Corporate Services Directors

Cathy joined the Trust in 2018 as the  Associate Director of Corporate Governance and was appointed as the Director of Corporate Governance in March 2020.  She has strategic leadership for all aspects of corporate governance, is the Trust Secretary and works closely with the Board of Directors and Council of Governors.

Prior to joining ELFT, Cathy’s recent career has been spent in the public and not-for profit sectors having been Trust Secretary at Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust and South Essex University NHS Foundation Trust, and Director of Operations, which included being Company Secretary, at the Institute of Customer Service.

Cathy started her working life in the City as a personal assistant and is a strong advocate for developing and raising the profile of colleagues who work in an administrative role.

David Stevens is a Chartered Engineer and joined the trust in 2021 from University College London.  David has strategic and operational leadership for the estates directorate across all boroughs covered by the Trust, and is the lead director for the Trust’s capital development programme.

David is a Fellow of the  Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, and a Certified Fellow of Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management. David is Vice Chair of the CIBSE Facilities Management Group and has over 30 years’ experience in working within the built environment.

David sits on a number of industry committees and awards judging panels. David has an MBA, MEng and BEng (HONS) in Building Services Engineering . David is also a European Engineer (Eur Ing).

David’s pronouns are He / Him / His.

Mary took up the post as Director for Social Work in April 2022.

Mary qualified as a Social Worker in 1998 with an MA/DiPSW from Leicester University following obtaining a first degree in Social Policy.  I have always worked within Mental Health Social Work, initially in Essex working in and managing adult and older adult mental health teams, including CMHT, Assertive Outreach and Criminal Justice Mental Health for what was then North Essex Mental Health Trust. 

Mary qualified as an ASW in 2001 and continued to practice as an AMHP until this year. She is the co-chair of the BASW England Mental Health Thematic Group.

May moved to Oxford Health NHS FT in 2009, initially as an operational manager for adult and older adult mental health services across Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, moving into Social Work Professional Leadership in 2012, becoming the Trust’s first Associate Director of Social Care in 2018.

Mary has a particular interest in military history and is a volunteer for the Commonwealth war Graves Commission.