Victoria Mander has been elected as the new Chair of the New Forest National Park Authority.
Victoria has been an Authority member since September 2020, Deputy Chair since October 2023 and was elected Chair at the Authority’s Board meeting on 16 October.
She replaces out-going Chair David Bence who was thanked for his hard work.
Victoria is a wildlife conservationist who has worked on multiple projects in the UK and overseas and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management.
After working within the charitable sector for over 10 years, in 2018 Victoria founded Vision Wild, an organisation which supports charities and land managers to design, manage and evaluate nature conservation projects.
Victoria, from Leicestershire, grew up in the countryside and her first links with the New Forest came through her childhood New Forest pony. She’s since always held a love of the National Park for its unique landscape.
Victoria also sits as a trustee for the Osprey Leadership Foundation, a charity committed to inspiring and empowering young conservation leaders.
Victoria said: ‘The New Forest National Park is an extraordinary place for nature, while also being home to 34,000 residents and welcoming millions of visitors each year. Ensuring both nature and our communities thrive is an ongoing challenge with decreasing resources but I look forward to stepping up to work with all those who care for the Forest to ensure it is fit for the future.’
Keith Mans was elected as Deputy Chair. He represents Brockenhurst on and is a former Chair of Hampshire County Council.
Keith is a former RAF pilot who spent 10 years working for the John Lewis Partnership after leaving the RAF and before he was elected MP for Wyre in Lancashire in 1987. While in Parliament, Keith was PPS to the Secretary of State for Health as well as being a member of both the Defence and the Environment Select Committees. After leaving Parliament in 1997, Keith was CEO of the Royal Aeronautical Society until 2009.
The Authority’s 22 members are the people with overall responsibility for making decisions. They are responsible for setting policies and priorities, ensuring efficient and effective use of resources and that money is well spent. It is their job to represent the interests of the National Park and to balance out any conflicting pressures.
New members Ella Mason, Adarsh Parekh and James Wylor-Owen were formally welcomed to the Board.
Find out more details about the members and their biographies.
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