Since its convention in 2000/1 the EOA has been a grass roots, independent, non-union based organisation, run by exams office staff for exams office staff.
When setting up the formal EOA organisation, the EOA went through a number of stages and influences. Under its original funding arrangement an interim board containing practising exam officers, selected members of the NAA and founder members of the EOA were drafted onto the EOA interim board.
This original structure was agreed by the founder members of the EOA, Andrew Harland and Uday Patel with QCA (who provided funding towards turning the EOA lobby group into a professional body, through the NAA modernisation programme 2004 - 2007).
Once the EOA had been registered as a formal company with charitable status and the articles of memorandum were drawn up setting out the constitution of the EOA, the members were ready to hold open independent elections in 2005.
That EOA Board of Trustees was made up of four elected members who were practising exams office staff and two invited trustees who came from an area of expertise outside the exams office environment.
This interim board was replaced by the permanent board after open elections in 2005. Three of that board, Jan Martin, Brian Hillier and Sheila Rhodes were elected, together with Elaine Bane. Ian Judd, of Reading School, who was also a member of that interim board but decided not to run for election, gave invaluable support in helping to set up the present formal EOA organisation.
In 2008 the EOA elected Angela Marden and Keith Flinders to replace Jan Martin and Brian Hillier with Alan Waymont joining to raise the board to seven members. With Elaine Bane and Sheila Rhodes coming to the end of their tenure in 2009 and both Anglea Marden and Keith Flinders having to step down for personal reasons, four vacancies became available in 2009. The four new Board members elected in 2009 were Mark Tate, Barbara-Anne Dunn, Roy Waite and Anthony House.
In 2011 Alan Waymont, Brian Fidler, Helen Sandom and Barbara-Anne Dunn retired from their roles and the EOA will be launching a new election programme for this autumn.
2011 Board of Trustees
Anthony House (vice chair)
Ian Judd
Jan Martin
