The board (PEC) and leadership
The board is the decision making body. It is the statutory board of directors for the purposes of company law, and the Principal Executive Committee (PEC) for the purposes of trade union law (unusually, but in common with organisations such as the British Medical Association, the BDA is both a company and a trade union).
The board agrees the strategy, policy and business operational plans for the Association, and holds the Chief Executive and his staff to account for their implementation.
The board receives advice and opinion from committees to help it in its role, and these are either focussed on constituent parts of the profession (the elected committees such as the General Dental Practice Committee) or subject areas (advisory committees directly appointed by the board with a specific remit, such as the Health and Science Committee). The views of members are represented by the country councils, and the craft committees. The BDA President also offers counsel through attendance at meetings of the board.
The boundaries for the seats are determined by postal district. Some postal districts cross national boundaries and therefore need to be more specifically differentiated.
The board is made up of 15 members:
- nine members elected from English regions
- one member elected from Northern Ireland
- one member elected from Scotland
- one member elected from Wales
- three members elected on a UK wide basis
Board (PEC) elections
Each member serves for three years, but the three year terms are staggered so that a different cohort of five members is subject to re-election each year. Each yearly cohort must contain a member elected UK wide and one member elected from one of the countries of the UK outside England.
Meet the board
Chair
Eddie Crouch
West Midlands region | Eddie was elected as Chair of the board in September 2020. Before that, he served as Deputy Chair between 2014 and 2020. He was Secretary and Chair of Birmingham Local Dental Committee. He qualified in 1984 from Kings and provided care in South Birmingham for 36 years, more latterly in two locations providing orthodontic care, having previously been a Clinical Assistant in Orthodontics. He stopped clinical practice at the end of 2022. His term of office ends on 31 December 2026.
Deputy Chair
Peter Crooks
Northern Ireland | Peter worked entirely in general practice, first as an associate for four years and then as a practice owner in Ballymena for thirty years. The practice began life fully NHS but was a mixed practice when it was sold in 2017. Peter is a BDA Trustee, Chairs the BDA Finance and Review Body Evidence Committees and is the Board nominee on the Board of Trustees of the BDA Benevolent Fund. His term of office ends 31 December 2027.
Mick Armstrong
Yorkshire and Humber region | Mick has been a member of the board since June 2012. He served as Chair from 2014 until 2020. He qualified in 1985 from Newcastle and has spent all of his practising life in General Practice. He was a partner in Armstrong & Haire Ltd, a six surgery, mostly NHS practice in Castleford, West Yorkshire for over 20 years where he is now an associate. He is Chair of BDA Health and Science Committee, Chair FDI Dental Practice Committee and an Educational Supervisor. His term of office ends 31 December 2027.
Victor Chan
South East region | Victor is a general dental practitioner working in his single-handed private practice seeing the fourth generation of his loyal patients. Prevention has always been at the heart of his practice. Within the BDA, he is Chair of the International Affairs Committee. He is past Chair of BDA Indemnity Governance Committee, and past President of Southern Counties. He is involved with the Council of European Dentists and sits on their Internal Market Committee. He is National Liaison Officer for FDI World Dental Federation and is past Chair of FDI Audit Committee. He is passionate about excellence in dentistry and the rights of clinicians to act in the best interest of patients without third party interference.
His term of office ends on 31 December 2025.
Shawn Charlwood
UK wide | Shawn was Chair of the BDA General Dental Practice Committee from 2020 until 2024 and led the committee throughout the pandemic and the years following. He appeared on national TV and radio on numerous occasions advocating for the profession and patients and appeared in Parliament in front of the Commons Health Select Committee on three separate occasions. He graduated from Birmingham Dental School and has post graduate qualifications from the University of Bristol and the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners. He held post graduate positions at Manchester Dental School and Manchester Royal Infirmary maxillo-facial department, as well as being an officer in the Royal Army Dental Corps. Shawn owned a large mixed general dental practice for almost 30 years and trained 20 new graduates in Foundation training. He was previously Chair of Lincolnshire LDC and member for 25 years. His term of office ends 31 December 2027.
Laura Cross
Scotland | Laura was first elected to the BDA Board in January 2020 and re-elected for a second three-year term starting in January 2023. She has been a BDA Trustee since 2020 and Co-Chaired the BDA Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee from when it was first established in 2020 until 2022. Laura was elected Chair of the Education and Ethics Committee by the PEC in 2022 and as one of the three PEC Officers, meets regularly with the BDA Senior Management Team. Laura graduated, with Distinction, from the University of Edinburgh in 1990 and holds FDS diplomas from both RCPS Glasgow and RCS Edinburgh. Laura completed a PhD and five years specialist training in Restorative Dentistry, working as a Consultant and Honorary Clinical Associate Professor in Glasgow for around 20 years. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and became a member of the International College of Prosthodontists in 2009. An active BDA committee member since graduation, Laura has represented Hospital Dental Consultants on SCHDS, SHRDG (as Co-Chair), Scottish Council, CCHDS and BMA Scottish Consultants’ Committee and Negotiating Sub-Committee. She was President of the West of Scotland BDA Branch 2023/24. Her term of office ends on 31 December 2025.
