Innovation Panel

Claire Kober

Claire worked in the voluntary sector in a number of policy roles for national charities, including as Head of Policy for Family Action, before being elected to represent Seven Sisters ward in May 2006. She became Leader of Haringey Council in 2008 and believes passionately that local people should be involved in the decisions that affect their lives; no more so than in the regeneration of Haringey.

Joe Goldberg

Joe started his career in the union movement before moving into business.  He was elected to Haringey Council in January 2009, and became Cabinet Member for Finance and Carbon Reduction in May 2010. Since then, Joe has focussed his attention on mitigating the substantial cuts to the borough’s budget by central government, and is leading the charge to make Haringey London's greenest borough.

Lorna Reith

Lorna lives in, and has represented, Tottenham Hale ward since 2003. Until 2006 she combined her council duties with being Chief Executive of national charity Disability Alliance. In 2006 she was awarded the RADAR (Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation) People of the Year award for her work in furthering the human rights of disabled people. Lorna had previously worked in housing in local government and for a national homelessness charity and was also deputy chair of transport watchdog London TravelWatch for four years. She has served on the Cabinet in a number of roles, including Deputy Leader, and had taken on responsibility for Children’s Services in December 2008 following the death of baby Peter. She stood down from the Cabinet in May this year having successfully taken children’s safeguarding services out of special measures.

Joanna Christophides

Joanna has lived in Haringey all her life and has been a councillor for Bounds Green since 2010. She is currently Chair of the Wood Green Area Forum and Committee and was a member of Overview and Scrutiny until this May. For 17 years, until 2010, she was a caseworker for a number of London Labour MPs and now works for the Labour Party. Joanna is also involved in a number of community groups including the Friends of Albert Road Recreation Ground and the Parents & Teachers Association of her son's school.

Paul Strang

Paul’s professional career is in public sector business and financial planning for the public transport industry. He has lived in the borough for over 10 years, and was elected to represent Crouch End as ward councillor in 2010.

Matt Davies

Matt has worked in a range of public affairs roles, including posts at the Royal National Institute of Blind People, Shelter and the Healthcare Commission. He was elected as councillor for Fortis Green in 2002, and has represented the ward since then. He has a strong interest in civil liberties and human rights, and is a member of Amnesty International.

Lyn Weber

Lyn has been a resident in Haringey for the past 20 years, and has spent her career in the medical profession as a nurse and researcher. She has been Parent Governor of two local schools in the borough, and has represented Crouch End as ward councillor since 2006. Lyn enjoys working in the community on voluntary projects, and was the Chair of the Crouch End, Hornsey and Stroud Green Area Committee.

Rowena Young

Rowena is our independent expert - over the past decade she has played a formative role in the social entrepreneurship and innovation fields. Rowena has spent several years of her career establishing new institutions to help social ventures. She was Chief Executive of the School for Social Entrepreneurs, and established the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at the Said Business School at Oxford University. Latterly she joined NESTA to establish The Public Services Innovation Lab. Rowena is currently the Chief Executive of Urbivore, a start-up social venture which promotes urban agriculture, and also the Commercial Director for the Centre for Low Carbon Futures. She recently served as Strategic Advisor for The Reader Organisation and consulted for the NHS Regional Innovation Fund Advisory Service.

Mun Thong Phung

Phung began his career in psychiatric care and social work, before moving into senior management for a number of London boroughs. He became the Director of Adult and Housing Services at Haringey Council in 2007 – a service which is dedicated to supporting and safeguarding vulnerable people, commissioning voluntary sector services, and providing community housing. Phung is committed to providing services which put residents’ needs first, and helping service providers to be creative with their delivery of these outcomes.