Decade at the top for college principal Ann

Ann became the first woman to take the college’s top job on March 1, 2006, and her tenure has seen an ‘enormous growth and campus development’, the college said.

She said: “It’s flown by, but Myerscough College has been a part of my life for a lot longer.

‘’I was originally appointed as director of finance in 1998, so I’ve been here for 18 years in total.

“That’s the longest I’ve been at any organisation. It’s because I enjoy my job so much.

“You spend so much time at work not to, and it’s especially important in our sector.’’

She added: “’I wasn’t even in the education sector in 1998. The company I was working for was relocating to the Midlands and I made the decision not to go.

“I was then offered other jobs but they didn’t feel right. In the past I had been a lecturer at Newcastle University and when I saw the post, I thought it looked interesting.

“I came to a ‘meet the team’ session before the formal interviews took place and it felt like home straight away.

“I knew I could work there and it was a very positive first experience.”

Ann is now one of just 35 people with 10 years or more continuous service as principal at one college, out of almost 400 colleges nationwide.

Ann was raised on a farm in East Anglia. She is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and has served as a magistrate in Lancaster.