Judging Panel
Dr Liam Bane worked as an Adult Education Organiser with Co. Dublin Vocational Education Committee from 1980 until his retirement in 2003. During that time, he established the first journal of adult and community education in Ireland, the Adult Learner. He served as editor of this journal until 2003. Liam describes himself as lifelong learner, as he regularly takes up learning activities.
Ms Claire Byrneis the Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications with the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland. She has worked with the Qualifications Authority since its establishment in 2001. She has responsibility for the management, development and implementation of all key corporate functions. Her role extends to include the promotion of the National Framework of Qualifications to achieve a widely known, understood, used and valued qualifications framework both nationally and internationally.
Ms Ann Devlin has recently retired as the Training Officer with Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM). She represented FETAC on the judging panel, having had a long association with FETAC through her work with BIM. As well as having worked in the adult learning sector, Ann is also a keen participant in adult education courses herself and has taken part in various night courses down through the years.
Dr Ted Fleming is Senior Lecturer in Adult and Community Education at Maynooth. He was previously Adult Education Organiser for County Louth and is now Director of the Centre for Research in Adult Learning and Education at Maynooth. Ted is a member of the Editorial Board of The Adult Learner since 1995 and was a member of the Aontas Executive in the 1980s.
Vivienne Glanville Vivienne's involvement in community education began when she undertook a personal development course in a local women's group Ronanstown CDP. After her confidence grew she benefited from the accessible, flexible approach that community education afforded her and she started a Certificate course in Women's Studies in 1999. Vivienne she has just completed her Masters and is currently Co-ordinator of Ronanstown Community Development Project.
Helen Keogh is National Co-ordinator of VTOS (Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme). She is a member of national and international committees on adult learning. She has been actively at all levels in the development of the European Commission´s Grundtvig programme since 2000.
She was a member of the advisory groups that produced the European Commission's Communications on adult learning in 2006 and 2007 and is currently a member of a follow-up Focus Group on analysing national reforms in education. She is author of the recent report for the UNESCO Regional CONFINTEA VI preparatory Conference for Europe, North America and Israel held in Budapest, December 2008.
Mr Bill Halliden is Director of Union Learning with the Union Skills Network, supported by ICTU (Irish Congress of Trade Unions.)
Mr Kevin Hurley is a former Director of Adult Education at UCD and an individual member of AONTAS. He is a former tutor, coordinator of the Return to Learning Programme and Facilitator of the Quality Framework at the Adult Learning Centre, Dun Laoghaire VEC and a VSO Volunteer in the higher education sector. Kevin is currently a PhD candidate, researching adult education as a site for equality at the Department of Equality Studies, UCD.
Dr Edna Jordan is Head of Workplace Learning and Development, NCPP. Edna oversees the NCPP's management, in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland, of the Workplace Innovation Fund, a new fund established by Government to help Irish companies boost their levels of workplace innovation. She also provides guidance and support to public and private-sector organisations seeking to introduce partnership-style arrangements as enablers of workplace change and innovation. Edna joined the NCPP in 2002. Prior to this, she was a senior official at the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO), with responsibility for the delivery of its Professional Development and Training programme. She holds an MBS in Management and Organisational Studies.
Ms Maureen Kavanagh was appointed CEO of Active Retirement Ireland in April 2008. Prior to this, Maureen worked in a management position with AONTAS, the National Adult Education Organisation, where she worked with all the groups involved in adult and community education, such as, the Vocational Education Committees, community groups and statutory agencies. She became involved in the area of adult education and community work in 1986 firstly as a volunteer.Having participated in a wide range of learning opportunities over the past twenty years, Maureen holds a Masters in Adult & Community education from National University of Ireland Maynooth.
Ms Bernie Mc Donnell has worked for over 25 years in the community and voluntary sector, primarily in the areas of education, disability, mental health and community development. She has worked at senior management level on Irish and EU educational programmes. Her research interests are in the areas of educational inequality, social inclusion and organizational dynamics. For the past eight years Bernie has work for Pobal, initially as National Education Coordinator with the Local Development Social Inclusion programme, and latterly as Programme Manager for the Equality Programmes in Pobal. Bernie is a Board member respectively - of the National Office for Equity of Access to Higher Education and of Familiscope- a community-based organisation offering early childhood care and education services to children and parents in Ballyfermot. She is also a member of Irish Group Relations Organisation - an organisation that seeks to understand and explore the dynamics of groups and organizations especially in changing times. Bernie holds an honors B.A., Med., and an MSc in Group Relations and Society. She continues to have a keen interest in education and lifelong learning and views education in its broadest sense, as a critical tool in contributing to a more equal society.
Ms Avine McNally is Assistant Director with the Small Firms Association. The Small Firms Association (SFA) is the national organisation exclusively representing the needs of small enterprises (i.e. those employing less than 50 employees) in Ireland.
Ms Sarah McNerney works with FÁS, the National Training & Employment Authority and is based their Head Office as part of the Employment Services Support Unit. It is a policy unit that also provides support to the relevant FÁS divisions including the frontline staff in Employment Services nationwide. The unit also liaises externally with government departments, state agencies and with Public Employment Services in other countries. Sarah is a representative from FÁS on the Advisory Group to Pilot Projects on Adult Education Guidance Initiative. Prior to joining FÁS, Sarah has been a member of Macra Na Feirme which is a rural youth voluntary organisation. She is currently the President of Kildare Macra Na Feirme and has been a member of the organisation for over 13 years. She has been involved with their National Leadership Awards, delivering training to club and county officers, coaching/mentoring members for competitions, represented Macra at events in Northern Ireland and Scotland and also getting involved with her local community including organising events for the 'Know Your Neighbour' weekend.
Ms Eithne Ni Dhonnchadha is Adult Education Officer with Co Galway VEC. She is Hon Secretary of the Adult Education Officer' Association and is a member of the AONTAS Executive. Eithne was a teacher for 16 years with Co Dublin VEC and held a number of adult learning posts including VTOS Director and Community Education Facilitator with Co Galway VEC. Eithne is a member of the RAPID Board, Ballinasloe, Galway Childcare Committee, Galway Rural Development Committee (Education Sub Committee) and the County Learning Forum.
Dr Richard Thorn is currently on secondment from his position of President of the Institute of technology in Sligo and is running national projects on flexible learning and research. He is EURASHE's representative on the Expert Advisory Group for the EU's Multidisciplinary Global University Ranking project. He has held teaching/research and management posts in Dublin Institute of Technology, Trinity College Dublin, Institute of Technology, Sligo and Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) and has held visiting lectureships in Coventry and Middlesex Universities.
Donal Walsh is the Community Education Facilitator in the City of Galway VEC since 2003. The community education programme has about 1300 learners annually and works closely with over 70 community & voluntary groups throughout the city. The Community Education service provides grants to community education groups, supports a community education network and delivers a Diploma in Community Development (Community Education).
