Edwin Van Ek Email & Phone Number

Stonham Aspal, Gb

East & East Midlands Area

As Partership and Expertise Manager I am responsible for Forestry Commission (Forest Services) operations in the East of England. This includes our woodland creation and management grants & forestry regulations work (illegal fellings, forestry EIAs, and felling licenses); partnership & engagement activities; and supporting core partners, local authorities, businesses and landowners with their woodland creation ambitions.

Essex And Suffolk

Responsible for the development and implementation of landscape scale working for the WoodlandTrust in the Eastern Claylands of Essex and Suffolk, with a focus on Trees Outside of Woods. Coordinated an annual fully subsidised landowner tree pack offer to engage, and to provide an opportunity to get trees planted in the wider landscape to imrpove connectivity and to respond to ash dieback in particular. Worked in collaboration with Essex County Council, Suffolk County Council, the Suffolk Tree Warden, and many other organisations and individuals.

Stowmarket, Suffolk

Forestry, Nature Conservation and Sustainable Development Consultancy and Project Management Support.Secured contract to provide project support to the Forestry Commission Forest Services East & East Midlands team on a part time basis. Responsibilities include the planning and delivery of 2 Tree Health stakeholder conferences, scoping and delivery of a series of UK Forestry Standard Masterclasses, and supporting Forest Service staff with drafting and editing of text and maps for local 25 Year Environment Plans (25YEP).

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Responsible for the generation, collection and analysis of regional intelligence including trade statistics for internal use, communications and upon request from others including the press.Undertaking the monitoring and auditing of trade services provided through UKTI in the region by the International Trade Advisers through a private sector delivery partner.Planning and delivery of corporate induction visit to the East of England Region for UKTI staff joining the organisation in the UK or in post as part of the Embassy, High Commission or Consular Teams.Planning of regional visits and preparation of associated briefing documents for VIP visitors from within and outside of the UK.Supporting the UKTI HQ team with regional information and insight together with our regional delivery partner and the rest of the UKTI regional core team (including parliamentary questions and MP letters).Representing UKTI East of England on regional partner organisation working groups and events.Provide line management to the Regional Operations Manager and the Admin and Finance Officer.

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Temporary promotion to Deputy Regional Director role. In addition to responsibilities as Senior Regional Operations Manager part responsible for the re-tendering of the contract for the delivery of regional trade services, responding to ministerial and head office requests and representing UKTI at delivery partner board, operational management and contract performance meetings, and attending regional stakeholder meetings.

Santon Downham

Manager of the Woodfuel East Initiative, hosted by the Forestry Commission. WFE is a £4.3 million initiative funded under the Rural Development Programme for England by Defra and the European Commission. Woodfuel East supports the develop the wider woodfuel supply chain in the East of England, through raising awareness, provision of advice and grant support to infrastructure, equipment and training delivery. Woodfuel East works under strategic guidance of a Steering Committee of over 20 members representing government department and initiatives, local authorities, private companies, non governmental organisation and membership organisations such as the CLA and the NFU. Line management responsibility for two Business Development Advisers and a Finance and Administration Office, coordination of inputs by Forestry Commission staff and support from external advisers. Member of the Forestry Commission Management Planning Working Group responsible for the development of new woodland management as recommended by the Regulatory Task-force.

Cambridge (Global)

Responsible for the management of consultancy services with ENI S.P.A (the Italian National Oil Company) working on the research into prevention and reduction of primary and secondary biodiversity impacts in Norway, Ecuador and Italy and the integration of biodiversity conservation issues into their environmental management systems and site management plans. Representative of FFI on the Management Team of the Multilateral British American Tobacco Biodiversity Partnership and through this partnership contributing to development of the work of the partnership, the integration of biodiversity conservation principles into BAT policy and practice globally through ecological consultancy inputs (in particularly corporate biodiversity risk assessments and action planning), and the management and provision of consultancy inputs to a changing portfolio of about 20 projects overseas.I was involved in working with BAT, local NGOs, and universities on forest conservation projects and restoration of forest plantations (mainly Eucalyptus) back into “natural forest”. As part of this role I undertook regular visits to support projects in Sri-Lanka, Brazil, Chile, and Indonesia.

