Park Authority Board

Chris Beattie

Chris Beattie is the Angus Council representative on the CNPA Board. He is a ward councillor for the Brechin and Edzell Ward which covers part of the Angus Glens. With degrees in Zoology and Wildlife Management and Conservation he has also worked as an ecologist and has been a Countryside Ranger.

Geva Blackett

Geva Blackett has lived in Braemar for almost thirty years. Having served as a directly elected Board Member she is now an Aberdeenshire Council nominee to the Board. Geva is the only Aberdeenshire councillor who actually lives in the Park and is serving her third Council term representing the 800sq mile Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside Ward, which includes both the Lecht and Glenshee ski centres. Low-cost housing– particularly for local, young people – is high on Geva’s agenda as is tourism and the economy. She is passionate about the wildlife & countryside that provide the economic, cultural and social backdrop to the lives of those who live and work in the Park and believes strongly that community capacity building is key to the Park’s sustainable future.

Sandy Bremner

Sandy Bremner is Chair of the River Dee Trust, working with land managers, conservation organisations, and the people who live and work in the National Park, to deliver one of the biggest nature-restoration projects in the Cairngorms.
He has a strong focus on working with communities, and a determination that nature and people should thrive at a time of major challenges for both.
Sandy’s work on nature conservation follows a career as an award-winning journalist and broadcaster, living in North East Scotland. He has a passionate interest in how policies affect people and nature in rural areas. Sandy led a successful campaign to enhance national grant aid for river-restoration projects to help ecosystems and communities.
He has experience as a negotiator at national and international level on media-freedom issues. His overseas work has included advising Myanmar’s state broadcaster on the transition from dictatorship, and helping to free jailed journalists in Turkey.
In his free time, Sandy is a keen fly-fisher, hillwalker and lover of contemporary and traditional music.

Jackie Brierton MBE

Jackie Brierton is CEO of GrowBiz Scotland – an award-winning enterprise development organisation supporting rural businesses and communities across Scotland. She is a passionate advocate for Scotland’s diverse rural economy and is currently one of SRUC’s ‘entrepreneurs in residence’. She has more than 35 years experience in business, enterprise and policy development, including a period advising the UK Government’s DTi Small Business Service. She founded Women’s Enterprise Scotland and chaired the Rural Perth and Kinross CLLD/LEADER programme for 6 years. Among a number of personal awards, she was included in the Saltire Society’s ‘Outstanding Women of Scotland’ in 2019. Jackie was on the Scottish Government’s National Council of Rural Advisers and was also a member of its Advisory Council for Economic Transformation. She is currently Chair of Perth & Kinross’s Local Employability Partnership and co-Chair of the newly formed Perth & Kinross Business Partnership. In her spare time she enjoys playing football, supporting St Johnstone. singing and walking her dogs.

Peter Cosgrove

Peter Cosgrove has lived and worked in the Cairngorms since 1998. He is Managing Director of Alba Ecology Ltd., an ecological consultancy specialising surveying and advising public, private and third sector clients on land-use and biodiversity conservation issues. Pete has worked with many of the key Cairngorms partners for decades, right back to the inception of the national park. Much of his work has sought to demonstrate and communicate that climate change threatens livelihoods and important biodiversity across the Cairngorms, and it requires urgent action from many individuals, businesses, and organisations across the park and beyond to tackle the climate crisis effectively.
In 2014 Pete was awarded the RSPB’s 2014 Nature of Scotland Species Champion Award for his conservation and research work on the endangered freshwater pearl mussel under the auspices of a project entitled ‘Mollusc of the Glen’! When not up to his waist in a river looking for his favourite species, Pete likes hill-walking, hill loch fishing, birding, malt whisky and music.

Kenny Deans

Kenny Deans was born in Ardgay, Sutherland and was raised in Edinburgh before taking up a teaching post at Kingussie High where he pursued his career in Education over a 34 year period.

He was involved as a senior commissioner for Scouting in the North of Scotland; Chair of the Badenoch & Strathspey Sports Council and Branch Secretary for the EIS for some years.

