A recently retired principal has been chosen as the next president of the Association of Colleges.
Corrienne Peasgood led City College Norwich for ten years until her retirement at the end of July.
She will succeed Sally Dicketts, who has served as AoC president since August 2020, on October 16.
Peasgood has been on the AoC board since 2016 and has represented the organisation regionally as well as nationally, including briefing MPs on the skills and post-16 education act. She has represented Norfolk and Suffolk FE colleges on the New Anglia LEP Board and was the vice chair of the Norfolk Children and Young People’s Strategic Alliance.
Peasgood said: “It is an honour and privilege to take on the role of AoC president from Sally Dicketts.
“I firmly believe in the importance of a strong FE sector voice and I look forward to playing my part in that over the next year. As always, there are many challenges to be faced and I will support colleges and the AoC in ensuring we get the best outcomes for our students, staff and sector.”
Each year a college principal is elected by AoC members to be president. Their term of office runs for a maximum two-year tenure.
The president acts as an ambassador for the membership organisation and the further education sector.
Dicketts said it has been an “honour to have held this position and I am proud to have supported college staff and students who have shown such resilience during the challenges of the past two-years”.
Peasgood began her time at City College Norwich as a lecturer in 1995, working her way up to the role of principal in 2012.
She was made an OBE in the Queen’s New Year honours in 2020 for services to safeguarding and construction skills in Norfolk.
David Hughes, AoC chief executive, said: “I am delighted Corrienne will be our next president. She worked tirelessly at City College Norwich for 26-years. Her impact as an educationalist has improved the lives of thousands and thousands of students. She will be able to draw on this lifetime of experience to be an ambassador for colleges during a time of deep political and economic uncertainty.
“I also want to thank Sally for championing the sector throughout the pandemic and helping to navigate the challenges faced by college staff and students during this unparalleled upheaval. She has been a very supportive president for me and the staff team at AoC. She should be proud of her work for the further education sector and the impact on AoC itself.”
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