The Cairngorms National Park Authority board
The Cairngorms National Park Authority's board comprises 25 members. The Scottish Ministers appoint ten members, another ten are nominated to the Board by the four councils in the Park area - Highland, Aberdeenshire, Moray and Angus Councils - and five are elected locally. The members will serve between 18 months and four years.
Please note that there are presently 23 board members.
The Register of Board Members' interests can be downloaded as a PDF or as a Text file.
Members' Code Of Conduct
The Scottish public has a high expectation of those who serve on the boards of public bodies and the way in which they should conduct themselves in undertaking their duties. The Ethical Standards in Public Life etc (Scotland) Act 2000 provides for new Codes of Conduct and established a Standards Commission for Scotland to administer the requirements and deal with any alleged breaches of the codes.
Members of the Cairngorms National Park Authority must meet those expectations by ensuring that their conduct is above reproach at all times.
The Code of Conduct can be downloaded as a PDF.
David Green is the Convener of the Cairngorms National Park Authority Board. A self-employed crofter who has diversified into tourism based on the croft, he lives in Ross and Cromarty. He was a Crofters Commissioner until September 2002, Convener of Highland Council until May 2003 and Chair of the Crofters Commission until March 2007. In June 2007 David was awarded
an OBE for services to Local Government and crofting.
Ministerial appointment.
Eric
Baird is currently Deputy Convener of the Park Authority Board and Convener of the Audit Committee. He is Head Ranger on the Glen Tanar estate, has specialist knowledge of countryside issues and sits on the Board of Governors of the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute.
Ministerial appointment.
Peter Argyle (Scottish Liberal Democrat) has been a councillor since May
1999 and is Ward Councillor for Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside. He is Chair of the Infrastructure Services Committee and a past Chair of the Scrutiny and Audit Committee. He previously served on the CNPA Board from March 2003 until September 2004 and was reappointed in March 2009. He is Chair of Mid Deeside Limited in Aboyne and is on the Board of Royal Deeside Partnership.
Nominated by Aberdeenshire Council and approved by the Minister.
Cllr Francis
(Stuart) Black (Highland Council - Scottish Liberal Democrat) is a board member of North Areas Board of Scottish Natural Heritage and Chairman of Explore Abernethy, a community project involving the creation of a local footpath network. He serves on a number of Highland Council's committees, is a former member of the Cairngorms Partnership Board and has been a Strathspey hill farmer for over 40 years.
Nominated by Highland Council and approved by the Minister.
Geva Blackett was elected for Ward 5. She is passionate about the people of the Park and the wildlife & countryside that provide the economic, cultural and social backdrop to our lives. As a Board Member she works hard for the future of our iconic, managed landscapes so that local people, living in local houses can do local jobs.
Directly elected to represent Ward 5.
Duncan
Bryden is a self employed Rural Development consultant with a professional ecological background. He has undertaken a wide range of recreational and tourism-related activities within the Park.
Ministerial appointment.
Cllr Jacqueline (Jaci) Douglas (Highland Council) was elected to Highland Council in May 2007 as an Independent councillor. Jaci returned to Scotland in 2003, having lived and worked abroad for a number of years, and lives and works in Grantown-on-Spey. She was a founding member and organiser of the Cairngorms Farmers Market and worked for Grantown Initiative, an organisation which seeks to support local community groups. Jaci sits on the council's Education, Culture and Sport Committee and Gaelic Committee. She is on the Housing and Social Work Strategic Committee at Highland Council and is Children's Champion for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey as well as Transitions Champion for Highlands.
Nominated by Highland Council and approved by the Minister.
Cllr David Fallows (Highland Council) was elected to Highland Council in May 2007 and became a Board Member in September 2007. He sits on the Council's Housing and Social Work, TEC Services and Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Planning Committees, as well as the Highland and Islands Joint Fire Board. He also represents the council on the Highland Disability Sport Committee and the Speyside Way Management Group. He is a member of the Park Authority's Finance Committee and a Park-nominated Director of the Cairngorms Outdoor Access Trust. He also writes on, and photographs, the sport of Shinty for the Strathspey and Badenoch Herald and is Chair of the area shinty coaching committee.
Nominated by Highland Council and approved by the Minister.
Lucy
Grant is a partner in the family livestock farm and has developed a good general knowledge of the area's issues.
Ministerial appointment.
Cllr Andrew (Drew) Hendry (Highland Council) was elected as a Highland Councillor in May 2007. He has an established background in senior retail and manufacturing management and has worked at Director level with a multinational company before setting up his own Business in 1999. He is chair of the council's Planning, Environment and Development Committee and sits on the Education, Culture and Sport Committee.
Nominated by Highland Council and approved by the Minister.
