Niall Smith - Chairman

Niall has worked in the voluntary sector for the last fifteen years as Development Officer for Caithness Voluntary Group. He has also served in a voluntary capacity on the Boards of Citizens Advice Scotland, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Councils for Voluntary Service Scotland, Voluntary Action Scotland, and a number of local voluntary sector companies.

Niall represented Scotland on the panel which developed the UK National Occupational Standard for Development Workers.

---

Dr G Jenkins - Principal

Gordon was born in Edinburgh and attended Boroughmuir High School which he left at the age of fifteen to work as a laboratory technician in a Poultry Research Centre. He attended Napier College (now Napier University) on a day release basis for eight years, studying Chemistry before undertaking PhD research at the University of Edinburgh. On completion of his research degree Gordon joined Fife College as a lecturer, where he eventually became manager of the college’s science section. Following a brief spell at the SQA, he subsequently moved to Lauder College in Dunfermline, becoming the college’s quality manager.

In 2006, Gordon was appointed as Director Of Learning And Teaching at Kilmarnock College, and after a year long spell as Acting Principal, became Vice Principal there in 2009. In January 2010, he joined the North Highland College as Principal and Chief Executive.

Gordon is interested in improving all aspects of the learners' experience - particularly in reaching out to reluctant learners and finding ways of engaging with them to create an environment where they become enthusiastic about their own learning.

For Gordon, one of the most exciting things about coming to the North Highland College is the opportunity to work with learners on all levels of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF), from students at level 1 to researchers at level 12.

---

Trevor Jones - Vice Chairman

Trevor was born in 1949 in Twickenham, Middlesex. He is married to Alison and has two children, Richard and Nicki. Trevor was educated at Matthew Arnold School and Gloucester College of Higher Education.

Following formal training as a structural (civil) engineer he joined the Central Electricity Generating Board as a design engineer, culminating after twelve years working in the design and build team of Sizewell B, the last nuclear power station to be build in Britain.

During his career he worked for twelve years for UK Nirex looking for a safe and suitable site to dispose of nuclear waste. It was during this time that he first came to Caithness. He then moved to Melvich to take up a position managing the shaft on silo waste removal and treatment project at IKAEA Dounreay. This was followed by five years with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority as strategy and engineering manager. It was as part of this role that he became involved with starting up the Engineering Skills Centre at NHC by chairing the steering committee.

---

W Bruce - Member

Mr Bruce was brought up and educated in Sutherland, attending schools in Helmsdale and Golspie, before going on to gain a BSc(Hons) in chemistry at Edinburgh University. After three years in agricultural research and development he took up a career in teaching, working in schools in Aberdeen, Wick and Thurso. The last twenty years of his professional life was spent in senior management. On his retirement in 2007 he joined the NHC board. He is an experienced outdoor pursuits leader and coach and serves on various local groups, including currently chairing the local access forum.

---

D Buntain - Member

Donald is a graduate of the University of Leicester and presently works for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal's Service as a Victim Information and Advice Officer. Donald has experience at strategic level over the last ten years in corporate development, business improvement tools, human resource management and Best Value as well as lecturing throughout the United Kingdom on Performance Management. Donald lives in Evanton with his wife Alison and their two dogs. They have three grown up sons.

---

J Munro - Academic staff representative

James is the section leader for Landbased and the academic staff representative on the Board of Management. James joined the staff of the NHC in 1991 as a part time lecturer in the Equine department. He was appointed assistant section leader in 1999 and section leader in 2004. James is the chairman of the British Horse Society (Scotland) Training Committee and judges horses at competitions all over Scotland.

---

L Munro - Member

A trained psychotherapist she has worked within EAP for Scottish Courts and Scottish Prison Service covering the Highlands and Islands Area, in 1998 internal organisational changes led to a change of direction for Linda. She then worked as a welfare officer for the next three years. Since then she has worked with NHS and latterly with Highland Council until her election in May 2007.

---

A MacConnell - Member

Awaiting text.

---

Alastair MacDonald - Member

Alastair was born in 1966 and spent most of his childhood in Wick going on to study Engineering and Physics at Glasgow University.

After graduation in 1987, Alastair started in the Engineering Design Office at Dounreay. Following that he carried out a wide range of operational, engineering and project related postings including some time with sales and marketing responsibilities. Latterly Alastair was the Programme Office Manager responsible for the planning and monitoring of the decommissioning programme.

In 2009 Alastair moved with his family to Washington State in the US where he supported the decommissioning programme at Hanford which is the west's largest nuclear site.

Currently Alastair is working with the Babcock Dounreay Partnership, one of the consortia bidding for the Dounreay Closure contract.

Alastair joined the North Highland College Board in December 2010 and serves on the HR and Finance Committees.

---

Hugh Millar - Member

Hugh is a student on the BA (Hons), Scottish History course.

He already has a BSc with Distinction in Mechanical Engineering from Robert Gordon's University, and a BEng with first class honours from Aberdeen University. Both degrees were obtained whilst working as a lecturer in engineering at the North Highland College where I was employed for twenty eight years before retiring.

---

Dr P Monaghan - Member

Paul has worked at senior management level within private, voluntary and public sector organisations for around twenty years and is currently director of a charity which provides social and housing services to individuals across the Highlands. Paul lives in Ross-Shire and is a graduate of the University of Stirling.

---

A Swanson - Support staff representative

Anna joined North Highland College in 1991 as Assistant Job Club Leader. She then took over as Leader and also joined the student advisory team. In 2001 she became Manager of the Jobs 4 All project and in 2005 section leader for Support for Learners. Anna is also a co-opted member on the Thurso High School Parent Council. This is Anna's second term on the board as Support Staff Representative. Anna is married with two grown up daughters.

---