Rural Action is delighted to announce the immediate appointment of five new board members, bringing a wealth of skills and experience to the organisation.
The new appointees – Joanna Gray, James Healy, Anne Marie McAleese, Louise McLaughlin-Borlace and Ruth Megahey, join the board at an exciting time, as Rural Action continues its focus on supporting grassroots communities through the design, development and delivery of a range of projects and programmes.
These appointments complete the Board and join existing Board members, Tracey McNally, Kim Addis, Professor Maura Farrell, Shaun Henry and Allen McAdam.
Speaking about the recruitment process, Chairperson, Tracey McNally, commented ‘We were overwhelmed with the response to our recent Board recruitment process and delighted that so many excellent candidates expressed interest to join us as we continue our work to achieve our vision for rural communities. The new members join us at a pivotal time, when we continue to deliver strategic programmes, prepare to launch new projects; and of course, continue with our own Rural Action Awards, which whilst modest, have been received so well across rural communities and are helping to support those communities to make things happen locally”.
The new appointees to the Rural Action board are as follows:
Joanna Gray has over 20 years’ experience delivering major public sector projects and programmes across the culture, arts, and sports sectors. An accredited project manager, Joanna brings experience in governance, programme delivery, risk and change management, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning.
James Healy 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, in which he is responsible for the implementation and smooth operation of various strategic ICT based systems. He brings significant experience in corporate governance, risk management, financial reporting and analysis
Anne Marie McAleese presented the award-winning Your Place and Mine programme on BBC Radio Ulster between 1991 and 2025. She is a Trustee with several bodies, a volunteer with the British Red Cross and a keen writer, having completed one book and currently completing a second, based on her travels in County Fermanagh. She also continues to write regular columns about her adventures in Fermanagh and the people she has met for the Impartial Reporter newspaper.
Louise McLaughlin-Borlace has a background in medical research, working for 5 years 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 worked in a variety of community development roles in local government for several years and has just recently taken up a new post in the charity sector, in Galway.
Ruth Megahey 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’s current work in the youth sector involves oversight of daily operations, governance, safeguarding and membership. She is keen to ensure the voices and needs of Northern Irelands rural youth are heard and met
ENDS
Notes to the Editor:
1. Photos captions:
The current Board of Rural Action – back row (L – R): Anne Marie McAleese, Joanna Gray, Allen McAdam, James Healy, Ruth Megahey; front row (L – R): Kim Addis, Shaun Henry, Tracey McNally, Prof. Maura Farrell. Missing from photo – Louise McLaughlin-Borlace.
2. Rural Action was formed in 2019 as a not-for-profit social purpose company and became a registered charity in March 2022. It was established to meet an identified need for a regional delivery organisation with a focus on supporting grassroots communities. It seeks to make a positive contribution to the everyday lives of rural communities.
3. Our ambition to achieve this is not only through the work we do for others, but in our capacity as a not-for-profit charitable organisation to give back, to support and inspire rural communities to design, deliver and implement practical projects.