Governance

South West College has a governing body made up of people from a range of backgrounds and who bring extensive experience and knowledge to their role. The governing body is responsible for the effective and efficient management of the college, including its financial performance and the quality of its teaching, learning and assessment.

Minutes of Governing Body meetings are also provided as well as the Instrument of Government, Articles of Government and Standing Orders which outline the constitution, functions and procedures of the Governing Body.

Governance related enquiries or correspondence should be addressed to the Secretary to the Governing Body, Fiona McCauley at fiona.mccauley@swc.ac.uk.

Current Governing Body Members

Ms Celine McCartan MBE

Principal & Chief Executive

Ms Celine McCartan MBE

Principal & Chief Executive

Ms McCartan has been Principal & Chief Executive of South West College since September 2022.

Celine has extensive experience as a public sector manager. She has led professional teams for over 25 years in service areas including Finance, Human Resources, Procurement, Audit, Learning and Development, Estates Management and Customer Services within the local government and further education sectors.

In 2015, Celine was appointed MBE for services to further education in the Queen’s New Year Honours List. She holds an MBA and a number of other academic qualifications, and is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland (FCA) and a Chartered Member of the Institute of Personnel Development (MCIPD).

Celine has previously held a public appointment on the Management Committee of the NI Local Government Officers Superannuation Committee and has served on the Governing Bodies of the Loreto Grammar School and Omagh North Nursery School. She does not currently hold any other public appointments.
Dr Nicholas O'Shiel

Chairman

Dr Nicholas O'Shiel

Chairman

Dr Nicholas O’Shiel is Chief Executive of Omagh Enterprise Company and Chairman of Enterprise Northern Ireland, the network of 28 Local Enterprise Agencies in Northern Ireland. Former roles include President of Omagh Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of Omagh Local Strategy Partnership and Chairman of Omagh Business Forum Ltd. In recognition of his achievements, Dr O’Shiel is a recipient of the Queen’s Award for outstanding contribution to enterprise. He is a member of the Institute of Directors and a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute. He holds a Doctorate in Management from the Ulster University and Masters in Management from Trinity College, Dublin.

Dr O’Shiel has been Chair of the Governing Body of South West College since January 2019. He previously served as a Governor of South West College, and during his tenure served as Chair of the Education, Quality & Performance Committee and as a member of the Finance & General Purposes Committee.
Ms Anne McCleary

Ms Anne McCleary

Ms Anne McCleary is a lawyer by profession and retired in May 2023 as Director of Social Security Policy and Legislation and Decision Making Services in the Department for Communities. She holds a LLB (Honours) and Certificate in Professional Legal Studies from QUB and a MBA from UU.

She has over 25 years’ experience working as a lawyer, legal advisor, senior manager, leader and policy advisor in various roles in both the private and public sectors and was awarded an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours in 2023.

Anne is President of Fusion Theatre, a charity which is a cross community youth theatre group which she co-founded in 2000.

Ms McCleary has been a member of the Governing Body of South West College since January 2022. She does not hold any other public appointments.
Mrs Gillian McDowell

Mrs Gillian McDowell

Gillian McDowell is a self-employed Human Resources Consultant. Her firm, Happy Raspberry, provides tailored human resources services, training and development to its customers.

Gillian is an experienced HR professional who has worked with teams both strategically and operationally in both the public and private sectors. She has a wealth of experience managing complex issues and has been instrumental in leading and implementing change as well as in bringing new initiatives to a number of large organisations.

Mrs McDowell has been a member of the Governing Body of South West College since October 2018.
Mrs Sandra Isherwood

Mrs Sandra Isherwood

Mrs Sandra Isherwood has been the Principal of Jones Memorial Primary School in Enniskillen since 2004. An Education Graduate with a Masters in Computer Science, she has worked in various Key Stages in her career.

She has extensive experience in leadership, assessment and inclusion, with over 30 years’ experience in the teaching profession. She has served on the steering group for the Peace IV Aspire Programme and currently coordinates the Peace IV project across the Fermanagh Cluster, sharing good practice at regional conferences.

Mrs Isherwood is a member of the Education and Development Services (EDS) team with responsibility for assessment and Special Educational Needs. She also leads the Extended Schools Programme across the cluster and acts as the Department of Education RAISE Schools Liaison Officer for Fermanagh.

