Senior Team
James HartleyCEOJames originally trained as a bricklayer and is experienced in all areas of construction. He joined Latch in 1998 and has worked in a number of roles, undertaking a wide range and duties during this time: support work, volunteer management, repairs and maintenance, fundraising, financial management etc. His current role is Chief Executive Officer which he became in 2011. This involves the development and implementation of Latch’s strategic objectives and overseeing the operational delivery of Latch’s services. The principal service areas are, the provision of a housing and support to homeless people, the refurbishment of long term empty properties and the delivery of training and volunteering programs for young people. The current strategic focus is on the development of new properties to create additional homes for Latch tenants. This involves the obtaining of finance from a range of sources and property refurbishment project planning. James is a trustee for Newground Together and Leeds Community Homes.
Michael DiazFinance & Operations ManagerMichael Diaz is a Group Director with 25+ years’ experience in capital projects, construction management, and operational leadership. Chartered building professional (MCIOB) and Chartered Manager (CMgr) and Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI) having delivered a significant number of complex projects, and implemented strategic organisational change. Sector expertise spans education sector, government, military operations, Housing Associations and commercial development with project portfolio exceeding £350M. Trilingual, having lived and worked in numerous countries.
David PittsProperty Services ManagerDavid is a qualified Joiner/Carpenter and is also experienced in all aspects of property maintenance. He joined Latch in September 2010 as a Property Services Worker, being part of a small team, undertaking day to day repairs, void and refurbishment works.
His role changed in January 2020 to Property Services Manager. His role now involves managing the property services team, overseeing the responsive repairs, voids and compliance and the moving in of new tenants into Latch properties.
David also gets involved in purchasing of new properties for Latch and Connect Housing to develop the properties into family homes.
Simone StapletonSupported Housing ManagerHi, I’m Simone.
I have worked in Supported Housing for over 20 years previously working at Ladybeck Hostel and Bracken Court.
I have worked for Latch in various roles including Housing Support Worker, Rents and Tenancies Worker and my current role as Supported Housing Manager. I have seen Latch grow into the successful organisation it is today including its growth in both staff and properties. I feel proud to work for such a great organisation and to work with an amazing group of people.
Emma GillAllocations CoordinatorEmma looks after our Allocations service, finding the right tenants for the right properties and supporting them through the process of becoming a LATCH tenant. She works alongside our referral partners to ensure visibility of LATCH’s unique service offering, and makes sure our communications with prospective and new tenants are appropriate, accessible and trauma-informed. She also carries out service standards monitoring, visiting our new tenants to ensure we are delivering on that offer.
Emma is experienced in the third sector, joining us after 13 years at a national organisation, where she held numerous roles covering various aspects of systems and service development, comms and customer service. She is an advocate for maternal mental health, and outside of work has developed and run two peer-led support services in this field.
Ruth FrostFundraising ManagerRuth is the Fundraising Manager for LATCH, she came from over 5 years as Partnerships Manager at national not for profit campaign to encourage and support women into Science, Engineering, Construction and Manufacturing jobs, where she worked with multinational companies on their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policies.
Ruth has had a varied career before that working in digital marketing, importing and hospitality. She is interested in social mobility and the built environment and outside of work is a Trustee of Bradford Civic Society.
Property Services Team
Roy ReedProperty Services Worker
Mason GibbProperty Services Worker
Ansis KrievsProperty Services Worker
Ben DarterProperty Services Worker
Mark GouldenProperty Services Worker
Dan OnyettRefurbishment & Training Worker
Andrea Munoz – SmallProperty Services Worker
Randolph MortonProperty Services Operations Manager 
Ken JonesProperty Services Worker
Supported Housing Team
Sijabuliso SibandaHousing Support Worker
Dee QuinnHousing Support Worker
Satta KoromaHousing Support Worker
Nrgus RahmanHousing Support Worker
Hannah MarshallAllocations & Assessments WorkerHello, I’m Hannah, the Administrator at LATCH. I’m the person you’ll find answering the phones and emails, ready to assist with any questions or enquiries you may have. I’ve lived in the Leeds-Bradford area all my life, and I’m passionate about supporting our local community. I’ve been working in administration for 2 years and am always here to help wherever I can.
