A New Year welcome to our new board members
19 January, 2026
Last year we carried out an in-depth recruitment process for new FBA board members, and we are very honoured to start 2026 with a warm welcome to Gavin Sorby, Tracey Griffiths, Jennifer Dodd and Tim Boden.
Our board of trustees come from a wide range of scientific, academic and professional backgrounds, bringing a wealth of knowledge, expertise and guidance to help the FBA achieve our vision and fulfil our mission to understand and protect freshwater environments across the world.
With a strengthened board we look forward to working together to inspire local and global action to protect freshwater ecosystems through science.
This collective action is more urgent than ever!
Since 1929 the FBA, as a non-governmental organisation and charitable trust, has been dedicated to understanding and conserving freshwaters across the globe. Despite their importance, many freshwater ecosystems are highly degraded and in ecological decline. They suffer from the impacts of pollution, invasive species and habitat loss. Without urgent action to better understand, conserve and sustainably manage freshwater ecosystems, this decline will only increase. The climate crisis will also exacerbate the rate of decline.
Introducing our new board members
Our new board members have an abundance of life experience and skills to support the FBA at this critical time for freshwaters.
Gavin Sorby has over 35 years post qualification experience and has been with Buttress for most of that time. His ability to see the ‘bigger picture’, understand different viewpoints and to get into the mind set of others is key to making complex issues simple.
Tracey Griffiths is a Chartered Environmentalist and active Citizen Scientist. She brings over 24 years of experience working in environmental roles in Cumbria since graduating in Environmental Science and specialising in Hydrology and Water Resources at Lancaster University.
Jennifer Dodd is an Associate Professor in Biodiversity and Restoration Ecology within the School of Applied Sciences at Edinburgh Napier University. Her research focus is the monitoring and assessment of ecosystem condition using traditional and emerging technologies.
Tim Boden is a retired IT solutions architect and brings a range of technical consultancy and programme management skills. He is keen to promote greater take-up of citizen science opportunities, having set up a water quality testing citizen science programme in Ambleside.
A very warm welcome to…
Gavin has over 35 years post qualification experience and has been with Buttress for most of that time.
Tracey has over 24 years of experience working in environmental roles in Cumbria since graduating in Environmental Science and specialising in Hydrology and Water Resources at Lancaster University.
Jennifer is an Associate Professor in Biodiversity and Restoration Ecology within the School of Applied Sciences at Edinburgh Napier University.
Tim is a retired IT solutions architect and brings a range of technical consultancy and programme management skills.
“We are absolutely delighted to welcome our new board members to the FBA! After a rigorous recruitment process we are thrilled to have Tim Boden, Jennifer Dodd, Tracey Griffiths, and Gavin Sorby joining us. All four bring new insights, skills and experience to the organisation at a time of exciting change and development. There are so many opportunities for the FBA going forward and the board will play a crucial role in helping to keep us focussed on where we can have the biggest impact. Our freshwaters are facing many challenges and I’m excited at the prospect of working with the board and the FBA team to ensure we use our influence and our actions to help safeguard their future.”
Special thanks
We would also like to express our deep gratitude to Professor Keith Bevan and Professor Michelle Jackson who have recently stepped down from the board, for all their support and input over the last few years.
“This is an exciting time for the strategic direction of FBA with the appointment of new trustees. I’d also like to make a special mention of Professor Keith Bevan and Professor Michelle Jackson who recently stepped down from the board at the end of their elected tenures. Michelle and Keith’s contribution to the effective governance of our charity has been hugely valuable and has enabled a period of sustained organisational resilience and impact.”
