Elstead Parish Councillors
Pat Murphy
Chair
Roles & Responsibilities: Chair, Finance Committee Chair, Preserve our Reserve (POR) Media Contact, Emergency Committee, Smiths Charity.
Pat has been a member of the Parish Council since 1999 – elected Chairman in 2011. He worked as a senior civil servant with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for 30 years and has lived in Elstead since 1982. He is President of Elstead CC and Chairman to Elstead Recreational Trust, which manages the Elstead Pavilion.
Leif Davidsen
Vice Chair
Roles & Responsibilities: Vice Chair, Planning Committee, Finance Committee, Woolfords Lane Cemetery, Website.
Leif grew up in Buckinghamshire, and moved to Elstead with his family in 2005. He works as a Product Manager at IBM’s Software Development Laboratory outside Winchester responsible for part of the Messaging Portfolio. He joined the Parish Council in 2011, and regularly walks his dogs on the local commons.
Jane Jacobs
Roles & Responsibilities: Planning Committee (Chair), Neighbourhood Plan Team (Chair), Preserve our Reserve (POR), Website.
Jane grew up in London and worked for a Merchant Bank in the City. She has lived in Elstead since 2000, running a local livery yard until she ‘gave up horses’ in 2015. She became a Member of the Parish Council in 2012 and counts cycling and walking on our incredible commons amongst her hobbies.
John Mathisen
Roles & Responsibilities: Planning Committee, Hankley User Group, Hankley Common Conservation Group, Our Elstead.
John has lived in Elstead since 1975. As a director of a travel company and management consultant, he travelled extensively in Western Europe. He joined the Council in 2015 and represents it on the Hankley User Group and Hankley Common Conservation Group. He is chair of the Our Elstead Committee which encourages volunteers to enhance the appearance and image of Elstead.
Richard Rees
Roles & Responsibilities: Planning Committee, Finance Committee, EER (Elstead Emergency Plan), Elstead Thursley Road Recreational Trust, Play Areas Sub Committee, Smith’s Charity.
Richard and his wife Fiona moved into Elstead in 2011, where they are bringing up their daughters seeking the rural village community that Elstead offers in abundance. Amongst enjoying walks, bike rides and attempts at DIY, he is often seen commuting in London as an Account Director for Capgemini (an IT company).
Roger Gardner
Roles & Responsibilities: Planning Committee, Finance Committee, Playgrounds (The Croft), EER (Elstead Emergency Plan), Smith’s Charity.
Roger has 35 years experience in the aerospace and aviation world and is now an independent aerospace consultant and a director of two niche aviation and energy service companies. Together with Avril and weekend visiting daughter, he has lived in Elstead for nearly 40 years. Roger supports the Hookley Lane Residents Association and has been involved with crime prevention in the village.
Stefan Reynolds
Roles & Responsibilities: Planning Committee, Finance Committee, Playgrounds, (Thursley Road Rec), Public Rights of Way, Emergency Committee.
Stefan is the founder and publisher of VantagePoint magazine, the local community magazine for South West Surrey. He was previously a councillor for 12 years in Godalming, where he lived before moving to a house he had built in Elstead in 2013.
Jessica Webster
Roles & Responsibilities: Planning Committee, Playgrounds (Burford Lodge Rec), Play Areas Sub Committee, Our Elstead.
Jessica was elected and joined Elstead Parish Council in May 2019. She is a classical musician and music teacher and has lived in the local area for 20 years. She also served as a civil servant for the Office for National Statistics for 15 years.
Diane Snape
Roles & Responsibilities: Planning Committee, Our Elstead, Elstead Village Halls & Elstead Village Allotments Association, EER (Elstead Emergency Plan) & St James Primary School.
Di was co-opted to the Parish Council in May 2019. She held various senior leadership positions within a global IT company for over 20 years before retiring to Elstead in 2015. Di’s interests include gardening, theatre and supporting her multi-generational family.
Juliet Williams
Clerk
Roles & Responsibilities: Parish Clerk and RFO.
Jules moved to Elstead in 2006 to escape city life. Having previously worked as a Senior Account Manager in the fragrance industry for P&G and Wella, Jules became Clerk to the Parish Council in 2016. Jules loves the variety that the role brings and professionally clerks for a number of other local organisations. In her spare time Jules voluntarily edits the Elstead Village News and enjoys walking and cycling across the beautiful commons.