Journalist and  broadcaster

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Wendy Austin is one of Northern Ireland’s most recognisable and respected journalists and broadcasters, with a career spanning over 45 years. During her distinguished tenure with the BBC, she presented a wide range of programmes across radio and television — from Good Morning Ulster to the iconic Woman’s Hour — engaging audiences both locally and nationally.

 

In recent years, Wendy has continued to share her voice and expertise through podcasts for organisations including Ulster University Business School and the Northern Ireland Social Care Council. She is also a sought-after host and facilitator, regularly chairing conferences like ours.

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Department for Communities, Permanent Secretary

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In February 2024 Gordon Lyons MLA was appointed as the Minister for Communities. His remit is wide ranging and covers housing, regeneration, sports, arts, culture, languages, libraries, museums, historic environment, benefits and pensions, community and voluntary sector, residential building safety, child maintenance services, tackling disadvantage and promoting equality of opportunity.

Gordon served as a Councillor on Mid and East Antrim Council from May 2014 to August 2015 when he was appointed as MLA for East Antrim and subsequently re-elected in 2016, 2017 and 2022.

In January 2020, Gordon was appointed to the Executive as a Junior Minister. He acted as Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for a short period and was appointed Minister for the Department of Economy from July 2021 to October 2022.

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Housing Executive, Chair

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Nicole qualified as a barrister from King’s Inns Dublin and practised in both Dublin and Belfast for five years.

 

In 2015, she was an Inaugural Board Member of the Education Authority. In 2017, she was appointed as an Independent Board Member of the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service, and she currently chairs its Audit and Risk Committee. Also in 2017, she was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority in Dublin where she chaired its Audit Committee. 

 

In 2018, she was appointed Chair of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and, in 2019, she was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Last year Nicole became Chair of the Public Sector Chairs Forum, where she works alongside colleagues across the public sector.​

Housing Executive, Chief Executive

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Grainia Long is the Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

 

Previously, Grainia was the Commissioner for Resilience for the city of Belfast, and co-Chaired the Belfast Climate Commission. She spent nearly four years as Chief Executive of the National Child Protection Charity in Ireland, ISPCC Childline.

 

This position followed several years working in housing, including as Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), and previously National Director of the CIH in Northern Ireland. She served two terms as a member of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, and has extensive experience as a Non-Executive Director, having spent six years as Senior Independent Director on the Group Board of Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing.

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CEO of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH)

 

Gavin leads the CIH, he Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) the professional body for people working housing across the UK and beyond, across the full range of its activities; ensuring it provides quality services and support to its members, taking forward its role to train and qualify the wider housing profession and is regularly involved its policy and good practice work, engaging with government at all levels across the UK, all of which is undertaken in the public interest as required by CIH’s Royal Charter.
Prior to becoming CEO Gavin served as both Deputy CEO and, before that, Director of Policy and Practice.
Before joining CIH Gavin worked at the National Housing Federation (NHF), the trade body for housing associations in England, latterly as Assistant Director for Research and Futures where he led the NHF’s research and analysis function, it’s future facing thinking and it’s policy work on finance and government investment.
Gavin joined the NHF from a spell working for the UK civil service commissioning research and analysis into a variety of housing policy areas.
He began his career as an academic researcher at the School for Policy Studies at the University of Bristol.​

Forensic Psychologist

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Michael McCracken is a Forensic Psychologist and part of the senior leadership team with Probation in Northern Ireland.  He previously worked in the Northern Ireland Prison Service, 2008 to 2022, as well as in several prisons in the Republic of Ireland.  He is co-chair of the Secure Care and Specialist Services group for the Forensic Managed Care Network, a member of the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland’s trauma informed practice committee, a member of the Department of Justice’s trauma informed practice committee, and a member of the Confederation of European Probation’s expert group on mental health.​

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Chair of the Housing Commission

 

John was the Chair of The Housing Commission which published its final report in May this year. He was the Chief Executive Officer of The Housing Agency for 10 years. Previous roles included Chief Executive of the Affordable Homes Partnership, and Executive Manager of the Housing & Communities Department in Dublin City Council. He worked in the construction industry before moving to local government. He is a Chartered Structural Engineer and holds qualifications in other areas including governance and project management.

 

John has served on a wide range of boards and committees; and as chair on a number of these. Currently, he is a Director of the Land Development Agency, is Chair of the Pyrite Remediation Board and he serves on the CAS Steering Committee for International Protection.

Acting Assistant Director, Northern Area Team Youth Justice Service

 

Sinead Dolan has recently been appointed as Acting Assistant Director in the Northern Area Team Youth Justice Services, Youth Justice Agency. She has over 24 years’ experience as an Area Manager within Youth Justice Services Western Area Team providing leadership across a wide geographical area and managing staff teams.  She previously worked as a Social Worker in Family and Childcare services within the Fermanagh Area, supporting children and their families through a range of complex needs. 
Sinead has been an active member of YJA’s Senior Management Trauma-Informed Approaches Working Group, playing a key role in driving the implementation of Trauma Informed approaches across the Youth Justice Agency.  She is passionate about promoting understanding of trauma and its impact on behaviour, relationships and engagement and is committed to embedding trauma informed principles into policy, practice, and organisational culture.