David Evans - Head of Grounds

David joined the University in 2013 and is responsible for managing the Grounds Sports Team and directly line managing the Grounds Management Team.  His role also includes ensuring resources are adequately managed, finding ways of driving efficiency and increasing standards and ensuring compliance with health and safety legislation and sustainability targets.    

David originally worked in agriculture - he has also worked in sales and customer service management.  Prior to starting at the University he worked as a head groundsman on a military establishment for 12 years.

He studied for a First Diploma in Land-Based Industries and a National Diploma in Agriculture at Reaseheath College in Cheshire.  He gained a Higher National Diploma in Agriculture from Seale Hayne College in Newton Abbot and an RHS General, Advanced Certificate and Diploma at Bicton College.  He has also been awarded a Foundation Degree in Horticultural Science from Bicton College.

In 2017 David attained a Level 4 Diploma in Arboriculture.

Email: d.m.evans@exeter.ac.uk
Phone: 07785 554449

Anthony Cockell - Curator of Horticulture

Anthony joined the Grounds Team as the Deputy Grounds Operations Manager on 30th April 2018 and was promoted to Curator of Horticulture in March 2022. His role, alongside planning the structure of amenity maintenance at the University, is to bolster the significant landscape and plant collections through supporting staff in applying best horticultural practice.

Anthony has relished gaining his horticultural experience through a diversity of employers across the industry; the public sector at Westonbirt Arboretum, a grounds maintenance private sector contractor for the military, horticulturalist for the National Trust in the charity sector and most recently Head Gardener for the horticulture and land based Wiltshire College Lackham in the education sector.

He is delighted to be a part of the dedicated and experienced Grounds Team in such an inspirational environment.

Email:  a.cockell@exeter.ac.uk
Phone: 07825 317044

Tim Wakeham - Sports Grounds Manager

Tim joined the Grounds Team as the Sports Grounds Manager in March 2024.

"I have been in horticulture all my working life. I started as an apprentice at a nursery and then moved into the amenity sector, working my way through the ranks to become Contract Manager for a national company running the grounds maintenance contract for Teignbridge Council. I then worked for Torbay Council and was in charge of running the Parks Department workforce.

It was when working at Torbay Council that I became interested in the maintenance of sports surfaces. This interest led me to working for a national company supplying feed, fertiliser, chemicals and the like to both professional and amateur organisations. Whilst working for this company, I gained my BASIS qualification which allows me to advise and recommend treatments, both mechanical and product wise, to improve amenity areas.

Working closely with professional grounds staff was a real insight to the passion and dedication within the industry and this led me to setting up my own business; not only supplying material but also allowing me to be more involved in the physical work on sporting surfaces, from the fine turf of golf greens and bowling greens to the pressures of premiership rugby and football clubs.

When  the amazing opportunity to become the Sports Grounds Manager for the university was offered to me, it was 'wow my dream job'. I am looking forward to the challenge of taking the sporting surfaces forward with a team of people all wanting the same goal."

Email: t.wakeham@exeter.ac.uk  

Phone: 07826 876646

Alex Adams - Arboriculture Manager

Alex moved to the South West in 2012 from Guernsey in the Channel Islands.

Having first qualified as a motorcycle mechanic, he retrained as an arborist before moving to Exeter and finding employment in various sectors of the arboricultural industry - commercial utility, forestry and private sectors - gaining over ten years experience in the industry.

Alex has worked as an arborist at the University of Exeter since 2018 and was promoted to Arboriculture Manager in 2021.

He takes great pride in being in a position to give our wide and diverse tree collection the ongoing care they require and deserve.

Email:  a.adams3@exeter.ac.uk
Phone: 07827 957330

Jess Evans - Nursery and Assistant Horticultural Manager

Jess joined the University's Grounds Team in October 2022 and is responsible for plant propagation and the Grounds nursery operational services.

Jess has a wealth of horticultural knowledge and experience and is a very welcome addition to the Grounds Team.

She started her career in horticulture, when she was 18 years old, working in a private garden in Devon and then took up a trainee poisition at Kew Gardens and went on to succesfully achieve the Kew dipoloma. 

After working at Merton College at Oxford University, Jess then worked for Monty Don at Longmeadow in Herefordshire for two years. 

Jess moved on to manage the gardens at the National Trust's Tintinhull Gardens in Yeovil, Somerset for four years and then took on the role as the Head Gardener at the National Trust's Knightshayes in Tiverton, Devon for six years.

Email:  j.c.evans@exeter.ac.uk
Phone: 07977 091342
  

Vikki Price - Grounds Administrator

Vikki joined the University in 1993 and during her time at the University has worked within a variety of PA, secretarial and administrative roles within University departments - Campus Services Director's Office, Training, Parking, Transport and now Grounds.

Vikki has been the Administrator for the Grounds Team since 2010 and provides high level administrative, programme and organisational support to the team.

Email: v.t.price@exeter.ac.uk 
Phone: 01392 725531