Three new members have been appointed to the College Development Network (CDN) board: Susan Elston, Louise Burnett, and Jason Miles-Campbell. Their term of office began yesterday, Monday 9 September.
Professor Ken Thomson OBE, Chair of the CDN Board said:
We are delighted to welcome three such experienced and high calibre new board members to CDN. Susan, Louise, and Jason bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the board of CDN.
Our three new board members will bring key skills and experience to CDN as we continue to deliver our ambitious three year strategy and build on our success in supporting the college sector and wider post-school education landscape. The CDN Board and team very much look forward to working with our new board members.
Susan Elston, an MBA graduate, was born in Middlesbrough and located to Aberdeen in 1999 for a career in oil and gas operations, reaching the position of Senior Vice President responsible for Operations in the North Sea and Global HSE Lead for Offshore and Marine.
An experienced board member she is currently Chair of the Regional Board of NESCol, a Board Trustee of Robert Gordon University (RGU), with prior board roles including the Board of Oil & Gas UK (now OEUK), Chair of Foyer Aberdeen, Scottish Business in the Community (SBC) and Trustee of Hardship Committee of Oil & Gas UK Chaplaincy.
Susan is a recipient of the Institute of Directors Scottish Female Director of the Year Award and Grampian Director of the Year, and has received numerous awards for safety, including the British Safety Council Sword of Honour and consecutive RoSPA Sector Awards.
Susan said:
I am delighted to be appointed to the Board of CDN. We are in a pivotal time for the college sector and the work of CDN continues to be a valuable contribution to governance and development of the sector Boards and beyond. I look forward to making a contribution.
Louise Burnett is the Director of Business Performance at the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission and a trustee on the Board of the Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland. A Fellow of the Institute of Leadership, she recently became a Chartered Member of the CIPD through her work at the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission. Louise has a strong background in Finance, HR, and Governance. She graduated from the University of Stirling and began her career at Forth Valley College, where she spent 14 years working in Finance and Student Funding.
In her current role, Louise oversees several key areas, including Finance, HR, IT, Cyber Security, and Estates. She is passionate about supporting people, whether by fostering a positive work environment or focusing on learning and development. In addition to her professional commitments, Louise volunteers with the Scout Association and is part of the leadership team overseeing Scouting in her local area, where she supports both young people and adults.
Louise said:
I am delighted to be joining the College Development Network Board and am looking forward to supporting the work CDN do to shape continuous professional development within the further education sector.
Jason Miles-Campbell, Jisc’s Director of Scotland and Northern Ireland, works to ensure Jisc’s support for colleges and universities meets national needs, and reflects the particular national contexts in Scotland and in Northern Ireland. He has 10 years of experience engaging with Scotland’s colleges around digital infrastructure and services (such as the superfast Janet Network), sector-wide digital licensing savings, and the provision of expert and trusted advice on digital, data and technology.
With a background in law, Jason’s passion for digitally enhanced education began as a lecturer in law, and the enthusiastic adoption of technology whilst rising to be law division leader at Abertay University. That interest led him to become service manager at Jisc Legal, assisting colleges and universities across the UK to understand and overcome legal barriers to making the most of digital. Re-organisation of Jisc in 2015 allowed him the opportunity to step up as Jisc’s lead in Scotland and Northern Ireland, progressing through head and deputy director roles to his present post as director.
Jason said:
I am excited by the opportunity to contribute to CDN’s strategic direction and oversight at a pivotal time for the Scottish college sector. I look forward to working with my fellow board members in support of CDN’s senior leadership in delivering development and innovation within our colleges, drawing upon my two decades of experience in the provision of digital shared service with Jisc.
