People

Jamie Wilkinson

Chair, member of the Greenmyres Sub-Group and an HDT director of Greenmyres Renewable Energy

Jamie was born in Aberdeen and brought up in the Aberdeenshire countryside. After leaving Alford Academy in 2003 he studied Geography at Glasgow University and then completed a Master’s degree at the University of Aberdeen. Following some time spent working in rural development funding Jamie joined Community Energy Scotland as a Development Officer, supporting community groups develop renewable energy resources. During this period he worked with HDT on the Greenmyres wind and solar projects. In early 2016, Jamie started in a new position as Co-ordinator with a development funding programme for fishing communities in Aberdeenshire. Jamie lives in Glass with his wife, children and two chocolate Labradors.

Rosemary Munro

Member of the Town Centre Sub-Group

Rosemary was born on a farm in Devon and grew up in South Australia. She has lived near Cornhill since 1991. Rosemary spent 50 years working as a diagnostic radiographer mainly in the NHS. During this time she worked in some very well known hospitals and with some inspiring teams of people. The combination of Radiography and wanting to live in the country brought her to Jubilee Hospital and thus her connection to Huntly. Rosemary is interested in a wide variety of outdoor activities, including gardening and walking. She also maintains a lifelong interest in health and well-being. The people of Huntly and District were very welcoming to Rosemary at Jubilee Hospital and she loved working in Huntly. Rosemary much appreciated the kindness shown to her by the people of Huntly and is therefore now glad to be able to give something back by devoting some of her time to the work of the HDT.

Claire Newman

Chair of Town Centre Sub-Group and member of Greenmyres Sub-Group

Claire was born and brought up in Renfrewshire. Following an MA (Gen Arts) at The University of Edinburgh she moved to Aberdeen in 1984 for a post graduate course which led to a job within the sales department of a Norwegian company selling remotely operated vehicles and associated subsea equipment. After 15 months travelling and working overseas, she returned home to work in Edinburgh in office admin before getting married and moving with her husband to Aberdeenshire in 1990. With a desire to bring up their family of 4 boys in a rural area with a good school and offering a diverse range of activities and a strong sense of community, Huntly proved to fit the bill. Claire enjoys walking, cycling, skiing, cooking and gardening.

Graeme Ralph

Member of the Greenmyres Sub-Group

Originally from the north of England Graeme qualified with a BSc in Forestry from Aberdeen University in the mid 80’s. After initially spending time at the sharp end planting trees, building fences and learning all the practical basics of forestry he moved to Aberdeenshire in the late 80’s to take up the role of a timber harvesting manager working in the private sector. He is still working for the same company after 30 years, but is now Operations Director for North Scotland and responsible for all aspects of the company business north of the Central Belt delivering an annual turnover of around £30 million. Graeme has two grown up children; his daughter is a mum and Social Worker with Aberdeen City Council, and his son spends his time driving all forms of mechanised agricultural equipment not just in Aberdeenshire, but also around the world. In his spare time Graeme is an outdoor enthusiast, mountaineering, ski touring and road cycling being his main interests, as well as helping wherever he can with the local community.

Mark Reed

Chair of the Communications Sub-Group

Mark Reed is Professor of Rural Entrepreneurship and Director of the Thriving Natural Capital Challenge Centre at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), and a Visiting Professor at Newcastle University, Birmingham City University and the University of Leeds. He is Research Lead for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s UK Peatland Programme and co-chairs the United Nations Environment Programme Peatland Research Working Group. He was one of the original architects of the Peatland Code, sitting on its Executive Board, and is developing new markets for carbon from agroforestry, saltmarsh and agricultural soils. He advises Scottish Government via roles on the Agricultural Reform Implementation Oversight Board and the Just Transition Commission, and regularly advises other governments, charities, investors and local communities on ecosystem markets. He is CEO of Fast Track Impact, helping researchers around the world use their work to make a difference, based on his book, The Research Impact Handbook, and he has won awards for the non-academic impact of his research.

Bruce Murray

HDT director of Greenmyres Renewable Energy

Raised in the North East of Scotland, Bruce started his career as an accountant and spent several years in that field. In 1989, he established an Aberdeen-based design, print and marketing company to support the oil and gas industry. After 8 successful years and building the business up to 20 personnel, Bruce was invited to join an international print services company and went onto become a Director responsible for UK-wide business development, as well as supporting international projects within a 2,500 strong international team. His career meant weekly commutes from the North East, leaving little time to support family life, including his son’s interest in cross-country skiing. After 13 years, in 2012, Bruce, his artist wife Anne and their son moved to Huntly. Bruce now works as a management consultant supporting businesses throughout the UK with print and marketing project cost control. He is fundraising co-ordinator for the Huntly-based British Nordic Development Squad, which trains and supports athletes aged 12-23 to help develop them into world class athletes competing on the global stage at Winter Olympics and International tournament.

