Country Representative

Martin Taylor & Claudia Fichtner

Martin and Claudia took up the post of Good Earth Trust’s Kenya and Tanzania Country Representative in July 2009 on a job-share basis. Martin, an experienced Chartered Water and Environmental Manager is a development and humanitarian professional with over 26 years' experience, particularly with capacity building activities in the water, environmental and natural resources management sectors, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. Claudia is an Agriculture postgraduate with 18 years professional and humanitarian experience in agricultural extension, training, communication, marketing & gender, much of this in East Africa.

Friends

Max Armbrust

Max joined the Trust after having completed his MSc in Environmental Modelling at King’s College London to focus on the carbon accreditation process to access the financial means to promote our technology.
Prior to joining the Trust, Max worked and lived in Munich, Germany. He graduated from Stellenbosch University, South Africa with a Bachelor in Economics. He has recently re-located to Mozambique.

Lisa Baumgartner

Lisa completed her undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies and Anthropology/Sociology in February 2005 at Middlebury College in VT, USA. In September 2007 she completed her Msc in Development Studies from SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) in London, UK, and became the Good Earth Trust's Uganda Country Representative not long afterwards.
Lisa stepped down from this role in 2010 and now works for DanChurchAid coordinating programming in Karamoja, Uganda surrounding Disaster Risk Reduction and advocacy on dryland policy issues. 

Gordon Browne

Gordon Browne is a shelter consultant, REDR engineer and lecturer of construction technology, with experience of rammed earth block construction within the Development and Relief sectors. He has a research profile that promotes the use of earth blocks and the adoption of different stabilisers. He is convinced that this technology will become a main stream product in an increasingly sustainable-conscious world.
Gordon joined the Good Earth Trust Board in November 2008 and became Chairman in mid 2011 when James Flecker stepped down from that role.

"The founder of the Good Earth Trust Jim Cogan asked me...read more

Sophie Cogan

Sophie is the daughter of the late Jim Cogan, founder of the Good Earth Trust. She has a background in TV research and production and has worked for Meridian and the BBC. Sophie joined the Trust as a Friend in 2012.

David Drew

A respected archaeologist, David has worked closely with the Cusichaca Trust in Peru. Founded in 1977, the Trust has pioneered and integrated development projects in partnership with local communities. A founding Trustee of Good Earth Trust, David remained in that role throughout the life of the Trust.

“I’m originally an archaeologist and...read more

James Flecker

James has worked for a number of development organisations including Students Partnership Worldwide, British Executive Service Overseas and VSO. He stood down from the role of Chairman in mid-2011 handing over to Gordon Browne. James remained a Trustee until the Trust’s dissolution.

"I have worked closely with Jim Cogan ever since...read more

Jo Fleming

Jo has international strategy and business development experience across the energy sector, including oil and gas, utilities and renewable. He combines strong analytical and financial skills with a track record of business development in the UK renewable sector. He has a PhD in Petroleum Geology and an MBA. Jo was a Trustee for the final 3 years of the Good Earth Trust.

Sophie Grant (nee Mills)

Sophie graduated from University of Cambridge in 2003 and completed the GDL Law Foundation Year in 2005 at BPP Law School. She was the Head of Alumni Relations with Westminster School in London till she took up the post of Good Earth Trust’s Kenya Country Representative in 2007 - July 2009.
Still resident in Laikipia, Kenya, Sophie is closely involved with the development and promotion of El Karama Ranch and continues to promote the use of ISSB technology whenever she can.

Nathalie Koerfer

Nathalie is an International Secretary for the Campaign Against Climate Change. She has helped to organise and promote many of their recent campaigns.
Nathalie was a founding Trustee of Good Earth Trust; she stood down in March 2012.

“I believe our work to be important because...read more

Bobby Lambert

Bobby has almost 30 years professional experience in development and humanitarian work, including over 10 years field experience in East and Southern Africa and 10 years as CEO of RedR in the UK. He is a consultant to the UN, Red Cross and NGOs, is a visiting fellow at London’s South Bank University and is an adviser to Pump Aid. A chartered engineer, he graduated from University College Dublin in 1979 and has a Masters in Public Health Engineering from Imperial College London (1984).
After serving as the Trust’s Executive Director for a number of years Bobby stepped down in mid 2011 and was elected as a Trustee.

Pat Mandeville

Pat Mandeville a senior civil servant with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and formerly Head of Sustainable Development in that deptartment. Pat has a long standing interest in sustainable development in Africa, visits Africa regularly, particularly Tanzania and the Gambia and is a former member of the British Tanzania Society. She supports the Good Earth Trust because she wants to encourage long term local community based projects in Africa which combine economic opportunities with environmental and ecological benefits- all of which fit with Good Earth's aims.

