Meet Our Staff

David Blackburn is the Town Clerk & Responsible Financial Officer. He is accountable to the sixteen elected Members of the Town Council for delivering the Town Council’s strategies, corporate objectives, policies, projects and events. Supported by a capable team of staff, David is responsible for ensuring that Stowmarket Town Council is a modern, forward-looking organisation that is at the forefront of best practice within the Town and Parish Councils sector nationally.

David has held in senior management positions in public sector bodies during his career in Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Kent. He has a degree in Economics and a Masters degree in Business Administration which he gained with distinction. He is qualified as a Company Secretary and has fulfilled positions as Board Member, Trustee, Chair and Treasurer on various bodies.

He has a special interest in music, travel and team sports.

Phone: 01449 776393
Email: davidb@stowmarket.org

Sally Goonan lives with her family in Stowmarket. The first ten years of her career was in the private sector, followed by a number of years within Finance and Resource Management of the NHS.

As Head of Corporate Services, her areas of responsibility include Finance and Budgeting, Audit and Governance, Human Resources, Health and Safety, Council and Committee Administration, Leases and Agreements, Insurance, Cemeteries and Allotments.

In her free time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, walking, films, reading, flower arranging and fundraising for local mental health support organisations.

Phone: 01449 776397
Email: sallyg@stowmarket.org

As part of the Leadership Team, Karl manages the Town Council’s community services, working proactively to ensure that the organisation has an outstanding reputation for its work within the local community.

He grew up in Stowmarket where he went to school, played sports, and made lifelong friendships. Karl joined Stowmarket Town Council in April 2020 having previously been the community manager for a local social care organisation where he worked for 10 years.

Phone: 01449 776390
Email: karld@stowmarket.org

Phone: 01449 776395
Email: annekar@stowmarket.org

Sarah moved to Stowmarket in 2022, and joined Stowmarket Town Council in 2023. She is responsible for Civic, Council and Committees. For any enquiries regarding committees please email sarahe@stowmarket.org and for civic enquiries please email civicofficer@stowmarket.org.

She previously worked for a Travel Management Company as a Meetings and Events Team leader.

Liz is responsible for the all things related to Stowmarket Town Councils Customer service. Which inlcudes welcoming visitors and dealing with enquiries on the phone and via e-mail. She also deals with the towns cemeteries and 2 allotment sites.

Liz previously worked for a charity based in Bury St Edmunds who support people who have suffered from a brain injury.

Summer joined the Communities Team in 2023 and now serves as the Communities Manager, overseeing Stowmarket Town Council’s community engagement and events. Her responsibilities include managing Catch Up magazine, newsletters, press releases, and community outreach. She also plays a key role in organising major town events such as StowFest, the Stowmarket Food & Drink Festival, Stowmarket Go Green Go Wild, and the Stowmarket Christmas Fayre.

Outside of work, Summer enjoys travelling, discovering new foods, and taking her dog on long walks.

Emily joined the team in 2024, following a 1 year maternity cover contract Emily is now a permanent and valued member of staff, with a particular interest in developing the Market in Stowmarket.

Emily’s responsibilities also include community engagement, events, social media and marketing.

Holly joined the team in January 2026 as a Community Engagement and Events Officer. With a passion for the arts, Holly has a particular interest in the development of The Regal.

Holly’s responsibilities also include community engagement, supporting events, social media and marketing.

Emma is Stowmarket Town Council’s Community Operations Lead. She supports the Town Council’s Operations team to maintain the council’s property and Grounds.

Outside of work Emma enjoys spending time with friends & family, eating out, going to the cinema and shows.

Email: emmar@stowmarket.org

Jack is part of Stowmarket Town Councils Operation Team and as the property & facilities lead is responsible for ensuring all buildings are up to date on compliance and maintenance.

email: jackr@stowmarket.org

Roger joined the Town Council in 2007 and is responsible for co-ordinating the grounds works carried out across the Town Council’s estate, which includes, the Recreation Ground, Milton House, Cemeteries and smaller play areas. Roger also co-ordinates the hanging baskets and planters in the town.

Roger has an interest in construction, agriculture and conservation sectors. In his spare time Roger enjoys reading, music, sports, politics and the environment.

Email: rogerb@stowmarket.org

Marc is a valued member of the New Town Ranger Service Team, responsible for maintaining and enhancing the town, as well as supporting the twice-weekly market.

Outside of work Marc is a keeper of tropical fish with over 30 different species. Marc plays football for a local 5-aside team.

George is one of the newest members of the Town Ranger Service Team, bringing experience in tree work, ground clearance, carpentry, and maintenance. In addition to his day-to-day responsibilities, he will also be assisting with the twice-weekly market.

Background & Interests

Having grown up and attended school in Stowmarket, George has a strong connection to the local community. He has a deep appreciation for music, a love for animals, and a passion for travel and exploring new places.

Hugh is a valued member of the New Town Ranger Service Team, responsible for maintaining and enhancing the town, as well as supporting the twice-weekly market.

Before joining Stowmarket Town Council, Hugh worked as a carpenter and multi-tradesman, bringing a wealth of practical skills to his role as a Town Ranger.

Outside of work, he enjoys playing computer games and DJing in his spare time.

Beth is the General Manager of The Regal, and responsible for the operational and financial success of The Regal, along with the day to day management, and serving customers.

Beth has worked at a variety of 4 and 5 star event venues around Suffolk, but particularly loves The Regal because of the variety of performances the venue hosts as a Multi-Purpose Venue.

Beth has always had a love for the arts and even has a degree in Events Planning and Performing Arts!

In her spare time she loves to attend a local choir, and walk her miniature dachshund Daisy.

As the Deputy General Manager at The Regal, Lucy’s role is the assist and support in the daily operation of The Regal with a priority focus on commercial success. Lucy’s responsibilities range from ensuring customer service excellence from staff, menu development and food healthy & safety to working on what the future looks like for The Regal. The best part of Lucy’s role is building relationships with the local community and sharing this passion with the Regal team.

Outside of work, Lucy’s time spent studying International Tourism Management (BA Hons, MS) at university has distilled an interest in travelling both worldwide and nationally. She is a keen sports fan, her first love will always be rugby – supporting Bath Rugby and Wigan Warriors. Lucy’s favourite past time is cooking with my family and sharing a few drinks and laughs in the garden.

As Cinematic and Technical lead, my role is to co-ordinate the film programme at the regal. Liaising with distributors to book in film releases and then programme accordingly to give customers the best experience whilst visiting the venue. Over-see all technical aspects and help promote our varied and diverse programme.

Outside of work, Samuel spends time studying both animation and film studies (BA/MA) and is excited to have implemented these studies into a career in the field. In  Samuels spare time he (unsurprisingly) is a keen film-goer but also enjoy spending time with friends and family and trying to get to the odd ice hockey match!

Archie is responsible for promoting exceptional customer service, deliver staff training, gathering customer feedback. He also works alongside Deputy Manager Lucy to meet food safety standards and stock management. Archie is StowFiesta Event Manager working closely with the team to ensure the event is successful.

Outside of work, Archie has a passion for music and enjoys music in all aspects.

If you are interested in being involved in StowFiesta 2025 please contact Archie via email. archiem@stowmarket.org

As Front of Supervisor, Laurel’s responsibilities include overseeing front of house operations during shifts, working side by side with staff to deliver excellent customer service and maintain a safe and welcoming venue, and providing support to the management team.

In her spare time, Laurel enjoys watching film, TV, and music videos, having studied digital film production at university. She is also passionate about music, with tastes spanning across many genres and decades, and never leaves the house without her headphones.