St Michael’s college is delighted to announce the appointment of a new Dean of Non- Residential Training.
Dr Paula Yates will begin on 1 September, 2010, when the current Dean ( Rev Dr Paul Roberts) moves back to teach at his old college, which is Trinity College, Bristol. Dr Yates has been Postgraduate Manager in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Wales, Lampeter for the last ten years. She has also been a lecturer at Lampeter in church history, with her focus being on religion, education and politics in the nineteenth century.
She is currently working on research into schooling in Pembrokeshire in the nineteenth century. She has also had a background in political life, and was Leader of Maidstone District council from 1985-1992. Dr Yates is an expert at delivering adult education, especially in distance learning, and has worked closely with Welsh university departments and dioceses in the last decade.
She has been a lifelong member of the Anglican Church and has been involved in parish church councils for many years. She looks forward to a long term working relationship with St.Michael’s, and also to leading the two related activities of the Church in Wales Vocations initiative and the conversations with MINICAB in Bangor (about a closer relationship between the college and Bangor). She will live in the college buildings, which are currently being extensively refurbished.
The Principal, Canon Peter Sedgwick, said “We will be sorry to see Paul leave, but family commitments make it important that he no longer has to commute from Bristol. I am very grateful for his work on behalf of the course, and wish him all the best in Bristol. We have, in Paula Yates, an outstanding administrator and someone who will lead the course with great confidence into the future. There is now an enormous opportunity to establish an all Wales non residential training course for ministry. I have every confidence that Paula will enable that development to happen, and we look forward to her joining the team.”
