Staff & Board

Originally a professional archaeologist Yvonne has worked in a wide variety of project management roles the Third Sector since 1989. Her career has included working with the unemployed, migrants, in adult education and also the Women’s sector. Yvonne holds a Masters Degree in Communication and is passionate about promoting lifelong learning for all.

Kate holds the post of Director since April 2013 within RCN having previously worked as a Rural Enabler (Institutions) within the Rural Enabler Programme working with the Orange Order, the GAA, Churches and others to address issues of sectarianism and racism. She continues to work to build peace across NI, and to represent the interests of community groups on issues relating to Brexit, NSEW relations and balanced regional development.

Kate is a graduate of Queen’s University Belfast, with a BSc in Agricultural Economics and Management and an MSc in Rural Development. She has a strong background in creative thinking techniques, facilitation skills, research techniques, and supporting groups in the areas of project development and implementation. Kate has tutored on the MSc in Rural Sustainable Development for the past ten years and also co-ordinates, designs and teaches on the NUI Galway Community Development Practice Diploma course.

In the past, Kate has been a mentor for the International Fund for Ireland’s Community Leadership Programme and was Vice Chair of Rural Community Network and a member of the Joint Community and Voluntary Sector concordat. She sits on the DARD Monitoring Committee and the Equality sub group for the Rural Development Programme. She is a strong advocate for the community and voluntary sector in NI and is passionate about issues of the development of new leadership and succession planning in the sector.

Kate’s particular interests are partnership co-ordination and development, peace building, networking and supporting community led local development.

kate@ruralcommunitynetwork.org

Samantha started at RCN in September 2024 having previously worked in the legal field from 2012 to 2017 and in Advice Sector 2018 to 2024. In her home County of Fermanagh she was Head of Advice and Social Policy for Community Advice Fermanagh where she specialised in policy matters relating to social security, regional imbalance, housing, poverty and health.

Samantha has experience sitting on a variety of Forums and Working Groups both at Council and Regional Level including sitting on the Fuel Poverty Working Group, Discretionary Support and Managed Migration Working Groups. She was also on the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council Working Group in creating their Anti-Poverty Strategy. Samantha also sat on various forums including Universal Credit Forum, Disability Rights Forum, Cross Border Practitioners Group and the Joint Standards Committee.

She brings a passion for social justice and wants to ensure the rural voice is heard to affect positive change for rural communities.

Samantha graduated from Queens University with an LLB in Law in 2008 and from College of Law Chester with commendation in legal practice in 2010.

Samantha is Mother to two beautiful children and a "dog mum" to her precious Jack Russell. She sits on the board of her local cross community playgroup and enjoys the outdoors with her family in her spare time.

Emma McAleer joined RCN in May 2021 as Project Coordinator on a National Lottery Heritage Fund project. She will be responsible for enabling and supporting member groups in the development of heritage focused projects. She will work closely with member groups and board members to build and develop a strong connection with the heritage sector across Northern Ireland.

Emma has over 9 years experience working on community engagement projects with a wide range of groups from children and young people to women’s groups and older people. She brings a wide range of experience from the heritage sector where she has worked for National Museums NI in numerous roles and at the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum. Emma is a graduate of Kings College London receiving a Masters in Education In Arts and Cultural Settings and at Ulster University Belfast with a BA Hons Degree in Fine and Applied Arts specialising in textile art. She has extensive experience in project delivery, event management, digital engagement, volunteer management, project evaluation and in facilitating group work. She is passionate about engaging and encouraging communities to explore and engage with their local heritage through creative and digital engagement.

emma@ruralcommunitynetwork.org

Rachael began her career as a teacher but then moved into education roles within the Charity Voluntary sector. She has gained a wealth of experience from working across many different areas of the sector including, homelessness, community development, good relations, social housing and mental health.

Rachael completed a Master’s in Psychology in 2023 and is an advocate for Mental Health. Rachael hosts a podcast called "And How Did That Make You Feel" where she interviews guests about their experiences in therapy and counselling to try and normalise talking openly about mental health.

