Rural and Islands College Merger Project

Derek Lewis’ career has included roles as chair, chief executive, director or trustee of organisations in fields such as education, training, television, prisons, healthcare, technology and social care. He has served as Pro-Chancellor and Treasurer of the University of Essex, a school governor, advisory board member of the London Business School and chair of companies providing apprenticeships, employment services and teaching staff. He is currently chair of Community Alcohol Partnerships, an alcohol harm reduction charity, and retired last year as chair of Royal Mencap Society.  He runs his own farming, forestry and tourism business in Morvern, which is also home to the new Nc’nean Distillery, of which he is a founder director. His earlier career included CEO roles at Granada Group and HM Prison Service in Engand and Wales. Before taking up the role of Chair of the Board, Derek was Chair of UHI West Highland Board of Management. He is also a member of the UHI Court.

Lydia Rohmer was appointed Principal Designate of UHI North, West and Hebrides in November 2022.

Lydia, the former principal of UHI West Highland, is a talented executive leader with more than 25 years’ experience working in the Scottish education sector and a passionate advocate of our rural and island communities.

She has extensive experience of creating successful colleges through merger having joined UHI West Highland as Principal in February 2012, shortly after the merger of Lochaber College and Skye and Wester Ross College. Before that, she held the position of Curriculum Director at City of Glasgow College, a role she assumed following the merger of Glasgow’s city centre colleges.

Lydia has also held substantive roles within UHI, taking on the role of Vice-Principal (Tertiary) between 2017 and 2022, a position she undertook in addition to her duties as Principal of UHI West Highland. She currently leads on several sector-wide and tertiary education groups in Scotland including access, school-college partnerships, articulation and poverty, and is a current member of the Colleges Scotland Board.

Carl is a non-teaching curriculum area lead at UHI West Highland and represents support staff on the Transition Board. 

He lives near the Fort William campus with his wife and two children. In a past life, Carl was a professional mountaineering, kayaking and mountain biking instructor and guided adventure activities all over the world. He currently oversees the School of Adventure Studies and the marine and maritime provision at the college.

Carol joined the board to ensure that he is in a position to represent the support staff during the initial phases of the merger. He sees his role as an opportunity to contribute positively to the process.

Born and raised in the Western Isles, Chris graduated from the University of Glasgow with an Honours Degree in Medical Biochemistry before completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management (with distinction) from Glasgow Caledonian University.

Chris previously worked in Human Resources at Glasgow College of Building and Printing, Glasgow Metropolitan College (formed from the merger of Glasgow College of Building and Printing and Glasgow College of Food Technology), and the City of Glasgow College (formed from the merger of Glasgow Metropolitan College with Glasgow College of Commerce and Glasgow College of Nautical Studies) before moving into Local Government in 2012.

Chris is currently the senior responsible officer for Human Resources and Workforce Development with Clackmannanshire Council.

Diana is curriculum leader for health at UHI North Highland and represents academic staff on the Transition Board. 

Having worked at UHI North Highland for over 20 years, Diana has seen all the positive and exciting changes we have made as an academic partner of UHI. She has a vast amount of experience working cross campus, cross level and through the development of online learning materials, enhancing our face-to-face pedagogy and sharing good practice throughout the network.

She has a strong commitment to our learners across all programmes and wanted to join the board to contribute her skills and experience towards ensuring that the new merged college is run efficiently and effectively to meet the needs of the communities it will serve.  

Douglas is a native of Caol near Fort William, and was educated at Caol Primary, Lochaber High and Aberdeen University.

He has worked extensively in the region, notably with what was British Alcan Highland Smelters at Lochaber and Kinlochleven (Financial Manager, later as Divisional Commercial Director) and then Highlands and Islands Enterprise (as Lochaber enterprise company CEO, followed by executive director roles). Latterly he was a freelance Management Consultant working nationally with a focus on high-risk strategic projects.

Douglas remains an active part of the community, living in North Ballachulish and supporting the development of the new Corpach Marina.

Fiona has worked in the education sector for over 20 years, in a variety of roles in compulsory education, voluntary sector and higher education. She currently works as Neurodiversity Specialist at the University of Wolverhampton, teaching and supporting students across all subjects and faculties. She also Chairs the Race Equality Charter Student Experience group. As a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Fiona teaches inclusive curriculum design on PG Cert Academic Practice. Fiona also works nationally as a Director of the National Association of Disability Practitioners.

Fiona is passionate about diversity, inclusion and knowledge-sharing, and is currently learning Gaelic.

