Kirklees College is proud to announce that their Patron and former Vice-Chair, Cristina George, has been honoured with an MBE by King Charles III. The honour has been bestowed to Cristina for her exemplary commitment to post-16 education, and the Further Education sector.
Cristina first became involved in young people’s services in the late 1970s, working on Youth Opportunities Programme (YOP) and Youth Training Scheme (YTS) schemes for her local council. She then moved to Calderdale and Kirklees Training and Enterprise Council, where she spent 10 years in a number of roles, including working on a pilot for Modern Apprenticeships.
When the Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) were closed, Cristina moved to West Yorkshire Learning and Skills Council, working on 14-19 Area Inspections, Strategic Area Reviews, and, as Partnership Director for Leeds, she oversaw the merger of FE Colleges to form Leeds City College. On the closure of the Learning and Skills Councils, Cristina moved to be a Senior Adviser to the Young People’s Learning Agency, and subsequently the Education Funding Agency.
Speaking about the honour, Cristina commented:
“It is over 40 years since I started working in post-16 education, and I can honestly say that for the majority of that time I have enjoyed my work, especially my role as Governor and then Vice-Chair at Kirklees College. The students, staff and governors I have come into contact with are truly the best of the best.
I am of course delighted to be honoured in this way. I will accept this honour as recognition not just for me, but for all the individuals who volunteer on governing bodies in education.”
Kirklees College’s Principal and Chief Executive Palvinder Singh commended Cristina for her outstanding work as a trustee of the college:
“Cristina’s lasting impact during her tenure as Governor, Vice Chair and now Patron of Kirklees College is a living example of the college’s mission: creating opportunities, changing lives. We are delighted that she has been named in the King’s Birthday Honours, and cannot think of a more worthy recipient.”
Kirklees College is currently seeking an Independent Governor. If you would like to follow in the footsteps of Cristina and all the other influential college governors who have helped shaped the success of the college, visit www.kirkleescollege.ac.uk/governance to apply.