Rachael is a published composer and enjoys working with choirs in Northern Ireland and internationally.

Outside of work Rachael enjoys hot yoga, baking, reading and socialising.

I once stood in front of a fork in the road. Down one track was science, the other art. I chose science, to gain a first class hons degree in Zoology but art has always followed me; into my work and into my thinking, and always there waiting when I have spare time. I first got involved with rural development without realizing it by moving to live on Fetlar in the Shetland Islands, whose small community of 85 people were fighting to retain key services.

I’ve since moved between practical self-sufficiency projects (including indoor snail farming and worm composting) and academic research at QUB (focusing on farm household decision making and pluriactivity (multiple job holding)) Here I also picked up my MSc in Agricultural policy and economics and published academic papers and book chapters spanning farm household decision making, participatory planning, and rural sustainability. I went on to be the action and policy research manager in the RDC for some 8 years working across rural communities to explore innovative ideas for sustainable development and developing resources to inform rural policy including GIS baselines of rural in the region and early work on rural proofing and spatial equity. Since then I’ve worked freelance across a wide range of issues including youthwork, community regeneration, community health, and more recently, community resilience and climate adaptation, which I’m bringing into my work here with RCN.

I’ve long been a champion of sustainable rural development, creative thinking, action learning and of course connection to nature. I have my own small holding with rare breed sheep, fruit and veg and I love being out in the Mourne mountains where I live. I think now is the time for rural communities to shine as we find new ways to live in responding to the challenges of climate change (and technological change) and I’m going to do my bit to help that to happen.

kelly@ruralcommunitynetwork.org

Kevin joined Rural Community Network in 2022 after 33 years in the Civil Service as an Internal Auditor. He has a BA Honours in Public Policy and Management and CIPFA (internal audit management).

kevin@ruralcommunitynetwork.org

John has been the Chair of RCN since 2019 and has a long involvement in local rural community development. He is a founding member of the Poyntzpass Community Regeneration Company Limited and currently holds the position of Secretary. He has been active in a number of projects which have led to the regeneration of the village. John is a Board member of the Rural Housing Association. He has a keen interest in the social and economic regeneration of rural areas through the development of social enterprise at a local and regional level; and in building positive community relations. John has taken partial retirement in the Rural Affairs Division of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. John is married with two adult children and four grandchildren and his main recreational pursuit is angling.

Noelle Donnell has with on RCN Board since January 2017.   She has over 20 years’ experience as a volunteer and as a worker within the rural sector in Northern Ireland, mainly across the North West.

This has included working as a project co-ordinator on various community development and Good Relations projects.  She has been a committee member of a number of organisations, including local farmers’ groups, village groups and as part of umbrella groups like The Villages Together. She is a Director of Hummingbird (NI) CIC, a rural based Good Relations and Community Development company, with specific experience in flags, emblems, identity and symbolism. She is currently a social partner on Derry & Strabane LAG. She served on District Policing Partnerships as an independent member from inception in 2003 until 2008, serving as Vice-Chair for two years.

She has a Masters Degree in Sustainable Rural Development with Queen’s and graduated with a commendation in 2011.  Her dissertation focused on Gender Inequality on the Family Farm, looking specifically at women, their gendered roles and identity on an intergenerational basis.

Arnold is a former Councillor on ArmaghBanbridgeCraigavon Council and former President of the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA)

He is currently chairman of Loughgall and District Improvement Association and serves on several other community organisations including TADA, Lough Neagh Partnership, Craigavon Industrial Development Organisation, Portadown 2000, and the Rotary Club of Portadown.

Arnold is a former member of the SELB and still has an interest in education being a Governor currently on three local schools  in Portadown.

Karin was elected to the Board of RCN in May 2019 and represents the community sector in Co Derry / L'Derry.

An experienced community organiser with particular skills in community building and community relations, partnership work and teambuilding and the support & management of volunteers.

Rosemary is the Co Fermanagh community sector representative on the RCN Board

Denise is the farming representative nominated by the Ulster Farmers' Union.