THIRTEEN new Deputy Lieutenants of Kent have been appointed. Each has been honoured for their positive contribution to the county and/or the nation.

They are: Sir Brandon Gough (Sevenoaks); Peter Hardy (Shorne); Dame Pauline Harris (Orpington); the Rev Martin Henwood (Dartford): Suresh Khanna (Bredhurst); Frank Martin (Broadstairs); Brian Pearce (Hadlow); Russell Race (Rochester); Andrew Rowe (Sutton Valence); Elizabeth Tullberg (Graveney); Bishop Michael Turnbull (Sandwich); Dr Mohan Velamati (Rainham) and Ann West (Chatham).

Announcing the appointments, the Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Allan Willett, said: "We warmly welcome these outstanding personalities to the Lieutenancy.

"They are joining a network of fine men and women whose role it is to support the monarchy and celebrate Kent, its unique history and culture, serve its communities – and contribute positively to its future.

"These new appointments are important because the modernised Lieutenancy plays a major role as a potent independent force for good in Kent.

"As the monarchy does nationally, our aim is to provide a focus for county identity, unity and pride, give a sense of stability, recognise achievements, success and excellence, and promote service to others."

PROFILES

Sir Brandon Gough, from Weald, Sevenoaks, is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and was a partner with Coopers and Lybrand from 1968-94 and chairman 1983-94. A former council member of Lloyds of London, he was deputy chairman, SG Warburg Group in 1995; chairman, Yorkshire Water plc 1996-2000; and chairman, De La Rue plc 1997-2004.

He is a former chairman of the Higher Education Funding Council for England, and the review body for doctors and dentists remuneration.

Current appointments include Chancellor, University of East Anglia; senior independent director, Singer and Friedlander Group plc; and chairman, Montanaro UK Smaller Companies Investment Trust plc.

He is a trustee of the Hospice in the Weald, and finance committee member, St Thomas of Canterbury Parish, Sevenoaks.

Peter Hardy, of Shorne, joined London stockbrokers Read, Hurst-Brown at 15 and after National Service in the RAF returned as an analyst and became a partner in 1967.

The firm first merged with Rowe and Pitman and following a further merger with the S G Warburg Group he was appointed joint head of UK equities and in 1987 joint head of worldwide equities. In 1990 he was appointed one of three managing directors of the Investment Bank.

He retired from Warburg’s in 1992, was a non-executive director of Kingfisher plc and of Land Securities plc from 1992-2002, and a trustee of Barnardo’s.

He is currently chairman of Kent Community Foundation, a member of the investment committee of University College (Oxford), director of Howard de Walden Estates, and a vice-president of Barnado’s.

Dame Pauline Harris, who lives in Crockham Hill, is a company director of Harris Ventures Ltd. She has pursued a wide range of interests in good causes over a number of years, especially in the fields of health and education.

She is a member of the Specialist Schools Trust Committee; trustee and governor of Harris City Technology College, Croydon, Bacon’s City Technology College, Bermondsey, and The Academy at Peckham; governor of Kemnal Technology College, Sidcup; Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford, and Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge.

She is also president of Harris HospisCare, Bromley; vice-president of Mencap; patron, Lewisham Children’s Hospital; and vice-president, Friends of Guy’s Hospital.

The Rev Martin Henwood, is the parish priest at Holy Trinity, Dartford, and chairman of Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley Primary Care Trust.

From 1985-87 he was assistant curate of Dartford Parish Church, and then of St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, before being appointed vicar of Dartford Parish Church in 1993, where he led fund-raising and project managed the setting up of a church community centre.

He is founder and chairman of Faith in their Voices, a community development charitable trust, working in regeneration and cultural provision in Kent Thameside.

Suresh Khanna, CBE, of Bredhurst, was born in 1940 in Peshawar and brought up in Kenya. After attending the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, he was commissioned into the King’s African Rifles in 1960.

In 1964 he transferred to the Royal Engineers, serving in Germany, Maidstone and Chatham. He joined the Department of Trade in London in 1978 and retired in 2000 as director Middle East and Africa.

He is the publicity officer for SSAFA-Forces Help Kent, member of the Rochester Diocesan Synod, Chairman of Bredhurst Parish Council and member of the international committee of the North Kent Chambers of Commerce.

