Staff Profiles

Sally Hardy, Chief Executive

Sally is Chief Executive of the Regional Studies Association and celebrated her twenty second anniversary with the Association in December 2008.

Sally's employment history began at the Economic and Social Research Council with responsibilities on the Industry and Employment Committee and then in the Information and Public Relations division. During this period she worked as a researcher on a science policy project funded by the Advisory Board for Research Councils.

Sally's priority in 2009 is the ongoing delivery of the Association's Development Plan which was launched in 2008. Early successes in this delivery include the growth in membership numbers to levels not seen for 30 years.

Sally has worked to consolidate and strategically develop the Association's finances. There has been an expansion of the conference programme, both domestic and international and with this has come a rise in the profile of the Association within policy making circles. In 2008 the Association was the most pro-active that it has ever been in terms of responding to policy consultations and seeking opportunities to influence policy at different spatial scales. This work will be expanded strongly within a European context in 2009.

In 2009 Sally will be promoting the use of the post-nominals MeRSA by all current members; launching a series of new prizes and awards to celebrate all that is good in our field; building the growth of our research network programme and the number of active spatial networks and seeking to further consolidate work undertaken in 2008 to revitalize our student and early career networks.

Ongoing core areas for work are the Association's two journals - Regional Studies and Spatial Economic Analysis and its recently re-launched book series - Regions and Cities.

Sally will be seeking opportunities during the year to canvass opinion from both the member and non-member community to further strengthen the services that the Association delivers within the area.

Auréliane Beauclair, Development Manager

Auréliane has graduated from the University of Brighton in Tourism Management, where she wrote her dissertation on the economic role of tourism on poverty alleviation in Madagascar. She then went on to complete her Masters in International Relations at the University of Sussex in 2004 where she mainly concentrated her research on genocide studies and wrote her thesis on the relationship between international tourism and contemporary terrorism.

Since then, she has been a Development Manager and a Project Manager in the private sector, and a Researcher at the University of Sussex where she worked on a programme funded by the European Social Fund on EU and UK policies concerning discrimination and unemployment. Auréliane's role is mainly involved within the following areas of the Association: The Research Networks, Spatial Networks, Development of Memberships, the Website and the Regions & Cities Book Series as well as other strategic areas in line with the aims and objects of the Association's Development Plan.

Lisa Bibby-Larsen, Part Time Conference and Marketing Officer

Lisa has been with Regional Studies Association for over seven years now and her working history has mainly been in a Personal Assistant role at senior director level in blue-chip commercial companies such as Gillette, Parker Pen and American Express.

In her role she has responsibility for the successful delivery of the Association's events throughout the year. She is involved at all stages, from organising the initial call for papers meeting where topics and speakers are discussed to the final delivery of the event. Lisa also takes the lead in marketing the Association at our own events and at others through staffed exhibitions; stand alone displays, leaflet inserts and so on. If you are organising an event and would like an Association presence or could help to promote knowledge of our activities please let us know.

Frankie Freeland, Part Time Membership and Finance Officer

Frankie has worked for Regional Studies Association for the past four years as a Membership and Finance Officer. Previously working as a Finance Manager in the Commercial area of business and working before that within a Hotel chain managing Financial information and systems. Attaining the Association of Accounting Technician qualification followed.

Frankie's role integrates closely with Lisa and Victoria to ensure that our software meets our requirements for the financial reporting that is required after each event and also with Auréliane in the management of our Research Network programme. She also deals with all the membership queries that arise each year, liaise with the members and Taylor and Francis to ensure that all things to do with the delivery of the journals and ordered books are correct and up to date.

Victoria Buckley, Administrator and Conference Officer

Victoria joins us with a background in aviation. Having worked for ten years as cabin crew, mainly as a Purser with British Airways, she brings excellent customer service skills to the Association.

She has recently been involved in Event Management of several functions, and is currently undertaking a distance learning diploma in Event Planning and Management.

Victoria will work closely with the Chief Executive and the other members of the staff team in delivering a full conference and meeting programme and in membership management in line with the aims and objects of the Association's Development Plan.

In her free time, Victoria is an active member of the Girl Guide Association and re-opened a Guide unit in Seaford last year.