Triple gongs for AoC in Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Honours list

The Association of Colleges (AoC) Chief Executive David Hughes, has been made a CBE, Mary Vine-Morris, area director for London, has been made an honorary MBE and Liz Maudslay, former senior policy manager for SEND, has been made an OBE.

Mr Hughes, who has been at AoC since 2016, said: “For three of us – past and present – at AoC to be recognised this year is a real testament to the fantastic work going on in colleges across the country and the fantastic support that AoC has provided through some particularly challenging times.

“I am really pleased for Mary and Liz. Their honours reflect long, effective and dedicated service to students, staff and the sector as a whole. I am privileged to have worked with them, as well as with the wider team at AoC who all worked so hard during the pandemic to help colleges to support their students and keep them safe.

“On a personal level, I am enormously grateful for the nomination and believe it reflects the brilliant work colleges do and the work all of us at AoC do to support colleges. My time at AoC has coincided with an enormous amount of change in the FE sector and my colleagues at AoC deserve a lot of credit for how they have navigated every twist and turn along the way.”

Mary Vine-Morris, who has been with AoC for more than seven years, said: “I am privileged to work in a sector which changes people’s lives.

“What continues to inspire me is all the amazing teachers and the other brilliant staff who work in our colleges and what they do to enable their students to flourish. I see this every day in London, colleges working with students, whatever their background, helping them to reach their potential.”

Liz Maudslay, who was at AoC for seven years before she retired last year, said she was “delighted to get this award,” adding: “I’ve spent my whole career working in further education with the aim of making it as inclusive as possible for all students.

“I think it is great that our often underlooked sector is being recognised in this way. My wonderful former colleagues at AoC, and across the FE SEND network, have been a tremendous support over the seven years I was there and I want to pay tribute to them.”

AoC chair Shaid Mahmood said: “The board is delighted that the contributions of three of our staff have been so well recognised in the jubilee honours.

“It’s a testimony to the dedication of these staff over many years and a huge acknowledgement of the collective endeavour and common purpose of all the staff of AoC that work so hard and strain every sinew in the interests of our members, representing this wonderful further education sector at the highest levels in the interests of staff and learners.”