Heather Innes was elected President of the Highlands and Islands Students’ Association (HISA) in March 2022 to serve a one-year term. In this role, Heather is the lead officer for the merger project – leading a team of local officers to ensure the student voice is heard clearly throughout the process of the merger. Prior to being a Sabbatical Officer, she studied a Joint Degree in Scottish History & Criminology. With a particular interest and passion for how important UHI is for the Highlands & Islands and its population, Heather ensures the student voice is heard at this level and throughout any decisions being made.

Following a successful 29-year career in the Royal Air Force and four years as a senior civil servant at Her Majesty’s Land Registry, Ian is an accomplished senior leader with a strong background in corporate services, business planning, financial management, policy setting and change management; and an adept advisor on corporate governance and risk management.

He is curently an independent member of the UHI North Highland Board of Management. Ian was also an independent member of Aberystwyth University’s Council; Chair of the Board of Directors of Aberystwyth Ltd, a company established to manage and operate a branch campus of Aberystwyth University in Mauritius; and a non-executive director of the Chartered Management Institute.

Judith has lived in Caithness for the past 12 years, the majority of which have been spent as a student of either UHI North Highland or another UHI partner. In 2012/13, Judith served as the Vice President of the Highlands and Islands Students' Association (HISA). This inspired a passion for governance. Judith is currently a UHI North Highland board member and is excited to continue this commitment as part of the Transition Board.

Judith was the Finance and Administration Officer for Flows to the Future, a multi-partnership project protecting and promoting the Flow Country. After undertaking a PGDE (Primary) at UHI North Highland, she now works at Lybster Primary. Judith is a partner in Crowvus, the UK’s most northerly mainland publisher, and writes speculative fiction.

In September 2021, Dr Michael Foxley was apppointed to lead the Partnership Board, which was setup to lead the case for merger. He joins the Transition Board as a non-executive member.

He has long campaigned for the enhancement of educational opportunities in the West Highlands. His efforts ultimately led, in August 2010, to the merger of Lochaber College UHI and Skye and Wester Ross College to form West Highland College UHI, now UHI West Highland, and his appointment as Chair of the then Board of Management.

He later went on to become Chair of the UHI Further Education Regional Board and UHI Court member, before stepping down in August 2021.

Michael is a crofter and a retired GP. He is a former leader of The Highland Council, and a former board member of Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

Neil is currently joint Chair of  the Board of Management at UHI West Highland and was previously Vice Chair and Chair of Audit and Risk Committee.

He lives on the Isle of Skye, where he ran a successful guest house business for a number of years and currently chairs his local communtiy council.

His working background is in the finance and banking, primarily in risk management and compliance.

Serving as an independent board member at UHI West Highland has been a rewarding and enjoyable experience and one which I wish to continue after the merger.

I am passionate about providing learning opportunities in the Highlands and in ensuring that the college is pivotal in providing growth in our communities.

Sarah was born in rural Devon and, after her undergraduate studies, worked in the public and private sectors. Over 30 years later, having worked in industry and education, across Asia, the Middle East and in Scotland, she devotes her time to developing and supporting the social, economic and cultural wellbeing of the region.

She passionately believes in the importance of education for everyone, at all stages of life.

Shannon MacCallum is the elected Highlands & Islands Students’ Association (HISA) Depute President (UHI West Highland). Shannon is a BA (Hons) Adventure Tourism Management degree student based in Fort William, with experience of the outdoor industry, equine/agricultural industry and public relations.

Her mandate has been based on improving communities within the association, with student engagement and welfare being paramount. Shannon has had a focus on ensuring the merger is successful and inclusive, with an emphasis on representing students at both a local and regional level. She joined the board to ensure that all students are represented fairly and feels this is the greatest privilege. 

Born in Paisley and brought up in Ayrshire, Shona attended Glasgow College of Food Technology, studying catering  and hotel-keeping. On leaving college, she was selected as a management trainee within the NHS management training scheme for Scotland. She worked in the field of facilities management within various hospitals, mainly within the Glasgow area. In 1989 she moved to Strathclyde Regional Council, working within the newly established direct services organisations, again in the field of facilities management.

Shona was later appointed as Head of Commercial Operations, then Director of Environment and Communities, within Renfrewshire Council. As director, her portfolio was diverse and challenging, with strategic and corporate responsibilities, along with the delivery of many frontline services. Her career in public service spanned 38 years, until her retirement in 2018 when she moved to Dornoch with her husband.

Since retiring Shona has pursued several carefully chosen voluntary roles, namely:

• UHI North Highland College, since 2020: independent board member: Chair of Audit & Risk Management Committee: former Chair of Human Resources Committee and member of Remuneration Committee.
• Highland Hospice, since 2019: independent member and Co-Chair of Board of Trustees: member of various governance committees.
• NHS Highland, Centre for Health: voluntary contributor.
• Dornoch Area Community Interest Company: voluntary board director