Our Board of Directors
The Board has overall responsibility for STAR Housing. They provide strategic leadership, oversee performance, and make sure we’re working safely, responsibly, and in line with our values.
Board composition
What the Board does:
Sets priorities and monitors performance
Together, they bring a wide range of experience and perspectives to help shape STAR Housing’s future
Meet the board
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Tony Deakin
Chair of the Board – Independent Board Member
Tony joined STAR Housing’s Board in 2020, becoming Chair in 2021. With 25+ years in housing finance and accounting, he also holds non-executive roles at Monmouthshire Housing Association, One Manchester, and Livv Housing Group.
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Paul Hayward
Independent Board Member
Paul, a seasoned housing professional since the 1990s, has held senior roles in local authorities, ALMOs, and housing associations across the Midlands and London. Skilled in income, inclusion, leasehold, and housing management, he holds a Housing Studies Diploma from Birmingham and chairs the Customer Service Committee.
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Kathy Jones
Independent Board Member
Kathy Jones, Group Director of Housing and Assets at Dudley Council, has held senior roles at ClwydAlyn, Trafford Housing Trust, and Housing Plus Group. With a Bar Vocational Postgraduate from Nottingham Law School, she excels in public sector leadership, stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, and executive coaching.
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Becky Royle
Independent Board Member
Becky, originally from Shropshire, joined the Board in 2025. A Managing Partner at Odgers, she leads Central Government and Housing. With 23 years’ experience, she brings strong leadership, governance expertise and deep sector insight.
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Irina Wood
Independent Board Member
Irina joined the Board as an Independent Board member in 2025. She has over 20 years of senior IT leadership and programme management experience in global and national organisations, managing risk and delivering multi-million-pound Digital Transformation programmes in the public and commercial sectors.
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Duncan Kerr
Councillor Board member
Councillor Duncan Kerr, Group Leader of the Green and Progressive Independent Group and Audit Chair at Shropshire Council, has 20+ years in Local Government, including 5 as Chief Executive. Qualified in Environmental Health and Housing Management, with multiple Masters, he is currently pursuing an MA in Domestic Violence Dynamics.
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Mark Owen
Councillor Board member
Councillor Mark Owen has 14 years of experience in local government and currently serves as Vice‑Chair of Shropshire Council’s Northern Planning Committee, as well as a member of the Housing Supervisory Board. He brings a strong technical background to his role, having previously worked as an IT manager and technician, and spent several years teaching maths and physics up to A‑level.
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Richard Amos
Tenant Board Member
Richard is one of our customers from south Shrewsbury and has been helping us to shape our services for many years. He is an advocate for community engagement and providing support for customers who do not always have a voice.
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Lynn Fonseca
Tenant Board Member
Lynn is one of our customers from south Shropshire and has been helping us to shape our services for over two years. She is an advocate for community engagement and providing support for customers who do not always have a voice.