Management Structure

Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust was invited by EHS to establish the Causeway Coast AONB Management Group in May 2004. The Trust provides a secretarial service for the Management Group. The Chair of the Management Group sits on the Board of the Trust.

Members

Graham Thompson, National Trust

Graham is the National Trust's Project Director for the Giant's Causeway. His primary roles are to ensure the conservation and integrity of the World Heritage Site and its setting and that any new developments in the vicinity of the Causeway (including visitor facilities) offer a balance between providing access, promoting economic regeneration and conservation. Before joining the Trust Graham spent 10 years in the civil service. His key postings included serving as a Clerk in the Northern Ireland Assembly and as a Programme Manager with the International Fund for Ireland.

Robert Cochrane, Ulster Farmers Union

Profile to follow

Dr. David Erwin, Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust

Dr David Erwin, Chair of the Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust, is a past Chairman, past President and past Senior Executive of The Ulster Wildlife Trust. He currently sits on the Northern Ireland Committee of the Heritage Lottery fund and has served two terms on the Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside (NI) and the NI Biodiversity Working Group. He also served on the U.K. Biodiversity Working Group and on many other Government and voluntary sector committees and advisory groups. He is the author of a large number of academic and popular publications on environmental matters, particularly on the marine life of Britain and Ireland. In 1992 he was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to examine Coastal Zone Management in the U.S.A. New Zealand and Australia. He was awarded an O.B.E. in the 2000 New Years Honours list for 'services to the marine environment'

Cllr. William John Graham, Moyle Disctrict Council

Currently Councilor of Moyle District Council, William has been an elected member of the Council since 1997. William is also a Member of Bushmills trust, Member of Mosside, Member of Liscolman and Bushmills Community Associations, and Member of Building Control and Best Value Committees. William has a keen interest in farming and wildlife.

Cllr. George Hartin, North Antrim community Network

Profile to follow

Cllr. Norman Hillis, Coleraine Borough Council

Norman has been an Ulster Unionist Party Councillor on Coleraine Borough Council since 1993 (Mayor 1999-2000) and a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly since 2003. A vocal advocate for tourism in the Causeway Coast and Glens area, Norman believes that growth of tourism must go hand in hand with environmental protection resulting in sustainable tourism. Norman is Chairman of Coleraine Borough Council's Anti-Windfarm Committee who are committed to preserving the North Coast's beautiful seascape. Norman is also a Director and Vice-Chairman of the Causeway Coast and Glens Ltd and has served as Chairman and Vice-Chairman of Coleraine Borough Council's Leisure and Environment Committee.

Cllr. David McAlister, Moyle District Council

Currently Councillor of Moyle District Council, David has been an elected member of the Council since 1993. David has a keen interest in Junior Football, politics and computers.

Sean McCambridge, Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers Association

Profile to follow

Ann McNickle, Coleraine Rural and Urban Network

Ann is currently employed as Project Manager Coleraine with Rural & Urban Network. She has over 10 years experience in community development. She believes that community development must begin with a bottom up approach, tackling issues at a grassroots level. Throughout Ann's work she endeavours to deal with issues concerning the environment, recycling, tourism and rural development.

Shirley Orr, Causeway coast and Glens Heritage Trust

Shirley Orr commenced her working life as a "linen textile designer" in Belfast, but before her retirement in 2000 had worked for 30 years as a housing officer with the NIHE (Northern Ireland Housing Executive). She now volunteers as a board member on South Antrim Community Network, Newtownabbey Local Stratagy Partnership, Newtownabbey Community Voice, Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust and Causeway Coast Area of Oustanding Natural Beauty management group. Shirley is also secretary of the Torrens Hall Management Commitee Doagh, and the Doagh Village Community Association.

Coleraine Borough Council (to be filled)

Profile to follow

Advisers

Professor Stephen Boyd, Regional Tourism Partnership

Professor Stephen Boyd holds the chair in Tourism in the School of Hotel, Leisure and Tourism at the University of Ulster. He has taught in various tourism programmes in Canada, England and New Zeland. He has published extensively on tourism, particularly in areas such as heritage, community based initiatives, national parks and peripheral areas.

Kevin McGarry, Moyle District Council

Kevin has a BA (hons) in design and communication and is currently employed as the Tourism Development / Recreation Manager for Moyle District Council. Kevin is an active conservationist with a particular interest in the preservation of wild salmon and seatrout. He is also interested in the folklore and mythology of the North Antrim Area. A keen off-road walker, Kevin spends time with his Springer Spaniel walking the many forests and mountains in the area.

Peter Thompson, Coleraine Borough Council

The main purpose of his job is to manage the day to day implementation of the Tourism Development Strategy, the provision of Council's Tourist Information Services and to direct the marketing of the Borough as a tourism destination. Prior to working with Coleraine Borough Council, he worked for six years as a Tourism Development Officer with Newry & Mourne District Council.

Ruth Blair, Environment and Heritage Service

Ruth has been working for Environment and Heritage Service since 1992 and is part of the Protected Landscapes team. Her work involves dealing with various issues relating to AONBs in the northern half of Northern Ireland.

Brian Connolly, Northern Ireland Tourist Board

Brian has recently joined NITB having previously worked in financial services. He previously studied Geography and Tourism Management at University and is from the town of Ballycastle. He is very much a sports enthusiast with a keen interest in outdoor pursuits such as hill walking. He currently is working within NITB on the Causeway Signature Project and has a personal affinity to the unique landscape and coastline of the area.

Clare Dore, DARD Countryside Management

Clare has had a life-long interest in natural history, conservation and habitat management. Currently she works for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development as a countryside Management Adviser, promoting agri-enviornment schemes to the farming community.

Jonathan McNee, Planning Service Coleraine

Jonathan has a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Science and has been with the Planning Service for two years. Prior to this, he worked for the Environment and Heritage Service concentrating on nature conservation input into emerging Planning Service Area Plans. He presently works in Development Plan section, Coleraine and is part of the team that produced the Northern Area Plan 2016. He is also responsible for processing all Tree Preservation Orders within these Council areas. Jonathan attends the Group as required to advise on planning related issues.

John Young, DRD Roads Service

John is a Chartered Civil Engineer and is currently the Roads Service Traffic Engineer for the Coleraine, Moyle and Limavady Council areas. Previously he has been involved with roads design, construction and maintenance and spent nearly ten years in the former Urban Traffic Control Centre in Belfast. He represented Roads Service on the Causeway Access Group and is a member of the National Trust and the North Coast Members' Association of the National Trust.