Extract added 6/8/2008 - amended 5/11/2008

Mrs Venables was Chairman of the Thames Region Flood Defence Committee for many years during the construction of the £110m MWEFAS project (later known as the Jubilee River), leaving soon after the January 2003 flood event.

Mrs Venables was then awarded an OBE for 'Services to flood defence' in the 2004 New Year's Honours.

Appointment:  President ICE

Biographical Details:

Jean has been closely involved in Flood Risk Management matters for many years and her service as Chairman of the Thames Region Flood Defence Committee was recognised by the award of the OBE in the 2004 New Year's Honours. This adds to her MBE she received for services to Civil Engineering. She was recently awarded Honorary Doctorates from Nottingham University and Kingston University.

She is currently Chairman of The Thames Estuary Partnership. Jean is Chief Executive of the Association of Drainage Authorities which is the membership organisation for those involved in water level management including Internal Drainage Boards, Local Authorities, Regional Flood Defence Committees, consultants,  contractors and suppliers.

At the same time Jean is active in Venables Consultancy, the specialist training company she runs with her husband, and Crane Environmental Limited that has developed CEEQUAL, the Civil Engineering Environmental Quality Assessment and Award Scheme. Lecturing at Kingston University and her earlier service with the Greater London Council's Department of Public Health Engineering provided the foundations for her subsequent career.

Jean was awarded the Garth Watson Medal for Services to the Institution in 2001, to her a most significant award, as she had worked closely with the then Secretary as ALGS Chairman, and because Jean's connection with ICE began in 1967 at the time of her successful application for a QUEST Scholarship, to support her undergraduate studies at Imperial College.

During her career Jean has served the Institution as a Member of the Council on three occasions, 1975 to 1978, 1993 to 1996, and from 2003, being elected a Vice President at the commencement of the 2003 session. 

In 2002, she became the first woman to be elected to the Smeatonian Society. Jean serves as the Institution's representative on the Court of Imperial College.

Jean has been a member of many ICE Committees including the Disciplinary Board, the Investigating Panel, the Ethics committee and the Waste Management Working Party on Construction Waste Her involvement with the ICE´s Benevolent Fund has spanned over 30 years.

Jean is married to Professor Roger Venables and has two sons. 

Jean Venables ('Jubilee River' Jean) - appointed ICE President (NCE)

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