A qualified SENCO for over 15 years, Sandra supports capacity‑building across the locality, including hosting cluster meetings to upskill staff. She also undertakes assessment responsibilities within Initial Teacher Education.

Mrs Isherwood has been a member of the Governing Body of South West College since January 2022. She does not hold any other public appointments.
Dr Lynsey Quinn

Dr Lynsey Quinn

Dr Lynsey Quinn is a chartered company secretary by profession and has a strong track record in business development, governance, and policy-influencing research across higher education, industry, and the public sector.

Whilst studying part-time, she held several private and public sector leadership roles across Ireland, where she led award-nominated research and consultancy projects recognised internationally and published in leading academic journals.

With a strong industry background prior to entering academia, Dr Quinn now leads Private Sector Development at The Open University, with responsibility for employer engagement and professional development, ensuring solutions align with organisational strategy and deliver measurable impact through learning.

Dr Quinn has been a member of the Governing Body of South West College since January 2022. She does not hold any other public appointments.
Mr Brian Ingram

Mr Brian Ingram

Mr Brian Ingram was the Director of Woodlands Juvenile Justice Centre within the Youth Justice Agency until his retirement in July 2020. Prior to this, he was a Senior Manager in the Northern Ireland Prison Service, working with vulnerable adults preparing them for resettlement into the community and enabling them to develop life skills and qualifications for employment.

Mr Ingram is highly experienced in organisational development, corporate governance and leadership. He has an MSc in Criminology and was awarded an OBE in the 2018 Queen’s New Year Honours.

Brian is also Chairperson of The Cithrah Foundation which is a charity supporting women, men and children subjected to domestic abuse.

Brian has been a member of the Governing Body of South West College since July 2022.
Dr Frances Campbell

Dr Frances Campbell

Dr. Frances Campbell is the Northern Ireland Director and Head of Research at the Community Transport Association. With a career predominantly focused in the community and voluntary sector, she specialises in outcomes-driven research and evaluation.

Frances holds a PhD in Health Science from the University of Ulster and has significant expertise in developing impact frameworks and supporting organisations to demonstrate meaningful, evidence-based change. She is a passionate advocate for inclusive and participatory approaches, ensuring that people’s voices shape decision-making and that research is grounded in lived experience.

Dr Campbell has been a member of the Governing Body of South West College since July 2022.
Mrs Maureen Brunt

Mrs Maureen Brunt

Mrs Maureen Brunt started her career in finance and moved to the voluntary sector where she has worked for over 25 years. Currently working as a business and well-being consultant, Mrs Brunt brings extensive experience in community development, strategy development, health and well-being and life-coaching.

Maureen has a BSc (Hons) in Psychology and is a member of British Psychological Society as well as being a Fellow of the Federation of Holistic Therapists, a member of Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Chartered Institute of Bankers and Institute of Bankers (Ireland). She recently completed a Diploma in Environment, Sustainability and Climate through University College Cork.

Mrs Brunt serves as Non-Executive Director with the Drainage Council for NI, on the Audit Committee of the Probation Board NI and as a Commissioner with Equality Commission NI. She manages her husband’s dairy farm and property interests and enjoys her role as a local preacher with Methodist Church Ireland.

Mrs Brunt has been a member of the Governing Body of South West College since September 2022.
Mrs Maria Hackett

Mrs Maria Hackett

Mrs Hackett has extensive senior management and educational experience having worked in South West College for over 30 years, which most recently involved managing apprenticeship, social inclusion and other programmes.

Maria was awarded an MBE in the 2016 Queen’s New Years Honours List for services to training in the South West region. She holds several academic qualifications including a BEd Honours and a masters degree.

Since retiring, Maria remains actively involved in a senior capacity with examination awarding organisations and is currently an Assistant Principal Examiner and Team Leader. She has maintained strong links with education and industry by serving as an Associate Inspector with the Education and Training Inspectorate, as a board member with Cookstown and Dungannon Business Education Partnership and as Vice Chair of the Governing Body of a local high school.

Mrs Hackett has been a member of the Governing Body of South West College since August 2023
Dr David Cutting

Dr David Cutting

Dr David Cutting is a Reader in the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Queen’s University Belfast where he has previously acted as the Director of Undergraduate Education. As a committed educationalist and educational leader, he has published and presented on key topics in technical education and is especially interested in how data can be used to make better decisions in inclusive education.

