Our Members

Jonathan Triffitt is Interim Dean of Bradford Cathedral and brings significant experience in education, governance and strategic leadership.

He previously served as Director of Mission & Ministry and Deputy Diocesan Secretary (Bishop’s Missioner) for the Diocese of Salisbury and has held a number of parish and chaplaincy roles across the Church of England.

Jonathan has a long-standing commitment to education. He served for twelve years as a Trustee of the Salisbury Diocesan Board of Education, has been Chair of Governors in two Church of England schools, and was a founding Trustee of a diocesan multi-academy trust. Through these roles he has supported the strategic leadership and development of church schools and academy trusts.

Before ordination, Jonathan worked in early years education. He grew up in Bradford, where his Christian faith and vocation were first nurtured.

Jonathan is married to Joanne, who works for Safe Families. They have two grown-up children and enjoy building community through hospitality. Outside work, Jonathan is a passionate supporter of Bradford City and enjoys exploring the Yorkshire Dales, cooking and reading.

Andy has been the Archdeacon of Bradford since January 2016. Prior to that he was a Vicar and Area Dean in the Diocese of  Birmingham. He has an MBA from Warwick Business School and a PHD which focussed on how Christians relate their faith to work. Pre-ordination he worked as an Chartered Mechanical Engineer with Ford Motor Company and as a Management Consultant with Coopers & Lybrand, specialising in Change Management.

Andy is Vice-Chair of the Diocesan Board of Education, and chairs its Buildings and Finance Committee.  He is also on the Council of St Hild College, chairing its Resources Committee, and the Church of England Church Buildings Council’s Net Zero Carbon & Buildings Services Committee.

Andy and his wife live in the Manningham area of Bradford and they enjoy the wonders of nearby Lister Park as well as the joys of walking in the amazing countryside of the district.

Marilyn trained as a solicitor and worked in private practice before moving to the voluntary sector and working for Citizen Advice Leeds. She retired in April 2023 after 22 years in various roles including supervisor of the debt advice team and is now doing some voluntary work for them.

She worships at her local Parish Church in Menston and is currently the Lay Chair of the South Craven and Wharfedale Deanery. She sits on the Leeds Diocesan Board of Finance and is also a member of Diocesan Synod.

In 2022, she became a Parish Councillor getting involved in lots of local issues including parks, planning and airport  issues. With others, she set up Climate Action Menston and  is also progressing a local heritage project and encourages St John’s on its  eco church journey.

Tony is a Chartered Accountant having retired after 41 years in a local general practice in 2009.  He worships at St Paul’s, Shipley where Tony acts as Administrator of the Hirst Wood Burial Board and is also affiliated to St Michael’s in Cottingley.

Tony was Chairman of the Bradford Diocesan Board of Finance for 27 years, again until 2009, through which he had oversight of the DBE’s finances.  He also represents the DBE as a member of the Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust and has been involved in the Trust from the beginning.

Currently he is Vice Chairman of the Scargill Movement and on the Board of the Cottingley Community Centre .

Tessa Mason is a highly experienced education adviser for both cross-phase MATs and the maintained schools’ sector in the North of England; she has strong, recent expertise and experience in leading and managing regional system change (TDA/ NCSL, DfE, TSC, TSHC) implementing new and existing education policy, and the brokerage and commissioning of school improvement from system leaders and strong academy trusts.

Tessa has operated as a commissioned senior regional adviser in LWY and YH (2016-20), more recently in the Covid Support Programme (2020/21) and Trust and School Improvement Offer (TSIO 2021-24) and is used to working in close partnership with DfE colleagues and regional teams to achieve policy outcomes.  She has worked as a strategic adviser, mentor and coach to a large number of MAT CEOs and executive leaders, and as the Chair of BDAT, supports this large and successful diocesan CoE MAT based in the opportunity area of Bradford and reaching out across West Yorkshire.

Tessa is very well researched, and up to date in terms of the current shaping of the educational landscape to provide the essential structures for effective school improvement, accountability via governance reviews, curriculum compliance, the intentions of education policy and the implementation of new legislation.