An award winning sports coach and community leader he is currently a Director with Kingussie Community Development Company.

An outdoor enthusiast who skis, bikes and climbs Ken is a keen gardener and allotment holder.

Russell Jones

Russell Jones is an Independent Councillor, elected in May 2022, representing ward 20 Badenoch and Strathspey.
A member of the Joint Administration Group he serves on Highland Council’s South Area Planning Committee, Economy and Infrastructure committee, Redesign Board and Audit and Scrutiny committee.
He works in Kingussie as manager of a renewable energy electricity generation plant and has spent most of his working life in civil works and plant hire.
Proud to have been brought up and to live in this area, enjoying the benefits and opportunities of our outdoor lifestyle. A former shinty player and President of Kingussie Camanachd Club, began skiing on Cairngorm in the 1970’s and likes mountain biking, running and walking in local hills. In recent years a passion for self - supported endurance cycling has taken him to the USA to compete in the coast to coast Trans Am bike race, North Cape to Tarifa race across Europe and closer to home the Highland Trail 550 mountain bike race, amongst others. Russell would love to see a joined up Active Travel and Public Transport network across the CNP area to better serve local communities and visitors.

Paul Edward Gibb

Paul Gibb is the community representative for Ward 5 - Aberdeenshire/Angus/Perth & Kinross.
Paul is a geologist and has worked in the oil and gas industry for over 30 years. Currently resident in Aberdeenshire, Paul has lived for a significant number of years on continental Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Paul’s experience managing his own business and his time as an Aberdeenshire Councillor, has given him a broad understanding of the needs of residents and businesses. He is keen to support the local economy, including addressing areas such as affordable housing and improved transport links, and he is interested in exploring options for improved long-term catchment management for both the Dee and the Don rivers.

Hannah Grist

Hannah Grist is a Lecturer in Socio-Environmental Systems at Scotland's Rural College, and Deputy Programme Director of the University of Edinburgh MSc in Environmental Management and Protection. She is a researcher in ecology and the environment, with experience in conservation and climate change. She also has a strong background in science communication, stakeholder engagement and citizen science, interested in how people create, learn and benefit from scientific knowledge and understanding.

Hannah is driven by building positive relationships as a Member of the Board to connect and protect our landscapes and rural communities. A keen mountain wanderer, she is passionate about the nature and heritage of the Cairngorms.

John Kirk

John Kirk is elected to represent Ward 3. He farms 750ha at Nethybridge with his wife Anne. They run an agricultural and plant hire business and a builder’s merchants with shops in Aviemore employing 30 people so are aware of the pressures businesses face in the area. Enjoys playing bowls to relax and is chairman of the Bothy newspaper. Served on NFU and is currently Showground Convener of Strathspey Farmers Club which is one of the Cairngorms National Parks biggest one-day events. Been involved with fundraising in Nethybridge for Christmas lights and Defibrillators. Loves the area and would love to see the wildlife improve for future generations.

Bill Lobban

Bill Lobban has been the Elected Member for Badenoch & Strathspey for 10 years and he and his family have lived in Aviemore for over 40 years. Since 2017 Bill has served as Convener of the Highland Council, having been appointed for a second term following the 2022 Local Elections.

Bill is currently Chair of the Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee and is a substantive member of the Council’s Communities and Place Committee, Corporate Resources Committee, Pensions Committee, Appeals & Disputes Committee, Central Safety Committee and the South Planning Applications Committee. Bill is also a substitute member of the Highlands and Western Isles Valuation Joint Board.
In addition to the above, Bill is also a Chair of the Council’s Redesign Board.
As Convener of the Highland Council, Bill is a Commissioner of the Northern Lighthouse Board.

In 2019 Bill was appointed as a Director of Cairngorms Mountain Scotland Ltd and is also an adviser to the Board of Grantown Museum.