Tower Hamlets, London

As Biodiversity Action Coordinator I facilitated Tower Habitats, the Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) Partnership for Tower Hamlets and coordinated the preparation and facilitated the implementation of the action plan for Tower Hamlets. The post was supported by a grant from the Defra Environmental Action Fund (EAF). Responsibilities included: Facilitating the Tower Habitats Partnership; Coordinating preparation of action plans and implementation of LBAP objectives; Supporting the London Borough of Tower Hamlets (LBTH) with the integration of LBAP objectives into council policies and strategies and assisting the Parks Department and other organisations with site improvements and biodiversity conservation; Raising awareness and promoting community involvement through publications, the media and the organisation of events and campaigns; Monitoring and evaluation of the LBAP and reporting to the London Biodiversity Partnership and the UK Biodiversity Partnership using the Biodiversity Action Reporting System (BARS); Fundraising for EAF matched funding requirements and preparation and submission of annual renewal applications and work programmes, financial and progress reporting to the Defra EAF (Civic Trust); Vice Chair of the London Boroughs Biodiversity Forum; Representative of LBTH on the environmental subgroup of London 2012 and the conservation subgroup of the East London Line Extension Project and assessment of EIAs for developments on behalf of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets; Co-ordination of wildlife surveying and recording; Co-ordination of site management and community involvement on conservation sites managed by the Trust; Supporting and managing volunteers and preparation of volunteer policy and volunteer handbook; Supporting other teams within the Trust.

London, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania

FARM Africa is an international development NGO with country programmes in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa. I prepared a number of projects including a multi organisation cross country forestry project and worked on a number of community forestry projects in Ethiopia and Tanzania. Main responsibilities were: Member of the senior management team; Improving FARM’s marketing; Investigating and developing new funding opportunities; Work with overseas programme staff to develop in-country funding capacity and opportunities; Training and assisting overseas project staff in the preparation of project concept notes, proposals and budgets; New project development and quality control of project proposals and reports to donors; Assisting the trust fundraiser and major donor fundraiser with the preparation and prioritisation of proposals; Contract negotiations. Provided support to the Bonga and Chilimo Participatory Forest Management Project in Ethiopia and the Nou Joint Forest Management Project in Babati on the Rift Valley Escarpment in Tanzania.

Chatham Maritime (Global)

Natural Resources International split from the Natural resources Institute after it moved from the Overseas Development Administration into the ownership of universities. Responsible for: Tracking, bidding for and winning new business in the natural resources sector (project proposal preparation, work planning, budgeting, cash-flow forecasting, staff selection and recruitment, strategic partnership development, site visits and working with local partners); Contributing to regional business development strategies; Management and delivery of forestry, watershed management, horticultural, sustainable livelihoods and conservation projects in Asia and the Pacific (and assisting with projects in Eastern Europe); Series of marketing, project identification, management and business development visits to Poland, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal. Project Manager for a consortium of companies and institutes led by NRIL for the new framework contract, Rural Development and Food Security component, of the European Commission

Warwick (Global)

ULG Consultants coordinated the aid funded projects for Entec UK Ltd. (environment), ULG Consultants Ltd. (agriculture, natural resource management and rural development), Northumbrian Water Services Ltd. (water supply and water treatment), International Training Consortium and Fisheries Development Ltd. Visited the Dominican Republic to undertake a site visit with Government and EC staff for an aluminium mine re-forestation project in the Sierra de Boharuca to be funded by the EC. Responsible for: Business development; Consultant recruitment; Contract management; Project management and administration

Warwick (Global)

Responsible for staffing proposals for overseas aid funded projects. Responsibilities included: Analysing Term of References and budgets and identifying suitable candidates for proposals; Preparing CVs in the client's format; Negotiating fee rates and secondary conditions with consultants; Interviewing consultants; Increasing pool of free-lance consultants through advertising and networking; Maintenance of associate consultant database.

Utrecht, Netherlands

Dutch Office of Voluntary Service Overseas. Responsibilities were: Corporate and private donor recruitment; Maintenance of the donor database; General administration; Assist outgoing volunteers with publicity.

Katsina, Katsina State, Nigeria

Forester on the EC funded Katsina Arid Zone Programme, Katsina. This rural development project covered 16,000 km2 in northern Nigeria. Worked with the Forestry Specialist of the Danish Land Development Services (Hedeselskabet) and provided technical assistance to the livestock, agriculture and rural development advisers.

Velp, Netherlands

Independent foundation affiliated to Larenstein International Agricultural College, providing contract and continuous education in forestry, land and water management, landscaping, nature conservation, agriculture and food technology. Responsibilities were: Course information representative; Marketing and advertising of courses; (CPD) Course development, organisation, evaluation and administration; Liaison between course educational staff and clients.

Giekerk, Netherlands

Responsibilities were: Preparation of tender documents for larger projects; New business development (marketing, proposals and quotations); Managing contracts with corporate and private clients, NGOs, housing associations, highway authority and local governments; Supervision of staff members; Procurement and maintenance of capital equipment; Arboricultural work, tree felling and risk assessments.

Diploma, Countryside Management

Also completed 6 specialist modules from the MSc Protected Area Management.

Forestry, Tropical Forestry, Ing / Bsc

April – October 1991 HONDURAS Graduation research on pre-germination treatment for Tectona grandis (teak) at the seedbank of COHDEFOR.