Russell Matcham

A teacher, Russell is Director of the Haileybury Youth Trust. The Trust supports the ISSB project at the Lord's Meade Vocational College in Jinja, Uganda.
Russell was a founding Trustee of Good Earth Trust but relinquished his Trustee role in early 2012.

Richard Muirhead

Richard is CEO and founder of Tideway Systems, an innovative IT company specializing in data management. Prior to that he was co-founder of Orchestream, subsequently acquired by Oracle. He is well recognized within his sector as an innovative entrepreneur and holds an MA in Engineering from Cambridge University. Richard served as a Trustee for several years.

Fred Ogana

Fred is based in Nairobi and works as the Country Director for Technoserve, which helps people in rural communities set up and run businesses.
As his location in Kenya makes it difficult for him to attend meetings in London, Fred decided to step down from his Trustee role in early 2012.

"I joined the Board of the Good Earth Trust because...read more

Vince Owen

Vince is an experienced Human Resources professional with an extensive background of recruitment, training needs analysis and design and delivery, facilitation, and project management mainly in emerging markets particularly in Africa, India and the Far East.
He first came across ISSB technology in 2008 when spending time with a friend in Kenya’s Rift Valley, at the same time meeting Sophie Mills (now Grant) who was the Kenya representative of the Trust. He maintained contact with the Trust becoming an Adviser in mid 2009. In March 2012 he assumed the part time role of Executive Director.

Dr Deborah Potts

Dr Deborah Potts is a senior lecturer in Geography at Kings College London and specialises in Africa, particularly on rural urban migration, livelihoods, urbanisation, the informal sector and related environmental issues. She has a strong interest in issues relating to affordable housing, has lived and worked in Africa for many years and maintains regular contact through her research and travel

Professor David Seddon

Currently principal of South London College, is a professorial fellow at the School of Development Studies at the University of East Anglia, following 12 years there as Professor of Politics and Sociology. David has a distinguished academic record with some 35 years experience in development and related areas, complemented by many years fieldwork in sub-Saharan Africa. David served as Honorary Vice-President of the Trust until its dissolution.

"I joined the Board of GET... read more

Daniel Seddon-Daines

Daniel supports the important work the Good Earth Trust does to drive the delivery of scalable grassroots initiatives to mitigate anthropogenic climate change and benefit the communities which deliver them in a socially and environmentally sustainable way.
Daniel is a strategy consultant at Accenture where he specialises in advising businesses on shaping and delivering responses to climate change and the sustainability agenda. Daniel has undertaken assignments for clients focused on delivering emissions reductions, carbon markets, clean technology and developing sustainable business cases. Previously Daniel worked as an analyst for JPMorgan in Equity Derivatives and Environmental Markets and at the Institute for International Affairs where he now sits on the board of its Under 35’s forum. Daniel holds a B.A in Geography from Cambridge University.

Georgina Shelley

Georgina is a paralegal and currently works for Norton Rose LLB with their Climate change and Clean energy team. She joined the Good Earth Trust board in May 09.

Eszti Takacs

Eszti who hails from Hungary, has a degree in International Studies from De Paul University in Chicago and has worked for several years with the Hungarian Foreign Ministry in Shanghai. She came to London recently to work in the voluntary sector, particularly in fundraising, and volunteered with some London based charities before joining the Good Earth Trust in April 2008.
Following a reorganisation of the London office in mid-2011, Eszti’s position fell away. In September 2012 she was elected as a Trustee and took on the role of Treasurer.

Sir Crispin Tickell

Sir Crispin a former UN Ambassador, was also President of the Royal Geographical Society from 1990-1993 and is currently Chairman Emeritus of the Climate Institute in Washington D.C. He is the author of 'Climate Change and World Affairs' and has contributed to many other books. Sir Crispen served as Honorary President of the Trust.

Oliver Tickell

Oliver is a freelance journalist and campaigner on health and environment issues and has written for both the Guardian and the BBC.

"I joined the Good Earth Trust in order to...read more

John Tracey-White

John trained as a surveyor, planner and architect. He has worked in over 50 countries in the areas of rural/urban development, infrastructure planning, implementation, project evaluation, environmental impact assessment and conservation. He has primarily worked for FAO, ILO, UN Habitat, IFAD and the World Bank.
He is currently the International Sustainable Development Advisor at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, where has been  responsible for post-disaster assessments and preparation of capacity building/training material for sustainability, development planning and appropriate construction technology. John served as a Trustee from mid 2011.

Alastair Tweedie

Alastair is a writer, technologist and Marketing director with 15 years business experience. He is a founder of technology PR and marketing communications consultancy, co-founder of social housing magazine and co-founder of leading online technology newswire.
He joined the Good Earth Trust board in May 09 but for business reasons stood down in 2012.

"While there many individual reasons why I joined...read more