Steve Micklewright

Steve Micklewright is an ecologist and has worked in nature conservation for over thirty years. He has a diverse range of experience including working as a botanical surveyor in south west England, undertaking community led wildlife projects and campaigns in Bristol and campaigning against illegal bird hunting in Malta. He is currently CEO of Trees for Life and Convenor of the Scottish Rewilding Alliance. He lives close to the National Park and aims to bring his diverse experience in nature conservation, community development as well as the recent pioneering work of Trees for Life to support the strategy and plans of the national park, especially with regard to nature restoration and its benefit to the community.

Duncan Miller

Duncan Miller is a fourth generation Strathspey farmer. He has lived in the Cairngorms National Park for most of his life. Duncan Miller has a keen interest in sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices that can help boost biodiversity and cut down on a farm's carbon footprint. On his farm, he has been working with a conservationist to see if changing some farming practices can help increase biodiversity on the farm and also help maintain or boost the farm’s profitability. Duncan Miller is keen on finding solutions that can be a win for biodiversity, a win for the environment and a win for farm profitability.

Lauren MacCallum

Lauren MacCallum is the community representative for Ward 2.

Lauren MacCallum is a dynamic and passionate advocate for community and climate action. In her role as Managing Director of Protect Our Winters UK, Lauren takes a leading position in mobilising the outdoor sports community for climate action.
With a career spanning both the literary and broadcast realms, Lauren is also an
accomplished author and broadcaster, contributing their expertise and insights to the BBC and award-winning environmental and social films. Lauren’s ability to communicate complex issues in a relatable and compelling manner has made her a sought-after voice in the world of climate communication.
Lauren is passionate about our communities in the park and believes they have the answers to the many challenges we face, and those solutions need to be championed so that nature and people can thrive together."
When not filming, writing or working Lauren is a keen snowboarder, splitboarder, mountain biker and loves rugby union. She also loves walking her whippet Whisky in our amazing hills

Eleanor Mackintosh

Eleanor Mackintosh was elected for Ward 4. She was born and brought up in Glenlivet and continues to live there. Eleanor and husband ran a family farm on Glenlivet Estate which has now been taken over by their son. She spent 25 years working with the Clydesdale Bank latterly as a Financial Advisor. She serves on various community groups including the Tomintoul and Glenlivet Heritage Lottery Landscape Project Board. Directly elected to represent Ward 4.

Dr Fiona McLean

Dr Fiona McLean has extensive experience as an academic leader, with an international reputation for research and teaching in cultural heritage and tourism marketing. She was previously Professor of Cultural Heritage Management at Glasgow Caledonian University and before that, Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Stirling. Dr McLean brings a wide range of experience as a Non-Executive Director, and as Vice-Chair of the University of the Highlands and Islands has taken an active role in promoting equal access to research and learning in the Highlands and Islands. As a founding Non-Executive Director with Historic Environment Scotland, she has collectively led on the creation of a new, lead body which champions cultural heritage in Scotland. Ministerial appointment.

Ann Ross

Ann Ross has connection with the area going back generations. She has a deep routed love for the mountain landscape, rivers and glens.

As an experienced councillor, she has a good understanding of governance of operating at a strategic level, a record of delivery for the residents of Aberdeenshire and a commitment to reducing carbon emissions. These competencies would complement the CNPA board, and benefit business, residents and stakeholders of the communities within the park.

Derek Ross

Derek Ross is an Independent Councillor for Ward 1 Speyside Glenlivet at Moray Council since May 2017. He was a teacher and has worked in Moray, Aberdeenshire and Highland and he believes education should play a major part in informing our young people of their rights and responsibilities in a unique environment. His principal interests in the Cairngorms National Park are the promotion of transport, connectivity and tourism and also to enhance the living environment of all those who reside and work in the National Park. He is the nominated representative from the CNPA Board to the Cairngorms Trust Board. As a keen outdoor enthusiast, he also wishes to preserve its distinctive character. Nominated by Moray Council and approved by the Minister.

Mike Williamson

Mike Williamson is a ward councillor for Perth & Kinross Council Ward 4, which covers Southern Boundary on the National Park. He was first elected at a by election in September 2011. With a Diploma in Amenity Horticulture he has also worked as an Gold Course Greenkeeper.