What people say about Ra and Remarkable Things

"Sometimes you really need the trusted, professional and honest counsel of experienced Governance Professionals. To find a person that is all three of these, plus able to provide the advice and wisdom of experience is not only helpful and reassuring, but also transformational. Ra is just that person and more."

"Ra has been the Director of Governance for Chelmsford College for a little over a year and during this time has provided not only excellent support to the Board  but also has been an excellent right-hand to me as Chair. 

Ra has reviewed all our governance processes and procedures, and used her excellent skills, experience and knowledge to help us deal with the business at hand and also ensure that we have had time to properly discuss knotty issues impacting the College.  She is well organised, up-to-date and well-connected and has used all these skills and traits to the benefit of the college.  She plans ahead, provides excellent agendas, minutes and briefings and is a mine of information. Ra is also incredibly practical and understands all the foibles of managing a diverse group of volunteers to provide good Governance. Ra's work rate cannot be faulted, providing timely support to meetings and relaying useful information to all governors ensuring that the information needed for discussion/decision is clear and to hand.  She has supported the development of the Board with recruitment and induction of new governors, providing training sessions and bringing different and engaging ways of working to these which has helped us all deepen our knowledge and thereby improve our effectiveness as a governing body.  Ra has developed good working relationships with the senior team as well as board members,  she is very approachable whilst maintaining professionalism. I value her honesty and pragmatism as well as her knowledge skills and experience. "

"Ra is the most competent and skilled governance professional that I have worked with and known, her knowledge and experience of the sector is second to none. The commitment that Ra gives goes well beyond what is expected of the profession and she has always found a way to make herself available when circumstances dictate. Ra plans the Board and Committee meetings most effectively, all the Committee Chairs are fully briefed beforehand and then supported throughout the meetings. Minutes are always produced timely to a very high degree of accuracy. I have the utmost respect for Ra, as does the rest of the board, she will always put the board first and is never shy in giving her opinion and advice as our Governance expert."

"We were in the middle of a complex merger and in need of additional support to get us through the heavy lifting of college integration. Ra brought her considerable experience of mergers and governance to the fore and made an immediate impact on the rate of completion of tasks, advising on a wide range of issues from HR to PR. Her easy working style fitted in well with the rest of the team and reports and minutes were accurate ,concise and prompt. I have no hesitation in recommending Ra for governance roles and governance support."

"Ra has made an invaluable contribution towards West London College's journey of recovery.  She has extensive knowledge and expertise in all governance matters.  Ra is very personable, hard working and totally reliable.  I have no hesitation in recommending Ra as she would be an absolute asset to any team."

"Ra continues to be an active and valued member of the Group offering the Education Administrator sound advice and is not shy of asking the ‘difficult questions’ when the situation requires it. In addition to her technical expertise, Ra has the insight to look beyond processes, forward scan and model options in order that the governance of the organisation can prepare and support whichever outcome is deemed most appropriate. Her relationships with me as the Group Principal/CEO and the rest of the management team are extremely positive and communication is strong even at times of extreme pressure. 

It is immediately obvious to all who meet her that Ra has extensive experience of Boards in a variety of circumstances from the ‘normal’ to those in extreme difficulty. She has over 18 years’ experience working at Colleges which have undergone major capital projects, mergers and Board restructures. What sets Ra apart is her ability to use her FE Sector knowledge and network to support colleges and governors in times of extreme pressure with a calm approach and guiding manner to encourage others to focus on what really matters."

"In my national role with Colleges I have dealt with many Boards.  Ra stands out in my experience of Governance as having a powerful combination of the knowledge, skills and qualities needed to lead governance effectively.   As well as being a technical expert in FE Governance, she has the insight and skill to look beyond process and structure to understand how power works and how effective governance really happens – or does not.  She is very supportive and solutions-focused, but also not afraid to challenge, and she carries an authority that few in her role can muster, in my experience.  She is one of a very small number of governance professionals nationally whom I would recommend to any College looking for expert guidance and leadership, no matter how challenging their circumstances."

"Ra is a dedicated and highly professional expert in the complexities of College governance and management. She has an excellent grasp of both the principles and detail of excellent governance. A strong team player she works well with both governors and senior staff, managing complex relationships with sensitivity, honesty and integrity. As Vice Chair of what was then Sussex Downs College (now part of the East Sussex College Group) I worked closely with Ra over several years and came to realise how invaluable her advice and support was, both to good internal management and to meeting the demands of of external scrutiny, including legal and good practice, ESFA data and funding requirements, Ofsted scrutiny and wider financial reporting.

 I know that Ra continues to provide expert professional guidance to many FE Colleges; provides up to date national training to Clerks and Governance professionals; and is a valued support personally to many of her colleagues across the FE sector. Ra has worked with several Colleges in periods of crisis, always preserving her good humour and team spirit, maintaining the highest standards and helping find and deliver solutions. I would have no hesitation in warmly recommending Ra."

"Ra has a deep understanding of the political dimensions, expectations, and both potential and real conflicts [of mergers], and was able to  use her experience, diplomacy, and political skills, as well as charismatic personality, to build trust amongst all parties so that her voice was heard and respected. She was strong with her own executive and Board where required, and equally strong in representing their interests where appropriate. Her deep knowledge of governance processes, together with her wider experience, and most of  all her sensitivity and sound judgement, enabled her to support her own governors and the wider group. 

Ra played a critical role in effective planning of the workflow to ensure the critical timelines were dovetailed with communication with her own Board and other governance professionals. She was able to use her prior experience of mergers to give confidence in what was an incredibly pressured timescale. She was particularly helpful during a time where there was a potential conflict, where her professionalism, knowledge, and strength of character enabled her to give advice."

"I was mentored by the wonderful Ra Hamilton Burns over six sessions. The initial session was to determine what I wanted to achieve from the sessions and how these could be achieved in the long term by listing goals and creating achievable action plans. This structured approach ensured that I could access the knowledge and training that I needed for support and that my practice was well planned and comprehensive. Ra explaining the intricacies of FE Governance was invaluable for me as I hadn’t come from an FE background.  

Ra has stayed in touch and has taken an interest in and encouraged my progression. The programme itself provided me which much confidence that I lacked at the time. It gave me great insight in to the Governance Professional’s role, one of the key takeaways for me was learning types of behaviours that could really drive Board and College effectiveness.   

The learning and confidence this series of training and mentoring gave me supported my journey in FE Governance. It contributed to me securing a role as Governance Professional for Bradford having been an assistant when I started."