Our Board

Chair of the Board

Jo Treagus

Background: Community Development & Adult Learning

Jo has an Honours degree in Public Sector Studies and a postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies. Her career history covers many years working in mainly financial and administrative positions in the private sector. More recently her career has been within the public sector with twenty years’ experience in Local Government working in a wide variety of management roles.

She was lead project manager for the Island’s two millennium projects at Ventnor Botanic Garden and Dinosaur Isle. As senior manager for adult learning Jo was passionate in her support for the development of carnival learning in the community and believes in ‘adding the sparkle’ through carnival.

Vice Chair

Stephen Baker

Background: Business Development

Steve started his career in the hospitality sector in London then moved to the island to take up a teaching post at Isle of Wight College. He has an Honours degree in Education. Over a 22 year span he progressed to Senior Lecturer, Hospitality and became a Director of the IOW Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Board in 2004. He ran his own companies, Ventnor Brewery and The Ciderman for several years. Steve moved on to join Business Link S.E as a Business Adviser for Tourism covering Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight.

In a recent career move, Steve joined YMCA as Manager of the Young Carers Service on the Isle of Wight and now works for Home-Start, one of the leading family support charities in the UK, with responsibility for training and placing volunteers. Steve is a Neuro Linguistic Programming Master Practitioner.

Jack Whitewood

Jack trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, using his final year to work as assistant to Stephen Jameson (Artistic Director, Mountview), as well as programming the Studio Theatre at the Roundhouse, Camden for the Accidental Festival, a multi disciplinary arts festival. He was assistant producer for the Lost Picture Show, a travelling cinema venue touring to music festivals including Glastonbury, Bestival and Shamballa.

He is a founding director of the multi award winning Ventnor Fringe and now the Ventnor Exchange. As Artistic Director his main responsibilities include programming, developing talent and opportunities for artists, forging partnerships and collaborations as well as raising finance. Since 2014 Jack has sat on the executive committee of BAFA (British Arts Festivals Association) which works to represent the sector nationally and encourage greater collaboration and share best practice.

Kat Henderson

Kat Henderson is the Engagement Producer for Playmakers, an arts and education charity based in Winchester. They involve up to 140,000 people annually in cultural activity at the heart of the community.

Janet Owen

I moved to the Isle of Wight in 2017 attracted by the outstanding natural beauty of our land and sea, now awarded UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status no less! It feels a special place to be creative and the Island’s cultural community is so energetic and inspiring, changing lives through education, wellbeing, and environmental responsibility. When I arrived I founded The Earth Museum, a social enterprise aiming to nurture global citizenship through digital heritage storytelling and place-making.

I have been lucky enough to spend all my professional life working with other great people in amazing places and am delighted to bring these experiences to The Island Collection. As Manager of Nottingham Castle, Head of Curatorial Group at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, Head of Arts and Heritage in Southampton, Chief Executive at Hampshire Cultural Trust, a trustee at the Mary Rose Trust.

Nothing inspires me more than the connection between people that creativity inspires, and the spark that makes a lifelong difference.

Em Johnson

Em is a music practitioner working on the Isle of Wight, with projects focusing on young people and music technology. She has been working in community minded music projects for over 10 years and has recently started a CIC called Ultimake, whose aim is to bring more music projects to the local people on the Isle of Wight.