John Edwards
North West | John qualified from Liverpool in 1974 and gained an MFGDP in 1993. He has worked throughout his career as a GDP in Blackpool and the Fylde Coast area. He was elected to serve on Lancashire LDC in 1986 and is currently Chairman of Lancashire Coastal LDC. He was appointed to serve on GDSC in 1986 representing the Lancashire region continuously on the GDPC until the present time. He is currently a member of the Legislation Sub Committee. His term of office ends 31 December 2026.
Lauren Harrhy
Wales | Dr Lauren Harrhy, a Cardiff University graduate of 2009, is the Welsh member of the Principal Executive Committee and co-chair of the BDA Equality and Diversity Committee and an educational supervisor for foundation dentists. With a down-to-earth approach, Lauren combines her life as a dedicated Principal dentist, wife, and mother to three children with her commitment to the dental profession. She is a strong advocate for the mental health and well-being of dental professionals, emphasising the importance of supportive working conditions. Lauren firmly believes in the critical role of professional associations and trade union activities in strengthening the dental community. She champions inclusivity and equal opportunities, reflecting her dedication to making the dental profession better for all. Lauren's term of office ends on 31 December 2026.
Sushil John
Greater London | Qualifying in 2000, Sushil has worked as a GDP in South London for over 20 years. In addition to his work in general practice, he has been the chair of the Croydon Local Dental Committee, Founding Director of South West London Local Dental Committee and GDPC Representative for South London. Sushil is also currently the Regional Training Programme Director for Dental Foundation Training for London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex. His term of office ends on 31 December 2025.
Alison Lockyer
UK wide | Alison has been a board member since its inception in 2012 and served as Chair of the Education, Ethics and the Dental Team Working Group until 2020. After qualifying from Edinburgh she was an early VT, as they were then known, and has always worked in general practice, for several years owning and running 5 practices in Leicestershire and Oxfordshire, as well as holding prison contacts, being a VT trainer, and running a dental practice within the Oxford BMW factory. Her term of office ends on 31 December 2025.
Nigel Jones
UK wide | On qualifying at Kings, Nigel joined the Royal Navy for a five-year commission as a Dental Officer. Nowadays he lives in Dorset where he owns a High Street Practice. He has been a VT trainer for many years. For six years he worked part time in the Orthodontic department of a local Hospital. He has been involved locally, regionally and nationally with the BDA. He wants the BDA to remain relevant to members’ needs. His term of office ends on 31 December 2026.
Nick Marshall
Northern region | Nick qualified from Newcastle University in 2008 and has worked in general practice in the North East ever since. He is an associate and spends most of his time providing NHS treatment. He has been a foundation trainer for therapists since 2017 and is enthusiastic about using skill mix to facilitate efficient delivery of NHS dental care. He has sat on the Gateshead and South Tyneside LDC since 2018. Nick has a particular passion for improving access to NHS dentistry and reducing oral health inequality, especially for younger people. His term of office ends on 31 December 2027.
Jonathan Mynors-Wallis
South West region | Jonathan qualified from the Royal London Hospital in 1989 and has spent his entire career working in general practice. Jonathan is a former president of the Wessex Region of the British Dental Association and is currently treasurer for the region. He is the chair of Dorset LDC and is also a member of the GDPC Committee. He has always attempted to pursue lifelong learning, and has several postgraduate qualifications including a master's degree in Clinical Dentistry from King's.
His term of office ends 31 December 2027.
Nilesh Patel
East Midlands and Central | Nilesh qualified from Bristol dental school in 2003 and has worked in general practice and prison dentistry in that time. He has been an Educational Supervisor for dentists and therapists since 2010 and has been Chair of Buckinghamshire LDC since 2011. Prior to being elected to the PEC, Nilesh has held various positions in the BDA. His term of office ends on 31 December 2025.
Jason Stokes
Eastern region | Jason qualified from Birmingham Dental School in 1992. After a brief stint in Birmingham as a Foundation Dentist he moved to Norfolk. Since 2007, he has been the co-owner of the Cathedral Street Dental Practice in Norwich. Jason works in a mixed practice and is an NHS provider and performer. Jason is the Secretary of Norfolk LDC. Jason also works as an Associate Postgraduate Dean for NHSE in the East of England supporting Dental Foundation Training. He is currently Chair of the Audit Committee. His term of office ends on 31 December 2026.
Declaration of interests