Former Middlesbrough College principal and deputy FE commissioner remembered

A former college principal and deputy FE commissioner has been described as “one of a kind” by colleagues following his recent death.

John Hogg, 71, who led Middlesbrough College for a decade, left an “enduring mark” thanks to his wisdom and warmth, according to current principal and chief executive Zoe Lewis.

Lewis said: “Once met, never forgotten, he could light up any room with his Northern Irish wit and irresistible charm. Our college owes him so much.”

“John not only believed in me but also guided and encouraged me, helping me see the possibility of a future life as a principal, as I am sure he did for many others.

In a video released online, Middlesbrough College said Hogg was a “much loved, admired and respected principal” whose “legacy lives on”.

Hogg’s career in further education started in the late 70s and spanned more than four decades, first as a law lecturer in Coventry and Birmingham before moving to Middlesbrough College in the 1990s.

He became principal and chief executive from 2000 to 2010, during which he oversaw the unification of four former campuses into one £68 million building in Middlehaven, a historic dockland area of the city.

Lewis said the move was a strategic transformation that “still shapes our college today”.

In the early 2010s he stepped in to lead the 5,700 student City of Wolverhampton College as interim principal following an ‘inadequate’ Ofsted grade in 2012, helping its grade increase to ‘requires improvement’ the following year.

He moved on to lead City College Coventry for a year following an ‘inadequate’ Ofsted grade in 2013, before becoming a deputy Further Education commissioner in 2014.

Following a four-year stint as a deputy FE commissioner, during a rocky period of financial instability for many colleges, Hogg publicly urged principals to take a team-oriented approach rather than attempting to be “charismatic” and master every aspect of college management.

He also advised his colleagues to ensure their pay reflects the financial wellbeing of their college.

In 2020, the former principal was drafted in as interim chair of Gateshead College after a £6 million deficit was discovered and its chair and principal, the highest paid in the country at the time, stepped down in quick succession.

Mark White, former chair of Education Training Collective, said: “As principal and chief executive of Middlesbrough College at a critically important time, as deputy FE commissioner, as a university governor and as a leader at numerous other organisations, he was transformative and inspirational.

“John was a magnificent leader and a wonderful person.”

Middlesbrough College governor Morgan McClintock said: “When I first arrived at Teesside Polytechnic as the coordinator of BTEC courses, it was suggested that I should meet John Hogg, a young lecturer at Kirby College who was dealing with similar challenges.

“John and I connected well at this first meeting, partly because we had both experienced our formative years in Northern Ireland, but also because we seemed to have shared values, including a similar outlook on education.

“John always seemed in his element leading a conversation, adapting his style to suit strangers or friends; but I suspect that few of these events gave him as much pleasure as his regular solo trips back to Ireland, walking along coast and countryside, and enjoying the music in a local bar.

“Middlesbrough College is fortunate to have had the benefit of his leadership, and I was privileged to have been one of his colleagues.”

Friends and family will gather for a funeral service this afternoon.

Middlesbrough College will host an event to celebrate Hogg’s life at its Waterside Brasserie on April 28. The college has asked that anyone interested in attending email marketing@mbro.ac.uk.