Mel Squires
NFU Director of regions and membershipMel is from a Cornish dairy farming family and joined the NFU South West team in 2002 as a policy adviser, becoming Director for the South West in 2006 and for the new South region in 2023.
She graduated in Agriculture from Seale-Hayne faculty, University of Plymouth. Prior to this, she was an agriculture student at Duchy College, Cornwall.
She undertook the Worshipful Company of Farmers’ Challenge of Rural Leadership course in 2005, became a Liveryman and is a Windsor Leadership alumnus (2022).
Mel was a non-executive director on the Heart of the South West LEP Board 2016-23 (Devon and Somerset), a longstanding CBI Council member, and is a Leadership fellow for the University of University.
She led the IDE (Inclusion, Diversity and Equality) work of the NFU from 2020-2023 and currently chairs the Great South West’s pan-regional partnership programme board for Food Security.
In June of 2008, Mel was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours for services to Gloucestershire’s rural community and for animal welfare efforts during the flooding of July 2007.
She was awarded the ARAgS (Associateship of Royal Agricultural Societies) for her distinguished achievement in the agricultural industry in 2015 and subsequently awarded a FRAgS (Fellowship) in 2020.
She is a Council member for the DCAA (Devon County Agricultural Society) and The Royal Bath and West of England Society.
Mel was promoted to the NFU’s Executive Leadership Team as Director of regions & membership in December 2024.
Mel is passionate about all things farming, food, rural life, and the countryside; privileged to work with a fantastic team and farmers, representing their interests and campaigning on their behalf. She is a keen walker, a lover of country pursuits and a very proud mum.