Donald Boyd

Joint General Manager

Donald was born and bred in Huntly, Aberdeenshire. On leaving the town’s Gordon Schools he became a Chartered Surveyor in Aberdeen before working his way through Europe and the Middle East for two years. On his return to the UK, he studied Environment Management and Community Water Supply Engineering for developing countries at Cranfield University. He then worked for a year as a volunteer with a small charity in the Western Highlands of Guatemala installing gravity-fed water systems. A nine-year stint as a project manager with the International Institute for the Urban Environment in Delft, The Netherlands, followed. In 2005, Donald returned to his hometown as Town Coordinator with the Aberdeenshire Towns Partnership (ATP) and completed his MBA with the Open University. He helped establish ATP’s successor, Huntly Development Trust, in 2009 and became its first member of staff. Donald lives in Huntly with his teenage son.

Debbie Haefner

Development Support and Business Administration Manager / Community Minibus Manager

Debbie grew up in Huntly and attended The Gordon Schools. Her past employment history and further education in Administration and Information Management has gained her significant experience within the office admin sector. Debbie was employed as Clerical Officer in 2008 for Huntly Development Trust’s predecessor Aberdeenshire Towns Partnership and has been in her role at HDT since 2012. Living locally, Debbie has a wealth of local knowledge, she volunteers with various groups, and was a Brownie Leader for 15 years, two of those as District Commissioner. Debbie enjoys the great outdoors, her last big adventure was a trek in the Himalayas with Scottish charity Himalayan Initiatives with whom she is a trustee. Debbie enjoys cooking, walking and running.

Carolyn Powell

Joint General Manager and Town Centre Development Manager

Born in Edinburgh, Carolyn returned from many years living in England to live in Scotland in 2016. Carolyn’s has a diverse working background including training as a psychiatric nurse, working in the property sector for 13 years, resulting in becoming Lloyds TSBs first female Area Director. Carolyn set up her own successful design and project management business with two retail outlets in rural Staffordshire and became heavily involved in rural regeneration through involvement with a small community.

Carolyn later worked for the New Economics Foundation followed by many years working in regeneration, economic development, and business support with NEF, BIGLottery and many individuals and organisations in the commercial, creative and third sector.

Jill Andrews

Greenmyres Site Development Manager

Jill was born in Aberdeen and studied Architecture in at the Mackintosh School of Architecture in Glasgow and Scott Sutherland School in Aberdeen. After working for architects in the Outer Hebrides, Skye, North Berwick and Deeside she settled near Huntly over 25 years ago. She started her own Architectural practice in 2002 and specialises in high quality design grounded on sustainable principles. She participated in the Scottish Rural Leadership Scheme in 2020. Her children have all been educated at The Gordon Schools and she participates in many local ventures including Aurora Choir and Productions. She enjoys walking, singing, cycling and swimming.

Mike Gifford

Greenmyres Business & Operations Manager

Mike was born in Aberdeen and attended Keith Grammar school before moving to Glencoe to start his career as an outdoor instructor. After 4 years learning the practical side of the job, he went on to study Outdoor and Leisure Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University where he gained his honours degree. Mike then returned to Aberdeen to work for Aberdeen City Council leading outdoor learning and adventurous activities, specialising in working with pupils with additional support needs.

After several years at ACC he then joined Grampian Fire and Rescue Service while developing his own Adventure Activities, Tourism & Education business. Mike then moved on to become the Adventure Aberdeen manager where he led three teams at Aberdeen dry ski slope, Adventure Aberdeen outdoor centre and Adventure Speyside residential centre.

Mike is a paddle sports, mountaineering & mountain bike instructor and loves being outdoors with his two sons on their bikes.

Jo Macmillan

Number 30 Business & Operations Manager

Jo grew up in Surrey and trained in Stage Management and Technical Theatre at a London Drama School. After enjoying a career as a Stage Manager in regional theatre she settled near Stratford upon Avon where she worked for the Royal Shakespeare Company. She left the world of theatre in 2002 to work for The Savoy Group in the Cotswolds before moving to North East Scotland in 2004 to pursue a more rural lifestyle. Since living just outside Insch Jo has been a smallholder, playgroup & PTA chairperson, foster carer, and latterly a manager at a local charity. She enjoys helping others and facilitating the local community to work together to achieve a better outcome for both themselves and their community. She enjoys gardening, visiting the theatre, singing in a local choir, attending the SWI and trying to keep up with her monthly book club read!