Frank Martin, who lives in Broadstairs, has been chief executive of Hornby Plc since 2001. Originally from Lancashire, he started his career in marketing, moving into general management in 1987 as managing director of Denby Pottery Ltd.

Since joining Hornby, sales and profits have increased considerably. Acquisitions in Spain and Italy have resulted in a more international focus, but he remains committed to building Hornby into a world class hobby business while retaining its roots in Kent.

Brian Pearce, CBE, lives near Hadlow, Tonbridge. After Tonbridge and an engineering degree at UCL he was commissioned in the Royal Engineers and then entered his family company of Pearce Signs, building it to become a 750-strong light engineering group.

He was chairman of both the national and European trade associations and later president of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as being chairman of a number of charities. In Kent these included Dorton House and the Royal Engineers Museum Foundation.

Russell Race, of Rochester, was educated at Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School, Rochester, and the University of Liverpool.

A stockbroker with Hoare Govett, specialising in corporate finance, he took early retirement in 1997 and since then has had a number of non-executive directorships and trustee positions.

Currently he is a director of two public companies – chairman of one – and chairman of two private companies. He is chairman of Chatham Maritime Trust; on the Court of Assistants of the Rochester Bridge Trust; trustee of the Mathematical School; trustee of RMBI, a Masonic charity which runs residential homes; and a court chairman, North Kent Magistrates.

Andrew Rowe, of Sutton Valence, was MP for Faversham and Mid-Kent from 1983 until his retirement in 2001.

A civil servant in the Scottish Office from 1962-1967, he was a university lecturer in Edinburgh from 1967-1974, and director, community affairs, Conservative Central Office from 1975-1979, including being founder director of the Small Business Bureau.

Career highlights include chairmanship of JC2000 – the largest participatory Millennium project – being founder patron of the UK Youth Parliament, president, Kent Youth, and founder Kent Prayer Breakfast.

Elizabeth Tullberg, of Graveney, near Faversham, has been involved in the criminal justice system for the last 20 years. She became a magistrate in 1984, then a member and for five years chairman of Kent Probation Committee.

She was chairman of the Board of Visitors of Swaleside Prison from 1995-97, was a member of the Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Sub-Committee, and is a member of the Police Standards Committee. Her voluntary work includes being founder chairman of Faversham Decorative and Fine Art Society.

The Rt Rev Michael Turnbull, CBE, who lives in Sandwich, held the curacies of Middleton and Luton from 1960-65; was chaplain to the Archbishop of York, 1965-69; rector of Heslington and chaplain to University of York, 1969-76; chief secretary of Church Army, 1976-84; Archdeacon of Rochester and Canon of Rochester Cathedral, 1984-88; Bishop of Rochester, 1988-94; and Bishop of Durham, 1994-2003.

He is chairman, Foundation for Church Leadership; and a board member, Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK). A trustee of Sandwich St Mary Community Trust, he is also patron, Churches Housing Trust; consultant, Rochester Cathedral Trust; and vice-president, Bible Reading Fellowship.

Dr Mohan D Velamati, of Rainham, obtained his primary medical degree in India, joined the NHS in 1973 and did his specialised training in diagnostic radiology at the University of Aberdeen and Leeds Teaching Hospitals.

He joined Medway Health District in 1981, served Medway NHS Trust as a consultant radiologist, director of medical imaging and as chairman of the District Medical Advisory Committee.

In 1989, he founded and is still chairman of Medway Cancer Scanner Appeal, which achieved the building of a dedicated hospital wing and continues to provide research, training and diagnostic equipment upgrades.

Ann West, of Walderslade, Chatham, was born in the Medway Towns, educated at Rochester Grammar School for Girls, trained as a teacher, and taught in state and private schools, retiring as deputy head at Cobham Hall in 1994.

She was involved with Kent netball – adult and schools – and was England netball manager. In 2004 she was made MBE for services to North Kent, including her voluntary work in fostering, D of E, MIND, IMB at Cookham Wood Prison, and as a school governor, Soroptimist, and JP.

Appointed as a magistrate in 1979, she was chairman of Medway Bench from 1999-2004, and became chairman of the new North Kent Bench 2005.

She represents the South East on the National Bench Chairmen`s Forum, and is a member of the national working party for Schools` Mock Court Trial Competition.