Caledonia Housing Association announces new Chair
A further four new board members were appointed at the annual general meeting.
Alan Nairn has been a Board Member since 2017 and has served as vice-chair of the association for the past two years. He worked in health and local government for over 25 years within the corporate services area, primarily focussing on IT, governance and regulation. Mr Nairn replaces Penny Coburn who has retired after 13 years serving on the Board.
Mr Nairn said: "This is an exciting and pivotal time for Caledonia Housing Association. We have an ambitious programme of work, which includes extensive activities in new build housing and our ongoing business transformation journey, all focused towards our mission of sustainable homes, flexible services and vibrant communities".
A further four new Board members have been appointed:
Tim Goddard is a chartered surveyor with 20 years’ experience in student housing, developing and acquiring portfolios across the UK. He is also the founder of a student management business where the student is at the centre of the customer experience journey. His experience in Scotland includes supporting a primary care developer to build new GP surgeries in several Scottish towns.
Douglas McLaren is a senior civil servant at the Scottish Government, where he has held several policy roles for over ten years, having worked previously in London for the UK Government. Prior to that he was a chartered civil engineer working mainly in private-sector consultancy in the water and wastewater sector.
Derek Robertson has over 30 years’ experience in the charity sector. He has led six charities and been a director of the British Red Cross. For the last 16 year he has been involved in environmental projects. Derek has a keen interest in social justice, community development, sustainable development, climate change, social exclusion and placemaking.
Lorna Williamson is a solicitor with 15 years’ experience. She has worked in private practice and in the public sector – including a spell with Inverclyde Council - and has established her own firm specialising in the UK energy sector. She has worked as part of a multi-disciplinary team spanning technical, financial, operational and/or commercial expertise. Lorna is particularly interested in how social housing can improve people’s chances in life.
Julie Cosgrove, Chief Executive, said: “At a governance level, having the right mix of skills and experience is vital, particularly given the persistence of pandemic and the measures to combat it. Our new Board members are already delivering new ideas and expertise and are a welcome addition as we deliver Caledonia’s ambitions.
“We will continue to focus on ensuring that we are responsive to the needs of our customers, with more channels to access our people or services. We will be seeking detailed feedback from customers to identify areas for further improvement and future investment as we work to support Scotland’s ‘net zero’ targets.”
Pictured: Julie Cosgrove, Chief Executive, Caledonia Housing Association