Board Members

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.

Committee Membership - Chair Human Resources, Chair Remuneration, Chair Nomination, Finance and General Purposes.

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 England 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.

Committee Membership - Finance and General Purposes, Human Resources, Remuneration, Nomination.

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.  

Committee Membership - Learning, Teaching and Research.

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.

Committee Membership - Audit and Risk Management, Human Resources, Remuneration, Nomination.

Lydia Rohmer was appointed Principal 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.

Committee Membership - Finance and General Purposes, Learning, Teaching and Research, and Human Resources. Attends Remuneration and Audit and Risk Management by invitation.

In September 2021, Dr Michael Foxley was appointed to lead the Partnership Board, which was set up 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,  later to become 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.

Committee Membership - Learning, Teaching and Research.

Neil is a Vice Chair lives on the Isle of Skye, where he ran a successful guest house business for a number of years and currently chairs his local community 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.

Committee Membership - Vice Chair, Chair Audit and Risk Management, Chair Human Resources

Rupert grew up in south-east London and Kent, graduating in psychology from Brunel University before before gaining a PhD in animal behaviour at Royal Holloway, University of London. He has previously worked at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, Gothenburg University in Sweden, and Aberystwyth University in Wales.

Rupert was Education Secretary on the Council of the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB) and served as a member of the Royal Society of Biology’s Education and Science Policy Committee.
He now lives on the Isle of South Uist, where he runs a business, and has published a guidebook to the islands. A member of the South Uist Business Impact Group, he still gives talks to local interest groups around the UK on the science of birdsong.

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.

Committee Membership - Audit and Risk Management, Chair Learning, Teaching and Research.

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, 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

Committee Membership - Remuneration, Chair Finance and General Purposes.

Struan Mackie is a Caithness native, with experience working across the public and private sectors with public appointments, non-executive and executive board roles.

Provost of Thurso and Senior Civic Leader for Caithness, Struan represents the Highland Council’s Thurso and Northwest Caithness ward. Elected to the local authority in 2017 and 2022, Struan has held opposition briefs on the Council’s Corporate Resources, Audit and Education Committees.

An award-winning entrepreneur, Struan is the co-founder of North Coast Distillers Limited (owner of the North Point and Dalclagie brands) and is a partner in a boutique consulting practice specialising in technology and the public sector.

A member of the Dounreay Stakeholder Group, Struan Chairs the statutory scrutiny for the clean-up and socio-economic impact of the Dounreay and Vulcan nuclear sites. A leading voice in the ‘nuclear conversation’ on socio-economics and the positive impact of the nuclear industry on remote and rural communities, Struan has contributed to national and devolved policy, speaking to stakeholder forums as far afield as Japan.

A former contributor to the Board of Management at North Highland College, Struan previously served as the college’s Secretary to the Board of Management and Governance Officer.

William Macdonald, from North Uist, is a former Director of Education, Skills and Children's Services for Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.

He has almost 40 years of experience in education.

He studied MA (Hons) Celtic Studies at Edinburgh University before going on to do a Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) in Gaelic/History. From there, he went on to teach Gaelic at Lochdar School, South Uist, and Sgoil Lionacleit, Benbecula, before moving to the Comhairle, where he held various roles, including Senior Education Officer and Head of Education and Community Learning.

He took up the role of Director of Education, Skills and Children's Services in November 2020, retiring in June 2023.

He is also involved in a number of other groups and organisations, including:

• Member of Higher Still Reference Group
• Development Officer Education Scotland/HMI Development Officer
• Associate Assessor Education Scotland -Secondary/Gaelic
• Chair of Storlann Nàiseanta Gàidhlig Board
• University of Aberdeen/Strathclyde University - teacher placement advisor
• SQA Principal Assessor/ visiting assessor
• SQA Chair of Gaelic Subject Panel
• SQA project consultant
• Member of Gaelic Books Council Board
• Development Officer HMI Gaelic Medium Education Courses
• Chair Secondary GME review group
• GTCS Advisor on Teacher Training
• Chair EIS Central Advisory Committee on Gaelic