Governance
Guided by the governing legislation which created Lee Valley Regional Park Authority in the 1960s, the Authority is run by 28 Board Members drawn from across London, Essex and Hertfordshire.
They meet through a series of committees and full Authority meetings. These meetings are open to the public for non-confidential items. Please check meeting agendas for location of meetings.
Our management team
Shaun Dawson
Chief Executive
Shaun joined the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority as Chief Executive in 1997. During this time he has created a dynamic and award winning organisation that both delivers its core remit and also works with partners to ensure that the 10,000 acre Regional Park adds value to the bigger social and economic agenda in the Lee Valley. Shaun was a key player during the bid process for the 2012 Olympics and he is now leading the Authority’s remit as a central legacy owner/operator organisation for a number of Olympic venues and parkland.
Shaun has spent his career in the leisure industry both in the public and private sector. Before moving to the Authority he was Assistant Director of Education and Leisure at the London Borough of Hackney. Shaun’s particular areas of experience cover, sports venues design, facilities management and parks management/activation.
Shaun graduated from the University of East Anglia with a BSc in Ecology and went on to Loughborough University where he gained an MSc in Recreation Management.
Beryl Foster
Deputy Chief Executive
Beryl joined the Authority in 2005 and has responsibility for Asset Protection, Maintenance and Development, Legal, Parklands, Planning and Property services within her directorate. Beryl is a qualified solicitor and overseas all legal matters across the spectrum of the Authority’s business. In her role as Monitoring Officer she also ensures that the Authority takes decisions and operates within the legal framework. She also has responsibility for the Committee and Member Service which assists the nominated board Members to undertake their role effectively.
Since 1981, Beryl has worked in a range of public sector areas including the Department of Employment and the Metropolitan Police Service and has over 17 years experience in local government.
Jon Carney
Corporate Director
Jon joined the Authority in 1999 and is responsible for everything within the park that revolves around the natural environment. This includes all site and land management, our commercial farm and fisheries, and also covers our maintenance programmes for open spaces and venues.
He graduated from Merrist Wood College, Surrey, with a Diploma in Countryside Recreation in 1990, and in 2004 he studied at Birkbeck University in London for a Post Graduate Diploma in Protected Landscape Management. Jon started his career in ranger and land manager roles, first with the Yorkshire Dales National Park, moved on to work for the National Trust at Box Hill and then spent nine years working for Bedfordshire County Council.
Dan Buck
Corporate Director
Dan rejoined Lee Valley Regional Park Authority in January 2003 from a venue management position for Hertsmere Leisure. Since starting as a lifeguard in 1995 at the old Pickett’s Lock Leisure Centre, he has held a number of positions over more than two decades in the leisure sector and achieved an MSc in Management from the University of Hertfordshire.
Dan worked closely on a variety of Olympic projects including being part of the venue design team, the operational link between LOCOG and Authority and coordinated the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park transformation programme for our two venues. Dan has lead on our major events programme since 2012, designed the Quality Management System and is the project lead for the proposed new Lee Valley Ice Centre.
Dan’s areas of responsible include:
Active Communities (Sports, Major Events and Outdoor Learning)
Major Venue Developments
Public Relations and Communications
Information Technology
Client Performance Monitoring and Quality
Health and Safety
Audit and Risk Management