Meet David Knight, the new man at the helm

Taking on the chairmanship of CPRE Essex is no light task, but in David Knight we believe we have just the man for the job.
Of course there is no one better placed to tell you a little about himself than David, so over to the new chairman:
“I have lived in Essex all my life but have been fortunate, through both work and holidays, to see other parts of Europe and the world. 
“Growing up in the countryside of Little Laver and being part of the farming community made me aware of the special heritage we are privileged to enjoy in this county. Many of my ancestors are native to this part of Essex.
“I was educated at Ongar county secondary school, where I was head boy, after which I was trained as an electronics engineer at E2V in Chelmsford, where I designed closed-circuit TV systems.
“I have also worked for other ‘blue-chip’ companies, including Raytheon in Harlow, Bae Systems and, latterly, until I retired, Marshall Land Systems (part of the Marshall group of companies in Cambridge).
I held senior management positions in manufacturing, project and procurement management.
“Coming from a long line of builders, it is not surprising that one of my key interests is DIY and I have just completed the refurbishment of my home.
“Other interests include walking, football (West Ham United), motor sport and travelling.
“I have been happily married to my wife for over 40 years and we have two adult sons.
“My vision for CPRE Essex is that, as one of the biggest counties in England, we should be a leading light in influencing government and organisations about the value of our beautiful county.
“We must ensure we protect its heritage while balancing the need for housing and infrastructure.
“We have to take care that the next generation is aware of the benefits of the countryside and how important the natural world is to its well-being – and how it needs to be respected. 
“To do this, we need to attract people of all generations to join us in the cause.”