fund for Wales since 2016. Jamie holds an Archaeology BA and International Cultural Heritage Management Master’s from Durham University and Doctorate from the Ironbridge Institute.
About Jamie
Peter Ovenstone
Committee member
About Peter
Lifetime active roles in railway and transport heritage and, more recently, industrial heritage in UK and Europe. Principal EN role hitherto has been Joint Secretary EN Industrial & Engineering Heritage Committee since 2015. Other current roles include:- Vice-Chairman, ABTEM Association of British Transport & Engineering Museums; Scottish Committee Chairman, HRA Heritage Railway Association; Vice-President and Board Member, FEDECRAIL European Federation of Museum & Tourist Railways; Member, RHDAB Science Museum’s Railway Heritage Designation Advisory Board. Professional qualifications:- Scottish solicitor, followed by Post Graduate Diploma in Heritage Management, Ironbridge Institute.
