About Us - Board Members

The Ulster-Scots Agency Board Members

An eight member Board, including the Chairperson, has been appointed by the North-South Ministerial Council to oversee and guide the operations of the Agency.

The Board is responsible for ensuring that the statutory functions and the strategic plans of the Agency are implemented in an effective and efficient manner. Accordingly, the Board will:

Provide advice to Ministers and the North-South Ministerial Council on major issues of policy and strategy;
Act as a major channel of communication with the Agency's social partners, to ensure the continued relevance of its strategies and policies;
Consider and endorse the Agency's three-year Corporate Plan and the Annual Business Plan before submission to the Departments and the North-South Ministerial Council;
Be responsible to the Ministers through the Departments for the achievement of the Agency's targets; to Endeavor to ensure that adequate resources are made available to fulfill the Board's duties and responsibilities.

Chairman - Mark Thompson

Mark Thompson was appointed to the Board of the Agency in June 2005 and then as Chair in October 2005. The 36 year old has been actively involved with grassroots Ulster-Scots groups since his early twenties, and comes from the native speaking area of the Ards Peninsula in County Down.

In his professional capacity, Mark is a graduate of the University of Ulster and has a 15-year-old career in the communications industry, having worked for AndersonSpratt Group, GCAS Group (where he was a board director and Managing Director GCAS Design for six years) and the AV Browne Group. He is presently a freelance design consultant; his work includes the corporate identity for the Northern Ireland government departments.

Mark has built up an extensive personal library of Ulster-Scots and Scotch-Irish literature, a wide collection of Ulster-Scots cultural ephemera and has a particular interest in the Hamilton & Montgomery Settlement of 1606. He was a founder member of the “Low Country Boys”, a successful old-time hillbilly/Ulster-Scots gospel group, who have performed across Ulster, in Scotland and at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington DC as part of the "ReDiscover Northern Ireland" programme in July 2007.

Mark is married to Hilary, and they have three children – Jacob Samuel, Charlie Dalgliesh and Maggie Jane.

Board Member - Dr. Ian Adamson

A retired Doctor of Medicine and Community Paediatrician, Dr Adamson, 63, is also well known in Northern Ireland for his political, civic and cultural work. His Ulster-Scots credentials are impeccable – he is founder Chair of The Ulster-Scots Language Society, and remains a Vice-President. In 1992 he published, with David Adamson, the Folk Poets of Ulster series, thus initiating the modern Ulster-Scots Revival and, in liaison with Professor Robert and Mrs. Penny Gregg, founded the Ulster-Scots (Ullans) Academy. He is the author of many authoritative books on Ulster history, language and culture.

He speaks ten languages, including Ulster-Scots, Lakota Sioux and Swahili.

A serving member of Belfast City Council since 1989, he was Lord Mayor in 1996.

He is President of Belfast Civic Trust, founder Chair of the Somme Association, founder Secretary and former Chair of the Farset Youth and Community Development, Belfast. Dr Adamson is also a former member of the Boards of many other local public sector and voluntary organisations, including the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, the Ulster Museum, the Titanic Trust, the Eastern Health and Social Services Board, the Ultach Trust and a serving Brother, Venerable Order of St John of Jerusalem. He is presently the Personal Historical Adviser to the First Minister of Northern Ireland, Rev Dr Ian R K Paisley, MP, MLA.

Board Member - Aileen Douglas

Aileen Douglas was appointed to the Board in December 2007.

Aileen is from Dublin and was educated at Trinity College Dublin and in the United States. She now teaches in the School of English, TCD, where she specialises in eighteenth-century literature. She has a particular interest in Irish and Scottish writing.

Board Member – Angela Graham

Angela Graham was appointed to the Board in December 2007.

Angela from Drum, County Monaghan is employed as a Development Worker with Clones Community Forum in a cross community peace project based in the border town of Clones since 1999.

In a voluntary capacity she is Treasurer of Clones Erne East Special Olympics Network and is a Director of Drum Village Development Association whose primary aim is to provide quality, affordable, community childcare for all. She is also a member of the Sustainable Peace Project through the Glencree Centre for Reconciliation, Co. Wicklow and has travelled to South Africa with this group. She has been a member of Drum Accordion Band for over 30 years and has been instrumental in organising Ulster-Scots Festivals in the area over the past few years.

Angela is married to Esmond and they have three children, Adam, Lewis and Catherine, who all get actively involved on the family farm.

Board Member – William Humphrey

William Humphrey was appointed to the Board in December 2007.

William is Director of the Ulster Scots Heritage Council, the representative body of the Ulster Scots community. A founding member of the Citadel Ulster Scots Society, William represents the Ulster Scots Heritage Council on the Ulster Scots Academy Implementation Group.

William has considerable experience of the private sector, having worked for many years in Chemical industry. A member of Belfast City Council, William served as High Sheriff of Belfast in 2006 and is currently vice-Chairman of the influential Development committee at City Hall.

William is a life long member of the Scout Movement and is currently a member of the Northern Ireland Scout Council and District Commissioner for West Belfast.

Mr Humphrey is a Vice Chairman of Belfast Orangefest and a Director of the Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau.

Board Member – William Leathem

William Leathem was appointed to the Board in December 2007.

William is currently a serving member of Lisburn City Council representing the Lisburn Town North Ward. He has been a councillor since 2005 and sits on the council's Environmental Services, Leisure Service committee and is currently Chairman of the Planning Committee.

William is an active member of the Loyal Orders a former County Grand Secretary of County Antrim Grand Orange Lodge.

Cllr Leathem is a member of three local Lisburn School Board of Governors and has long been interested in community development, particularly in the Magheragall area where he lives. A married man, he has long been interested in Ulster-Scots history and culture particularly in the promotion of the Ulster-Scots music. He is chairman and founding member of Magheragall Pipe band were he plays the bagpipes.

Board Member – Jacqui Reed

Jacqui Reed was appointed to the Board in December 2007.

Jacqui is from Newtowncunningham , having returned back home four years ago after working away for approximately sixteen years. She has two Daughters Holly 13 and Aoife 10.

Jacqui works in the field of Complementary Medicine as an Aroma therapist/ Reflexologist and in other area’s that complement these treatments. She also owns a Holistic Health Shop and Coordinates, Lectures and Facilitates Alternative health workshops and events,

Jacqui also is a writer and poet and in Glass Apple writers circle in Letterkenny, Co Donegal with a keen interest in storytelling and Ulster-Scots history, music and Language.

Board Member – William Roulston

William Roulston was appointed to the Board in December 2007.

William is Research Director of the Ulster Historical Foundation. He is a native of Bready, County Tyrone, and has worked with the local Ulster Scots association there on a number of projects includng the creation of the Bready Ancestry website and accompanying exhibition for the new cultural centre in the village.

He has researched and written on a number of aspects of the history of Ulster in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. He is the author of Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors (2005) and is currently working on a book on the archaeology of the Scottish settlements in early 17th-century Ulster.