Natasha AhmedHousing Support Worker
Mark StaintonPersonal Coach
Jon TaylorHousing Support Worker
Angela RobertsRents and Tenancies Worker
Management Committee
Allan WhalleyLatch CommitteeAllan Whalley is a qualified accountant and spent his early career as a strategy consultant with PwC consulting. He has lived in West Africa for over 15 of the last 25 years and currently lives in York. He brings a wealth of experience in finance, strategic planning as well as corporate governance from the private sector, alongside extensive charitable work. He has previously set up a food bank in York to support local families during Covid and led initiatives to provide support for special schools in Ghana. Allan also serves as a trustee for Impact Family Services, where he is committed to helping vulnerable families rebuild their lives. Driven by a passion for social impact, he is dedicated to supporting LATCH’s mission of providing safe and secure housing for those in need.
Nic Crocker (Chair)- Nic Crocker is a qualified solicitor, now retired, and was a partner in large national and international firms of solicitors. Having been a founding partner of the commercial services division of DWF in Leeds, he was National Head of Real Estate at DWF for 6 years, during which time the real estate business quintupled in size, and subsequently Head of its Leeds office. Prior to that he was a partner at Eversheds for 10 years and Hammonds [now called Squire Patton Boggs] for 8 years. Nic lives in Leeds and plays Masters hockey having represented Yorkshire and North of England, and England in the 2023 European Championships.
Maggie Gjessing- Maggie Gjessing is Director of Regeneration for Home Group with responsibility for regeneration, specialist and supported housing delivery and asset planning, she was formerly Head of Housing Growth at Leeds City Council having worked for the authority since 2000. She has approx. 30 years’ experience in housing and regeneration gained in the local authority and housing association sectors with a track record of delivering large capital programmes of new build, major repair and refurbishment programmes in addition to housing management experience. A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing and an Associate Member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.
Kat DoneganVice Chair- Kat Donegan is Vice Chair. She joined us in 2006 and is Associate Director of Business Development & Growth at One Medical Group. Previously she was Business Development Lead at HCRG Care Group, Relate and Shelter, the homelessness and housing advice charity, with a remit to design, implement and source funding for innovative, quality services for those who are (or at risk of) homelessness. She has 10 years’ experience in the not-for-profit housing sector, including operational management roles with housing associations, local authority and supported housing.
David ClarkeTreasurerDavid Clarke
LATCH Treasurer
David was previously employed as Relationship Director in Commercial and Private
Banking for NatWest Bank. Over 35 years’ experience of supporting and helping a
range of customers including, not for profit, social enterprises, PLCs and private family
companies and operating in various sectors of the economy. Track record of delivering
successful funding for major capital investment, mergers and acquisitions, expansion
plans and refinancing existing arrangements. Previously with NAB & their UK subsidiary
Yorkshire Bank for 12 years where roles included 2 years as senior credit controller and
15 years with Standard Chartered Bank.
Mags ShevlinMags has over 20 years of experience as a manager in the third sector. She was a manager at Latch from 2008-2021, managing the award winning Hands On project; the successful and transformative Empty Homes Programme; and most recently the Supported Housing Service.
Mags is a psychotherapist, working in private practice and also works as a Service Manager at Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service, a Leeds charity providing free counselling to disadvantaged and marginalised women. She has full professional registration with UK Council of Psychotherapists.
Dennis BernardDennis Bernard
LATCH Committee member
Dennis has been on the management committee for over 20 years. He is a local
businessman and currently manages an early year’s scheme providing pre and
after school care and support to young people. He also manages a steel fabrication
business and is involved in running activities for young people within the local
community.
Keith Gibson- Keith Gibson is a former member of the Charted Institution of Environmental Health, he retired in 2011 from the position of Environmental Health Manager at Leeds City Council. He has 40 years of experience working in local government, in the main involved in area regeneration and private sector housing renewal, but also latterly managing teams dealing with food safety, health and safety, environmental sustainability and pollution control. In retirement he has served as a trustee on three local third sector organisations and is still active in promoting environment health and housing issues.
Samia HussainSamia Hussain
LATCH Committee member.
Samia Hussain is Associate Director of HR for Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust, with strategic responsibility for the delivery of a quality, comprehensive and customer focussed professional HR service. Having previously worked for Leeds City Council, Craven District Council, Penny Appeal and as a Non-Executive Director within the Education Sector, Samia has extensive HR, operational management and board level experience. Samia is a Chartered Member of the Corporate Institute of Personnel and Development.
Manjeet GahirManjeet Gahir
LATCH Committee member
Manjeet works as a maintenance Surveyor currently working for a national housing
provider covering the Central North Yorkshire region overseeing the associations
reactive repairs and voids service for around 1100 properties. Manjeet has over 18
years of front line and management experience within the housing and construction
industry and has worked for a number of local registered landlords. Manjeet achieved
a BSc (Hons) degree in Project Management from the University of Leeds, graduating
in 2002 and is also a qualified Domestic Energy and Legionella Risk Assessor.