Coventry City Council Extended Operational Team and Strategic Theme Leads
Coventry City Council - Extended Operational Team
Project Coordinator (ad-hoc)
Harmony Lully (she/hers) pronounced har-mon-ay
Programme Officer - Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC)
Harmony has worked for Coventry City Council for 8 years, in numerous customer focused roles. Harmony now works with the HDRC at Coventry City Council and feels excited to be part of a journey focussed on embedding research as part of Council culture.
Harmony has worked as Executive Support Officer to the Director of Public Health and Wellbeing and the Public Health team and won the 'Newcomer of the Year' award from the West Midlands PA Forum, as well as a finalist in the team award for 'Leading By Example' in 2022.
Harmony has always had a passion to help and support.
Project Support (ad-hoc)
Michael Ogunyemi (he/his) pronounced o-gun-yemmy
Project Assistant - HDRC
Michael has experience in public health research, microbiology research, public health project management and empowering vulnerable people.
Michael also have experience in conducting systematic reviews, empirical research, data analysis with Excel and SPSS, and evidence synthesis in healthcare and project administration.
Michael's interests are mainly focused on health improvement through developing solutions regarding the wider determinants of health. Michael also has a keen affinity for epidemiology and zoonotic diseases and is a veterinary doctor by training, holding a Master of Public Health degree.
Communications Officer (ad-hoc)
Nora Atasoy-Schmid (pronounced: ah-tah-soy sh-mid)
Communications Officer – Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Coventry
Nora Atasoy-Schmid is a marketing communications and engagement professional with a background in behavioural science, currently working on public health communications for HDRC at Coventry City Council. Nora collaborates on the design and delivery of accessible communications and community engagement to help reduce health inequalities.
Nora is fluent in English, German, Swiss German, and French, and holds a BSc in Applied Business (Economic) Psychology. Nora has experience in public health, sustainability, and social impact sectors, with skills in stakeholder engagement, campaign strategy, and project management alongside a background in sales.
Nora’s interests include systemic behaviour change, wellbeing economies, and how urban infrastructure like active travel and green / blue spaces influence public health and community wellbeing.
Coventry City Council - Strategic Theme Leads
Climate Change and Behaviour Change
Bret Willers (he/his)
Head of Climate Change and Sustainability
Bret is an entrepreneurial environmentalist and ecologist and is dedicated to driving change change across multi-agency partnerships for sustainability. Bret is responsible for strategic oversight of all energy and environmental programmes across the city and passionate and action oriented.
Bret is also Retrofit Lead for the 3 Cities – a unique collaboration between Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton to make these cities great places to live, work and play.
Coventry City Council is committed to playing its part in the drive to zero carbon while making sure the most vulnerable and at risk from climate change are engaged and supported, and that the opportunities for the green industrial revolution with all the jobs and economic benefits it brings are maximised.
Digital Inclusion
Laura Waller
Head of Digital Inclusion
"Laura spearheads the COV Connects program, a local authority-led digital inclusion initiative launched in October 2022 and inspired by 100% Digital Leeds. The programme has already made significant strides in addressing digital exclusion in Coventry.
COV Connects, influenced by the100% Digital Leeds community-based model, focuses on social inclusion rather than purely technical solutions. The programme is built on key principles: it prioritises person-centred approaches, works in partnership with various organisations, and responds to community needs."
Coventry's Leading Digital Inclusion Program: COV Connects • Government Events.
Health and Wellbeing
John Wilcox
Head of the Health Determinants Research Collaboration
"The HDRC is building on Coventry’s track record of cross-sector engagement and is operating as a collaboration with the University of Warwick, Coventry University, University College London, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, the voluntary sector and local communities.
The HDRC is establishing a research infrastructure to reduce health inequalities and improve the health of Coventry residents as well as impacting nationally and internationally. By creating a dynamic and sustainable research infrastructure and working with the people of Coventry to identify their needs and priorities, we will stimulate, support and disseminate research to identify evidence-based solutions to the factors impacting people’s health."
Jobs, Skills and Economic Growth
David Hope
Business Development Manager
David has successfully managed and delivered projects and programmes on behalf of a wide range of public and private sector organisations, including the European Commission, Polish Government, UK Government Departments, Local and Regional Authorities, and universities. David's main areas of expertise include business support, innovation, sector development, and sustainable urban development.
David currently leading Coventry City Council's Economic Strategy & Funding Team, which is responsible for designing and securing investment for major publicly funded economic development programmes within Coventry &
Economic Development Strategy 2022-2027 – Coventry City Council
Society and Culture
TBC
Biodiversity and Sustainability
Simon Newell
Head of Biodiversity
"Working at Coventry City Council (Simon's team) helps manage, protect and improve the City's ecology and biodiversity through the planning process. We also work with external partners to help analyse and assess the City's natural environment.
The Ecology team also works on a number of projects to actively enhance our City's biodiversity, in collaboration with other Council Teams as well as external partners such as Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, our two Universities, and other neighbouring local authorities.
Coventry features many important species and sites and urban wildlife is everywhere in the city. For more information about species in Coventry, see what residents have recorded on the iNaturalist website, and add your own observations!"