We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of governance across all areas of our work. Our voluntary Board of Directors is responsible for our strategic development and governance oversight.
Dawson Stelfox MBE
Chairperson
Well known for the first Irish ascent of Mount Everest in 1993, Dawson is a mountaineer with a strong affinity to the natural environment. He is widely respected for his insightful and balanced views. An architect by profession, Dawson is a past Chair and current board member of Mountaineering Ireland.
Reg Magowan MBE
Director
Reg spent his career in the private sector retiring early from the position of Senior Computer Project Manager in a large international manufacturing company.
He has a life-long interest in the outdoors. His voluntary involvement has included Chair of Hostelling International NI, Chair of the Ulster Federation of Rambling Clubs, and assisting with Duke of Edinburgh expeditions. He is currently a Ranger with Outdoor Recreation NI. He served as the Chair of Governors of a large Belfast Grammar School for many years and as a Governor of a Belfast Primary School.
Reg is a regular hill-walker in NI and Europe and has completed many of the long distance trails in the UK. He is an ardent traveller having visited over 140 countries to date.
Maynard Porter
Director
On retirement from BT as Director of Customer Service, Maynard returned to the University of Ulster to study for a Masters Degree in Business Administration. On conclusion he has taught at both the University of Ulster and the Queens University Management School for some twelve years.
He is a keen outdoor walker with a lifelong interest in young people and holds a number of volunteer positions within the Scout Movement.
Maynard has a continuing interest in fitness training, has an interest in cycling and is a member of several cycling groups.
Ross Millar
Director
Ross Millar
Ross is a qualified Surveyor and Town Planner who also holds a Master’s Degree based on research on the Strategic Management of ‘Protected Areas’ for Recreation, Amenity and Tourism. Ross headed the Access and Recreation Unit within the former Environment and Heritage Service of the Department of the Environment (NI) and in that role was involved in numerous practical management issues. Ross also has a Degree in Public Administration and Policy and has extensive experience of that sector.
David Hughes
Director
David is a Chartered Civil Engineer, lately retired as Head of Civil Engineering from Queen’s University Belfast. He continues to act as a Consultant Engineer, recently working on projects in Uganda and more locally with Amey and Translink on geotechnical assets management on the rail network. He has a long-standing interest in multi-modal transport and was a past Chairman of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation. He has worked across the globe, mainly on road infrastructure projects, in locations such as Africa, Nepal, SE Asia and South America.
John Hewitt
Director
John has over 30 years’ experience in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) consulting. He has acted as a strategic advisor to both Ordnance Survey’s in Ireland as well as developing GIS Strategies for a number of public sector bodies in the UK and Ireland. He has led projects that have won UK IT Awards as well as Esri’s Special Achievement in GIS Awards. Most recently he acted as Principal Consultant for Sport Ireland on their Get Ireland Active programme. He has a keen interest in the outdoors, enjoys hill-walking and loves to tell stories about our cultural, natural and built heritage through maps. He is also a committee member of the Association of Geographic Information (AGI) in Northern Ireland and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
Edel Trainor
Director
Edel has studied Environmental Science (BSc), Environmental Engineering (PGDip) and Town and Country Planning (MA).  She worked as a Town and Country Planner in Planning Service Headquarters Environmental Unit, then in a local Divisional Planning Office, before moving to a local Council following the Review of Public Administration. A number of years ago she took up a new role as an Outdoor Recreation Officer in a local Council and is actively involved in delivering recreation infrastructure and facilities in that Council area.
She has volunteered for the National Trust for many years and served on their Regional Advisory Group in Northern Ireland. She also volunteers as part of the Heart of Down Reds Squirrel Group. In her spare time, she enjoys sea kayaking and also hill walking on the island of Ireland and abroad such as Nepal, Peru, Morocco and New Zealand.