WearTalk
Name : Rob Lawson . Age : 55 . Born : Sunderland . Lives : Fulwell , Sunderland .
Organisation and job title : Chair of Education Partnership North East ( incorporating Sunderland College , Northumberland College and Hartlepool Sixth Form ). I also run my own PR and media consultancy .
When I was at school , I wanted to be … editor of the Sunderland Echo . I was appointed editor of the Echo in 2002 , previously having been editor of the Shields Gazette from 1997 to 2002 . I became editorial director of Northeast Press and Tweeddale Press in 2009 . I remember talking to the headteacher at Southmoor School when I was in the sixth form there . He asked me what I wanted to be and I said : “ An editor by the time I ’ m 30 and editor of the Sunderland Echo by the age of 40 .” I somehow managed both .
The best career decision I ever made … was accepting the role of production editor at the Shields Gazette in 1992 . I learned so much at the Gazette and became editor in 1997 . It was a great time for me , both professionally and personally . The Gazette had so much potential and was well regarded on South Tyneside , but had suffered through neglect and a lack of investment . My friend Ian Holland and I were two young journalists working on the Sunderland Echo when the owners bought up the Gazette and sent us across to develop the paper . Ian was editor and I was production editor . Ian went on to become a visionary editor of the Echo , and was taken from us too soon when he died in 2000 .
The best part of my job is … I stepped down from the Echo editorship in 2012 . I had always wanted to work for myself and launched my own PR and media consultancy on leaving the Echo . I now work with companies , organisations and people I admire , respect and enjoy spending time with . I work my own hours and love helping to increase the profile and potential of my clients .
The biggest downside of my working life is … I work from home and often find it difficult to " switch off ".
My greatest achievement is … my family . Everything starts and finishes with my wife and two sons , both of whom have now left home .
My greatest honour … has to be the OBE I was awarded last December for services to further education in Sunderland . The honour was so unexpected and as well as being gobsmacked , I was – and still am – thoroughly chuffed ! I was delighted that Ellen Thinnesen , EPNE ’ s inspirational CEO , received an OBE at the same time . I became chair of Sunderland College in 2013 and the college merged with Hartlepool Sixth Form in 2017 and then Northumberland College in 2019 . I took my journalism qualifications at a further education college ( in Darlington ) so was aware of the power they have to shape and change lives and it has been a privilege to help the college and now EPNE develop in some small way . As well as chairing EPNE I ’ m a national leader in governance for the Department for Education , providing support to other further education chairs . I ’ m also a governance reviewer , looking at the performance of governing bodies at colleges in the sector .
My favourite local charity is … Foundation of Light . I was a trustee for the charity when I was at the Echo and was in awe of their work . I have since completed six fundraising Foundation of Light Cycle Challenges , which have included Dublin to Sunderland , Brussels to Paris , Geneva to Mulhouse and from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean , across France .
When I ’ m not working , I like to spend my time … reading crime fiction and biographies , walking and going to the cinema and theatre ( I can ’ t wait for their reopening !)
My guilty pleasures are … foreign dramas on Netflix and chocolate . I ’ m off the chocolate at the moment as I ’ m training for a C2C ride in aid of the Red Sky Foundation .
The best holiday I ever had was … we ’ ve been to Disneyland , Florida , several times and have always loved our holidays there . The kids loved the place when they were little and we ’ re still going ( and I ’ m still paying , despite them being 23 and 25 ).
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