Cllr Marcus Humphrey (Aberdeenshire Council - Scottish Conservative) is a Chartered Surveyor who has been involved in farming, forestry, tourism and land management in the Park area. He is currently Deputy Provost of Aberdeenshire Council and Vice-Chairman of the Council's Infrastructure Services Committee.
Nominated by Aberdeenshire Council and approved by the Minister.
Robert Kinnaird from Kingussie, is Principal, Glenmore Lodge - Sportscotland's national outdoor training centre based at Glenmore. He is chair of the National Park branding group and member of the Local Outdoor Access Forum. He holds both an international mountain leader licence and international ski instructor's licence.
Ministerial appointment.
Eleanor
Mackintosh was elected for Ward 4 and is Convener of the Finance Committee. She lives in Glenlivet and helps at home on the farm having previously been a financial adviser with the Clydesdale Bank. She serves on various community groups.
Directly elected to represent Ward 4.
Cllr Ian Mackintosh (Angus Council) is a farmer (third generation) and member for Kirriemuir and Dean ward. At present, Ian is a member of NFUS Environment and Land Use Committee and has been president of Angus NFU twice. He is a land manager member of Angus Local Access Forum. Ian has over 14 years experience in local government; is Depute Leader of the Council, Convener of the Council's Civic Licensing Committee and Convener of the Tayside Police Joint Board and is a member of Angus Community Planning Partnership. Ian is a member of the River Tay Basin Management Area Advisory Group.
Nominated by Angus Council and approved by the Minister.
Anne
MacLean OBE has an interest in Human Resource issues, disability rights and awareness and is a board member of the Highland Society for Blind People, the Royal National Institute of the Blind Scotland. She served as an Assessor for the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland for six years until June 2006. In January 2009 she was appointed Convener of the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland. She Chairs the CNPA Staffing and Recruitment Committee and sits on the Staff Consultative Forum.
Ministerial appointment.
Alastair
MacLennan was born in Grantown-on-Spey and is a farmer who has diversified into tourism and other business ventures. Being a demonstration farmer since 2000, he has been at the forefront of the LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) initiative and is a director of the Cairngorms Farmers Market Association. He sits on the National Access Forum, Cairngorms FWAG (Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group), and the National Farmers Union's Land Use and Environment Committee. He is Chairman of the Cairngorms Farmers Market Association and was previously a board member with the Cairngorms Partnership.
Ministerial appointment.
Mary McCafferty was elected for Ward 3 and has a thirty year professional background in education. She is a Justice of the Peace and currently serves on the Bench at Badenoch & Strathspey District Court. She is a member of the Community Council and works closely with a number of local agencies, is a Trustee and secretary of the Dulnain Bridge Village Hall and administrator for Dulnain Bridge Community Company. She has also been involved with the Sunshine Club for twenty five years and is a member of Grantown Twinning Association.
Directly elected to represent Ward 3.
William McKenna was elected for Ward 2. He worked locally in the skiing business for over 20 years and is a part-time ranger on the Rothiemurchus Estate. He is currently involved with Aviemore Community Company, the Citizens Advice Information Service and CRAGG (Cairngorms Rothiemurchus and Glenmore Group) as a member of the community association.
Directly elected to represent Ward 2.
Cllr Fiona Murdoch (Moray Council) was brought up on a farm outside Dufftown in Moray. Previously a partner in the family farm business, Fiona also worked as a journalist for twenty years. In more recent years, Fiona has run several businesses, including a holiday cottage business, a small printing firm, a specialist whisky shop and was one of the original instigators of Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. Fiona was elected as independent councillor for the Speyside-Glenlivet ward in May 2007.
Nominated by Moray Council and approved by the Minister.
Andrew
Rafferty was elected for Ward 1 and is the principal vet in the Strathspey Veterinary Centre. He lives on a smallholding near Aviemore and is a director of Laggan Forest Trust.
Directly elected to represent Ward 1.
Gregor Rimell councillor Badenoch and Strathspey. Since 1992 he has been sub postmaster in Kingussie. He lives at Newtonmore.
Nominated by Highland Council and approved by the Minister.
Cllr Richard
Stroud (Aberdeenshire Council - Liberal Democrat) previously worked with the Community Education Service in the Upper Deeside/Donside areas and has considerable contact with community organisations and individuals in these areas through his professional work. He is Chair of Aberdeenshire Councils Education, Learning and Leisure Committee. He is an active mountaineer and ski mountaineer.
Nominated by Aberdeenshire Council and approved by the Minister.
Susan
Walker OBE is a specialist in water and land. She is currently a board member of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Chair of its North Region Board. She is an adviser to the Deer Commission for Scotland and the Grampian Area of Scottish Natural Heritage and a member of Waterwatch Scotland.
Ministerial appointment.