Meet the committee members

Since graduating from Queen’s University Belfast in Social Anthropology Katy has been working with victims and survivors of trauma and on matters of equality. She has a practical interest in the arts as agents for change, social inclusion, post conflict recovery and resilience building. Katy is currently the Electoral Commissioner for Northern Ireland and was formerly Commissioner with the Northern Ireland Equality Commission and Vice Chair of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

John Brolly has nearly 30 years’ marketing experience, and now heads up marketing and recruitment at St Mary’s University College. John created an innovative award winning literacy project for schools whilst at the Irish News, the 'Young News readers', the highly successful Workplace & Employment Awards. He has created an International Summer School at St Mary’s with universities and colleges from four different states in the US taking part.

Laura is based in the Place and Economy Department at Belfast City Council. She has led Northern Ireland’s only dedicated European and International local government team since it was established in September 2003. Over the last two decades, Laura and her team have developed and delivered Belfast City Council’s first ever International Relations Framework and Action Plan. Laura also supports the promotion of international investment opportunities in partnership with key city players.

Mark joined the Department for the Economy in September 2021 in a new role as Director of Tertiary Education Reform focussing on vocational qualification reform, higher education in further education, widening participation and collaboration within the tertiary education sector. Mark was also Departmental lead on the inclusive growth strand of the Department’s 10X economic vision. Mark is currently responsible for funding and policy on higher education in NI.

For 25 years Pádraig has worked throughout the UK and Ireland in the management and delivery of arts and cultural events with some of the world’s leading artists and companies. These include Ennio Morricone, The Turner Prize, the London Symphony Orchestra, the National Theatre. He has held senior positions at the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s, the UK City of Culture, Derry and was a director of the award-winning Lumiere Events. In 2016 he was appointed to the Arts Council of Ireland.

Iain Greenway is Director of Culture at the Department for Communities. He was previously Director of Historic Environment Division which fulfils a range of regulatory functions and provides support through advice and grant funding. Iain trained as a land surveyor, working in Britain and Ireland (including consultancy work in Eastern Europe and Africa) before becoming Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland. 

Christopher Wigginton is a Pro Vice-Chancellor at Ulster University where he has responsibility for the University’s Global Engagement and Partnerships. With a background in the Creative Industries, Professor Wigginton’s research and academic work covers a wide range of cultural and creative forms including poetry, writing, art, film, media and digital production.

He has published three books, led significant research projects in relation to commercial and civic developments.

Lynsey was appointed Director for Europe Strategy in the Executive Office on 1 June 2022 and also has interim responsibility for International Relations.  She returned to Belfast following her posting as Director of the Office of the Northern Ireland Executive in Brussels where she was represented the interests of the Northern Ireland Executive with EU institutions and decision-makers and supported Ministers and senior officials in their engagement with the EU.

Liam is a former Chief Executive and Chief Accounting Office of a district council with experience of establishing governance arrangements, committee structures, setting direction/strategy. He has a long history of interest in the Arts: in a voluntary capacity as an actor and director with Lislea Dramatic Players and as a former Chair of the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland for Ulster; in local government, he was instrumental in the development of the F.E. McWilliam Gallery and Sculpture Park.