Senior Leadership Team
The Authority is led day-to-day by a Senior Management Team comprising of:
- Siôn McGeever – Chief Executive
Contact: Sion.McGeever@southdowns.gov.uk
Siôn McGeever is the Chief Executive of the South Downs National Park Authority, joining in November 2024.
As Chief Executive, Siôn is responsible for the day-to-day leadership, culture and management of the Authority, ensuring the accountability and value for money of its programmes and advising the Members on its policies, future direction and the implementation of strategic plan. Working with members, partners and colleagues, he sets the overall strategic direction of the Authority. He is responsible for ensuring the organisation delivers on its priorities of Nature Recovery, Climate Action and National Park for All. Siôn is passionate about nature, the environment and tackling inequality, and the importance of National Parks and wider protected landscapes to deliver for nature, climate and people.
He brings 25 years of experience of working in environmental policy, international development and business. He most recently has been Deputy Director, Access, Landscapes, Peatlands and Soil at Defra, leading the team responsible for policy and funding for all of England’s protected landscapes.
Siôn’s goal is a more nature-rich South Downs National Park, loved and enjoyed by all.
- Tim Slaney – Director of Placemaking
Contact: tim.slaney@southdowns.gov.ukTim Slaney is a Director for the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA), as part of the Senior Leadership Team he helps deliver the vision and strategy for the Authority.
He is passionate about Britain’s newest National Park being accessible to everyone, and promoting the multiple benefits the area has to offer to residents and visitors alike. During his formative years, Tim was lucky enough to spend much of his childhood visiting Britain’s countryside. He is keen that young people and those from underrepresented communities can visit, enjoy and learn about special landscapes.
Tim joined the Authority in 2011, as the first Director of Placemaking. He set up and led one of the country’s busiest planning teams, adopting a unique partnership arrangement with other planning authorities. Tim has overseen the creation of the award-winning, eco-system driven, landscape-led South Downs Local Plan. This relied in part on a leading neighbourhood community planning programme that also undertook consultancy work. The plan focuses on delivering the National Park’s purposes and duty, providing affordable housing and infrastructure for local communities and visitors. He negotiated and introduced the first groundbreaking Community Infrastructure Levy scheme in a National Park.
Tim has taken a leading role on managing operations at the iconic Seven Sisters Country Park. He has experience across the SDNPA and collaborating with other National Parks and National Landscape colleagues across a range of activities.
He has worked in a number of urban, rural and unitary authorities in the southwest and southeast, in a variety of management and leadership roles.. This includes leading highly successful planning, transport and highways, building control and conservation functions.
Tim is responsible for the day-to-day leadership, culture and management of the Authority, ensuring the accountability and value for money of its programmes and advising the Members on its policies, future direction and the implementation of strategic plans.
- Allison Potts – Director of Landscape and Operations
Contact: Allison.Potts@southdowns.gov.uk
Allison Potts is Director of Landscape and Operations at the South Downs
National Park Authority, where she is responsible for ensuring the National Park’s landscapes are conserved, enhanced and well managed for both nature and people.Allison joined the Authority from Natural England, where she spent 16 years in a range of senior roles, most recently as Deputy Director for the Thames Solent area. There, she led one of Natural England’s largest and most complex teams, working across sustainable development, nature recovery, protected landscapes and nature‑based solutions, and building strong partnerships with local authorities, land managers, NGOs and communities.
Throughout her career, Allison has focused on finding practical, evidence‑based ways to balance environmental protection with social and economic needs, helping to secure long‑term investment in nature and more resilient places for people to live and enjoy.
Allison is known for her collaborative, people‑focused leadership style and her commitment to developing motivated, high‑performing teams. She is passionate about connecting people, place and purpose, and about supporting partnerships that deliver lasting benefits for nature, climate resilience and communities across the South Downs.
- James Winkworth – Director of Growth and Organisational Development
Contact: James.Winkworth@southdowns.gov.uk
James Winkworth is Director of Growth and Organisational Development.
James leads and oversees the National Park Authority’s rapidly-growing portfolio around income generation and business partnerships, seeking to accelerate nature restoration, increase access and fight climate change.
With a focus on innovation and lateral thinking, James leads the Authority’s work around diversifying income base, blending public, private and philanthropic revenue streams to increase resilience and strengthen impact, as well as pioneer new approaches to help the organisation evolve and grow.
James chairs our Nature-based Solutions Board and is passionate about the South Downs becoming a UK leader in green finance, with businesses of all sizes being able to invest in exemplar biodiversity schemes in the National Park.
He helped to set up and lead the National Park’s official charity, The South Downs Trust, building the charity from zero to a £2m organisation and one of the largest National Park-based charities in the UK.
With over 20 years’ experience in the private and public sectors, James also leads the Authority’s emerging work around local government re-organisation and devolution – championing the significant role the National Park can play in meeting the region’s biodiversity and net-zero targets.
He oversees some of the Authority’s busy corporate functions, including communications, governance and HR.
Living his entire life on the edge of the National Park in Aldershot, Hampshire, James has had a life-long love of wildlife and walking. He enjoys walks with his wife and children and is an avid gardener and sea swimmer.
James serves as a trustee of both the National Parks UK Foundation and the Hampshire Cultural Trust.
