Meet the agenda committee

BJ Waltho, Chair of Congress

With more than 35 years’ experience as a qualified nurse, BJ is Associate Director of Operations for the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She was previously Programme Manager for Emergency Services Collaborative and Improvement Services for Hospitals and has experience in managing outpatient services.

BJ chaired her local branch in Dorset for many years and she received an RCN Award of Merit in 2006. BJ has been a member of the Agenda Committee since 2011, and was elected Vice Chair of Congress in 2014 and Chair of Congress in 2018. In 2022, BJ was re-elected as Chair of Congress for a term of office ending after Congress 2024.

Linda Bailey, Vice Chair of Congress

Linda began her nursing career in 1982. She worked as a staff nurse in acute hospitals, and as a health visitor before moving into Public Health. She retired from the NHS in 2019 having worked as a Consultant in Public Health in Wales for six years. Due to Covid she returned to work in March 2020, retiring again in 2022. She is currently looking for a part time nursing post. 

Since joining the RCN in 1987, at various times she has been a steward, branch officer, member of the Agenda Committee, member of the Public Health Forum Steering Committee, Council member for London and Nurse Treasurer of the RCN. 

Carol Popplestone, Chair of Council

Carol has been a registered nurse since 1978. She works as a clinical nurse specialist for Macmillan developing and providing a nurse-led service for patients with urological cancers. Carol is an accredited RCN steward and was a member of the RCN UK Stewards Committee from 2013 to 2016. Carol has also previously served as a member of the RCN Council from 2016 to 2019, as chair of the RCN Yorkshire & the Humber Board and was a member of the RCN Trade Union Committee.

Ruth Bailey

Ruth has been an RCN member throughout her 38-year nursing career both in secondary and primary care. She has gained considerable knowledge and experience of the College as a branch secretary and activist and through the Women’s Health Forum.

As an activist for both the Trade Union and Professional Nursing sides of the RCN, she will strive to ensure that issues are balanced and that the Congress agenda that reflects all aspects of the College in equal measure.

Charity Chakanetsa

Charity is a Senior Research Nurse with a background in forensic and acute settings and in mental health research. She is a former Secretary and a current Committee Member of the Hampshire Branch Committee. Charity is an active activist for the RCN and supported members as a registered RCN Steward and Learning Rep. 

Josie Gordon

Josie is a student nurse with three years' experience in nursing but fifteen years' experience in organising and running democratic events. She has established and chaired general meetings of societies, acted as an independent Returning Officer for membership organisations and rewrote a helpline's entire constitution, taking it from scratch up to ratification by an extraordinary conference.

Josie is keen to support and encourage as many members as possible to take part in Congress in whatever ways they can, shape the agendas for future Congresses and ensure a broad range of debate for our members. 

Vicky Keir

Vicky is a mental health nurse with 25 years of frontline experience. She is a registered RCN Steward and Safety Representative, and has held a number of committee positions on the RCN Dumfries & Galloway branch. Vicky was elected to the agenda committee in 2019.

Pat Cullen, General Secretary & Chief Executive

Pat has worked at the RCN since 2016 and has been acting as General Secretary & Chief Executive since April 2021, and was appointed as interim General Secretary & Chief Executive in July 2021.

In a career that has spanned both hospital and community settings, Pat was Assistant Director of Mental Health Services and Professional Head of Nursing in a local health care trust before joining the Department of Health as Nursing Officer in 2001. During this time she was involved in the development of the commissioning of the first Medium Secure Unit in Northern Ireland and the first Department of Health standards for clinical supervision in mental health nursing.

Following this, Pat took on various roles in commissioning before being appointed Deputy Director of Nursing, Safety, Quality and Patient Experience in the Public Health Agency (PHA) and Health and Social Care Board (HSCB). Pat led the development of the first safety and quality strategy in Northern Ireland and established the 10,000 Voices project which collected patient voices in order to inform commissioning decisions.

Pat was then seconded as Executive Director of Nursing and Allied Health Professions within the PHA and HSCB. Before joining the RCN, Pat, on behalf for the Department of Health, led the commissioning and performance management arrangements for unscheduled care services.

In addition to her extensive career experience, Pat is a registered psychotherapist.