Chithra Marsh will start her term as chair of Women in Property on 1 March.
The associate director of Manchester-based Buttress, the B Corp-accredited architecture firm, will take the role for one year, replacing Gleeds’ senior project manager Nicola Jones.
Marsh, formerly chair of WiP’s North West branch, is responsible for co-ordinating and strengthening Buttress’s social value initiatives. She will be using her stint as national chair to highlight this ethos.
Marsh said: “Everything Women in Property is about chimes with the principles of social value. We have always been committed to inclusion, engagement and an equitable society and, with our terrific membership of built environment professionals, are intent on ensuring these become fundamental in all development.
Marsh is also co-chair of RIBA North West’s equality, diversity and inclusion committee and is a RIBA national and regional council member. She is also strategic ambassador for Placed, which specialises in place education, engagement and community insights into the built environment.
She added: “This year we will be using our national webinar programme and in-person events – many of which will be CPD-accredited – to address core topics including community engagement, social enterprise, sustainability, biodiversity, housing, education and of course gender. People first, community first.”
Jennifer Winyard, senior strategic land manager at Barratt Homes, will take the role of national vice chair, meaning that she will take over from Marsh when her term ends next year. Winyard is a former Yorkshire and North East WiP branch chair, as well as a former regional chair of the Royal Town Planning Institute.
WiP will be holding its first national conference in 20 years in Bristol on 20 April. The theme will be “women leading the future”. Sessions will include inclusive design and public realm, social anthropology, mentoring and the psychology of business. There will also be panel discussions, and dinner with a live band.
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