David has an HND in Computing, an MSc in Advanced Computer Science, and a PhD in Software Engineering and he is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Fellow of the British Computer Society and was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship (NTF) by AdvanceHE in 2024.

Dr Cutting has been a member of the Governing Body of South West College since August 2023.
Mrs Libby Armstrong

Mrs Libby Armstrong

Mrs Libby Armstrong has experience of working across both the private and public sector in senior HR roles involving strategic and operational responsibilities. She has extensive experience of working in complex, multi-site, and union environments in both Northern Ireland and Ireland.

She has previously served on the NI Branch of the CIPD, organising branch training and development events and has worked as an Independent Assessor with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA). She holds an MA in Human Resource Management, and is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (MCIPD)

Libby currently serves as a member of the Industrial and Fair Employment Tribunals Northern Ireland and the Labour Relations Agency Board in Northern Ireland.

Mrs Armstrong has been a member of the Governing Body of South West College since August 2023.
Mr Tom Corr

Mr Tom Corr

Mr Tom Corr is a Science Lecturer in South West College’s Health, Life & Personal Sciences Department and also acts as Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Tom has a BSc in Biological Sciences, a Postgraduate Certificate in Hydrogen Safety and a Masters in Education. He has been involved in the Health & Social Care Sector for over 17 years and, prior to joining the College in 2009, worked as a Consultant within the Pharmaceutical, Petrochemical and Food Industry.

Mr Corr has been a member of the Governing Body since November 2023.
Mr Michael Barnett

Mr Michael Barnett

Mr Michael Barnett is a Chartered Accountant and a Director with McAleer Jackson Chartered Accountants, based in Omagh. He has over 25 years’ experience in the delivery of external audit and business advisory services to a broad range of clients including multi-national groups, owner-managed businesses and public sector bodies, in both the UK and Ireland.

Michael holds a Diploma in Corporate Finance has led a broad range of fundraising, merger, acquisition, and business restructuring transactions on behalf of his clients. He is the Honorary Treasurer of the Clogher Valley Agricultural Society and a past Committee Member of the Ulster Society of Chartered Accounts Ireland.

Mr Barnett has been a member of the Governing Body since October 2023.
Dr Nichola Melanaphy

Dr Nichola Melanaphy

Dr Nichola Melanaphy has worked within the College’s Student Services function since 2017 and is currently employed as the Student Engagement Officer for Higher Education and Employability, providing careers education, information, advice and guidance to students and prospective students. She is also a member of the College’s Safeguarding Team.

Nichola holds an MA in Social Anthropology with Development, an MSc in Social Research and a PhD in Social Anthropology, all from the University of Edinburgh. She has previous experience in the community and voluntary sector as well as in the private industry.

Dr Melanaphy has been a member of the Governing Body of South West College since November 2024.
Mr Ryan Kearney

Student Governor

Mr Ryan Kearney

Student Governor

Student Governor, Mr Ryan Kearney, is studying for BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Business at South West College's Omagh campus and intends to pursue a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics at university on completion of his studies at the College.

Ryan is committed to ensuring that the voices of young people are heard by decision makers. He served as Youth MP for West Tyrone from 2022 to 2024, representing the interests of young people, campaigning on issues and lobbying MLAs, MPs and Ministers and represented NI on the UK Parliament’s Youth Select Committee, contributing to the first comprehensive review of the Cost of Living Crisis and its impact on young people.

Mr Kearney is also a Board Member of the NI Youth Forum, a regional youth-led charity that empowers young people through skills development and civic engagement.

Mr Kearney has been a member of the Governing Body since November 2025.

Governance

Current Governing Body Members

Ms Celine McCartan MBE

Dr Nicholas O'Shiel

Ms Anne McCleary

Mrs Gillian McDowell

Mrs Sandra Isherwood

Dr Lynsey Quinn

Mr Brian Ingram

Dr Frances Campbell

Mrs Maureen Brunt

Mrs Maria Hackett

Dr David Cutting

Mrs Libby Armstrong

Mr Tom Corr

Mr Michael Barnett

Dr Nichola Melanaphy

Mr Ryan Kearney