MEET THE BOARD
We are passionate about the work of Rural Action and that is why we volunteer our time
Allen McAdam – Chairperson
Allen is recognised as an experienced and influential advisor in the field of rural and local development in the border region. He is also a part time farmer and entrepreneur having established an iot Business in both Ireland and the US. Allen is a former Board Member of the Ulster Scots Agency, the North South Language Body and a former national Chairman of the Irish LEADER Network, CEO of Cavan Monaghan LEADER and represented Ireland for several years at EU monitoring committee level. He holds a number voluntary and community roles and is a former member of numerous national and cross border bodies including the International Fund for Ireland. Allen joined the Board of Rural Action in April 2022 and was appointed Chairperson in September 2025.
Shaun Henry
Shaun has over 20 years’ experience at senior management in the public sector in Northern Ireland. Shaun had previous extensive experience in the design, delivery and monitoring of EU structural funds and cross border programmes, including rural development. Earlier in his career he spent a number of years working in East Africa and Romania working on people focused development initiatives. Shaun joined the Board of Rural Action in January 2020.
Kim Addis
Kim is retired from Bank of Ireland where she worked as a senior lawyer in Bank of Ireland’s UK legal team supporting a number of different business areas and departments. Prior to joining Bank of Ireland in 2009, Kim worked in private practice for over 10 years with law firms in Belfast, Dublin and London advising on banking and financial services law. Kim is originally from Dublin but moved to Northern Ireland nearly 25 years ago. Married with two grown up children, Kim is a keen (if clueless) gardener. She also enjoys learning languages, cooking, swimming and reading. Kim joined the Board of Rural Action in March 2023.
Joanna Gray
Joanna has over 20 years’ experience delivering major public sector projects and programmes across the culture, arts, and sports sectors. She currently heads The Northern Ireland Football Fund, an Executive commitment focused on modernising local football facilities. She previously led the Department for Communities’ Covid Response Programme supporting organisations and individuals during the pandemic. An accredited project manager, Joanna brings experience in governance, programme delivery, risk and change management, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning. Joanna joined the Board of Rural Action in April 2025.
James Healy
James has over 20 years’ experience in local government specialising in the development and management of funding programmes with the aim of financially supporting community-based projects and events. James has recently moved into the field of Business Systems, responsible for the implementation and smooth operation of various strategic ICT based systems, such as resource planning and customer relationship management packages. James also has significant experience in corporate governance, risk management, financial reporting and analysis. Originally from the Glens of Antrim, James now lives in south Co Derry/Londonderry with his wife and two young children and is very aware of the challenges faced by rural communities. James has volunteered for various community and charitable organisations, including serving on the crew of a lifeboat, parish committees and Board of Governors. In his free time, James is a keen ‘techie’ and is a fair-weather runner. James joined the Board of Rural Action in April 2025.
Anne Marie McAleese
Anne Marie is from Portstewart, County Derry and presented the award-winning Your Place and Mine programme on BBC Radio Ulster between 1991 and 2025. She is a Trustee with the Ulster Historical Foundation, an Ambassador for Leukaemia Lymphoma Northern Ireland, a volunteer with the British Red Cross and a member of the Golf Committee at Portstewart Golf Club. Her first book was called Homebirds and was published in 2022 and she is currently completing her second, Love Letters to the Lakelands, based on her travels in County Fermanagh. She continues to write regular columns about her adventures in Fermanagh and the people she has met for the Impartial Reporter newspaper. In between her commitments she continues to attempt to master the game of golf which she fell in love with at the age of nine on a summer’s day in Portstewart. Anne Marie joined the Board of Rural Action in April 2025.
Louise McLaughlin-Borlace
Louise has a background in medical research, working for 5 years at the Institute of Ophthalmology in London. On moving to Fermanagh, Louise has been involved in a number of community and voluntary organisations, both at Board level and as a voluntary member. Louise is the current Chair of Fermanagh Rural Community Network.
Louise worked in a variety of community development roles in local government for 11 years, was seconded to the Department of Finance for a year to help with a community based project and as Operations Manager with Early Years, the organisation for young children. Louise has just recently taken up a new post in the charity sector, in Galway. Louise joined the Board of Rural Action in April 2025.
Ruth Megahey
Ruth joins the Board as a Board Apprentice. She has over ten years experience in a range of industries within the UK and Australia, combined with a degree in Engineering with Marketing, Management and Human Resources. Ruth joined Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster in May 2021 as an Analyst and is the current Business Services Manager. She works closely with the whole HQ team, ensuring the continual progression and development of the organisation and oversees daily operations, governance, safeguarding and membership. She also sits on two central committees; Travel and Wellbeing & Development, to facilitate discussions and ensure the voices and needs of Northern Irelands rural youth are heard and met. She is a travel enthusiast and always likes to have a holiday booked so she can explore new countries and destinations, and enjoys listening to live music and reading in her spare time. Ruth joined the Board of Rural Action in April 2025.
Joe Greaney
Now a sheep farmer in his native Mayo, Joe has a 40-plus year career of pioneering and leadership in Rural and Regional Development across the Island of Ireland and in several regions around the world. A pioneer and founding partner of the major Innovation Enablers well away from the cities of Ireland (e.g.Seed Funds, Private Equity Networks, Tech Incubation, Cross Border BIC), Joe has led the Public Private Partnership role in building out Value in the SME and Start-Up market at a Regional, All-Island and at EU Level, having served as President of the European BIC Network 2010/11/12. As founding CEO, he built the WestBIC ‘distributed services model bringing holistic, hands-on Innovation support to rural sub-regions across the West and North west A former Technical Support advisor on Innovation and Regional Development to the European Commission, the EBRD, the EIB, PEACE 1 and 2, POBAL, Údarás na Gaeltachta and the IFI, Joe now works voluntarily with several organisations to include the Joyce Country and Western Lakes Geopark, the Stone Mad Storytellers Cross-Border Network, Heritage and Development Community Groups, Comhaltas and Drama groups, the GAA and several others. Joe joined the Board of Rural Action in September 2025.
Damien O’Neill
A native of Clones, Co. Monaghan, Damien has lived in Newtownbutler, Co. Fermanagh for the past 20 years. His experience of border living has enriched his career to date, which has spanned various sectors, including the military, manufacturing, construction, food processing, transport, and government-funded roles in the Community and Voluntary sector. Damien has significant experience in customer service, negotiation, procurement, and training to name but a few. His current role is within rural transport provision where he oversees the administration and operations of a not-for profit passenger transport organisation. Damien currently volunteers on the Board of Governors of a local post-primary school and believes it is an honour to serve the community, echoing Mahatma Gandhi’s wisdom: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Damien joined the Board of Rural Action in September 2025.