Partnership Board

Sir Michael Strang Steel CBE, Convenor.
Sir Michael has farming and forestry interests in the Borders. He was a Forestry Commissioner from 1988 to 1999 and Chair of the Native Woodlands Advisory Panel during this period. Sir Michael is Chair of the Timber Marketing Group, the Scottish Forestry Trust and was, until recently, Chair of Alba Trees plc. He is a Member of the Forestry and Timber Association, the Scottish Rural Property and Business Association, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and is President of the Royal Scottish Forestry Society.

Joan Mitchell
“I have a long standing interest and commitment to rural development, livestock farming, upland ecology and tourism in Dumfries & Galloway. Partner in a family upland farm, academic background in upland ecology, various roles in public life associated with these themes. I am elected councillor for Cree Ward, Chair of Dumfries & Galloway Council, Chair of Planning & Environment Committee, past Chair of Dumfries & Galloway Tourist Board, member of South of Scotland Forestry Advisory Forum, member of South Scotland European programme Monitoring Committee, former member of EU Committee of the Regions (rural development agriculture and fisheries commission). I am supportive of co-operative working in rural South of Scotland.”

Mairi Telford Jammeh
I have been employed as a Community Planning Co-ordinator in Annandale and Eskdale by Dumfries & Galloway Council since June 2001. Prior to this I worked in higher education in the field of international health and development; in the NHS and as a public health nurse in West Africa. I have studied rural development at MSc level and am particularly interested in people and the need to ensure that local knowledge and local people are involved in rural development processes. I believe this is essential for the sustainability of our small rural communities. I am involved in building partnerships and networks and in guiding and advising on community involvement and consultation. I co-ordinate the Annandale and Eskdale Rural Partnership and I’m part of the Council’s Area Management Team.

During the last 6 years I have been part of the Community Regeneration Fund Steering Group (post FMD) and the Dumfries & Galloway Leader+ Action Group so involved in assessing project applications and making decisions on funding awards. I have worked closely with partner organisations such as the NHS, the Federation of Community Councils and Community Initiatives. I have been involved in two transnational projects – the AGATE project which looked at “living with the land in Annandale and Eskdale” and the “European Twinning Village Associations Project”. These have enabled me to see how rural development happens in other countries.

I have also been involved in setting-up and being part of the steering group for projects such as:

• The Annandale and Eskdale Better 4 Walking project
• The Sulwath Connections project
• The Working Lassie oral history project
• The Rural Voices project
• The Working for Families project
• The Winning Ideas text message project – a consultation project with young people
• The Communities on the Edge project
• The Thomas Telford Anniversary Celebrations
• The Future of Moffat Town Hall

Also Initiatives such as;

• Setting up a Community Warden scheme in Annan
• The Rural Service Priority Area Scheme

I have also been involved in devising an Area Community Plan for Annandale and Eskdale.

Simon THORP BSc (Hons) CEnv MRICS
Simon Thorp has been the Director of The Heather Trust since May 2002. Prior to this, he gained extensive experience as a chartered surveyor working in rural management, which included work on private estates, a period with SNH and working in Lancashire & Cumbria for a firm of chartered surveyors. The range of experience includes upland habitat management, hill farm business management, farm tenancies, farm buildings and sporting management.
From its base in Dumfries, The Heather Trust promotes an integrated approach to moorland management in all parts of the UK and has links to all the main organisations with interests in the uplands.

Chris Ballance
Chris Ballance has had an interest in sustainability issues since joining the Scottish Green Party in 1980, and was Green MSP for South of Scotland from 2003-2007. He moved down to Dumfries and Galloway in 1999 to renovate a ruined barn in Wigtown, turning it into a home and secondhand bookshop. He is also an award-winning playwright, having had four plays for children performed, four for adults and having been involved in a large number of community and devised drama productions. He is (until February 2008) a Cultural Co-ordinator for Dumfries and Galloway's Schools Services.
He now lives in Moffat with his wife Alis, an actor, and 18-month old son, Calum.

Adair Anderson
"I am a Chartered Accountant, having qualified in 1970. I worked as an auditor for 7 years, during and after qualification. I have worked as an accountant in industry for 15 years, and have spent the last 20 years as Company Secretary of John Menzies plc, reaching retirement age in October 2006.
I can help the SUP to focus its accounting controls and management reporting on matters most relevant to its agreed aims and objectives, and thus to help it to prioritise its resources on the projects which best meet these criteria."

Eileen Logan (Councillor) South Lanarkshire Council
Eileen has been representing the rural area of South Lanarkshire as an elected member for over 23 years. She served as Provost under Clydesdale District Council and since reorganisation has held the Chair of SLC's Finance and IT Services Committee, the South Lanarkshire Rural Partnership also representing SLC on the local Tourist Board. Due to her background and experience Eileen leads on all rural issues from an SLC perspective and having deep rooted commitment to raising the profile of rural development issues. She is a strong supporter of partnership and cross-boundary working and sees the SUP as a useful forum for taking forward new joined up initiatives.

Veronica M Davidson (Councillor) Scottish Borders Council
“I grew up in the Ettrick Valley in the Scottish Borders on a hill sheep farm run by my father. I have kept a close tie with the farm returning every year to help with the lambing. Following a career as an event organiser and then radio producer I chose to return to the Borders so that my daughter could also enjoy a country upbringing.

I am currently a councillor with Scottish Borders Council where I continue to push for a greater input to and awareness of the needs and potential of the rural areas to ensure that they have a sustainable future as a place to both live and work.

I would bring farming, media experience and a voice within the Council to the role of SUP Director.”

Dr Phil Leigh
Phil Leigh is an environmental scientist with eight years’ experience in the environmental science and meteorological sector. He has extensive experience in hydrology of catchments and extreme climatic events. Phil also worked on a European project on the effects of aircraft condensation trails in southern Europe.

He has wide electrical engineering background including energy efficiency alongside broad civil engineering experience, including hydropower installations in rivers across north-west England. Phil has managed large electrical projects across a wide variety of buildings.

Phil was the inaugral Director of the Crichton Carbon Centre in Dumfries, and was involved in the management and technical aspects of setting the Carbon Centre up during its first year of operation. He now runs Blue Sky Sustainable Solutions based at Hillhead House on the Crichton Campus, Dumfries.

Phil has held managing director (CEO) post of Blue Sky Cycling Enterprises Ltd, a company Phil set up behind the UK’s No 1 cycling team in the early 2000’s.