Meet the Board

Formerly Chair of the Stoke-on-Trent City Centre Partnership, which originally proposed the Stoke-on-Trent City Centre BID and steered it through to ballot, Jonathan is the first Chair of the new BID. He is CEO of the local Cross Rhythms City Radio, who launched as the UK’s first FM community radio station in 2002. Based in the Cultural Quarter, they provide training and work experience opportunities for more than 100 local people every year, and also support stations in Plymouth, Teeside and Bethlehem.

For the last 9 years Julie Davies has been the County Business Crime Partnership Manager for PABCIS which covers Staffordshire. Within PABCIS there are 4 regions which oversee 26 sub-groups from both the retail and night time economy. PABCIS was borne out of a desire within Staffordshire to create consistency within local Crime Partnerships – delivery of this emanated out of the Stoke on Trent Business Crime Reduction Partnership which she managed for over 20 years covering both retail and night time economies. Julie’s overall experience of working with BCRPs extends to around 30 years. Prior to that she was employed within the judicial/legal system. Julie sits on various delivery groups within Staffordshire, works very closely with Staffordshire Police, Chairs the Local Crime and Disorder Group, and has been an advisor to BCRPs within the Midlands. Currently an executive director of the National Association of Business Crime Partnerships, and an assessor for the common national minimum standards, Julie is passionate about working with and empowering business in order to reduce crime and disorder which impacts on the business community and all those who work, live and invest in our town centres. 

Throughout his career in further and higher education, spanning more than 25 years, Paul Williams has established public-private sector partnerships and networks with business and agencies linked to place marketing, enterprise development and culture-led regeneration. His consultancy and research interests focus on all aspects of destination management, as well as special interest tourism marketing. He has written extensively on the place-shaping role of Business Improvement Districts; night time economies; social shopping; and experiential retail destinations. More recently, he was instrumental in championing and shaping Stoke-on-Trent’s bid to become UK City of Culture and he currently chairs the city’s Cultural Destination Partnership.

For over 200 years the Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce has represented the interest of commerce and industry and ensured there has been a voice for business, delivering business support services to help businesses start, grow and succeed. Sara Williams took over as Chief Executive of Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce in January 2012. After working for two other Chambers (Head of Policy & Membership at Liverpool; Director of Enterprise Development at St Helens), she has a wealth of experience of working with the private sector to develop services in response to their needs, as well as extensive experience of lobbying and representation on businesses’ behalf.

Josef is owner and manager of The Quarter café & bistro based in the Cultural Quarter. This independent run business has fast become one of the ‘go to’ dining destinations in the city, and is setting a benchmark for what can be achieved as an independent trader in the city. Josef also has many years high street experience and knowledge having worked as a national level manager at Marks & Spencer.