Sandra Healy (Chair)
Sandra is CEO and founder of Inclusio. Sandra’s career spanned 20 years in the global telecoms industry and five years at Dublin City University where she established the DCU Centre of Excellence for Diversity and Inclusion. After four years in R&D, Sandra spun-out inclusio in 2020, bringing to the market a science based Diversity &Inclusion performance platform that links D&I to business KPI’s.
Sandra is an Organisational Psychologist and NLP Master Practitioner. Over 15 years she has championed and driven diversity and inclusion practice across industry and is considered a leading expert. In 2014, she provided critical expertise and sectoral knowledge establishing the EU Diversity Charter Ireland. In 2018 and 2020 she delivered keynote presentations at the International Academic Conference on Diversity in Organisations, Communities & Nations. Sandra was a member of the Expert Advisory Group for Ireland’s Citizens Assembly on Gender Equality and is a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council for An Garda Síochána (Ireland’s Police Force).
Jennifer Lawson
Jen is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Advisor with over 20 years’ experience working in managerial and leadership roles within the Financial Services sector. She has extensive finance experience and expertise in reviewing key risks and controls throughout organisations, ensuring that appropriate oversight and corporate governance is in place. Over her career, working with organisations such as Standard Life, Allianz and KPMG, she has gained valuable insight in how best in class organisations work and has worked collaboratively with Senior Management and the Board to provide assurance in order to protect the assets, reputation and sustainability of the organisation.
Jen has always had a keen interest in volunteering, especially with organisations that enhance experiences for children. She is currently a Board member of another charity which provides an after-school program and provides a safe and inclusive environment where children are supported in their holistic development through play, choice based programming and encouraged to have fun.
Colm O’Shaughnessy
Colm is a Solicitor & Notary Public and principal of OSBROS Solicitors, a full service law firm which he established in 2018. His practice currently focuses on the needs of private clients and their SMEs.
With over 23 years’ experience in the legal field, Colm has worked in both private practice and as inhouse Counsel with AIB. Colm’s experience is wide and varied given his interest in different areas of law. Past and present clients include commercial entities, property developers, Semi-State bodies, banks, monarchs and private individuals.
Colm relishes a challenge and is a trouble shooter.
Colm grew up and lives in Glasnevin with his wife and 4 young daughters.
Founder, secretary and treasurer of Glasnaíon FC – a junior football club founded in 2000 with 2 teams competing in the United Churches Football League. Our players traditionally come from the Glasnevin, Finglas and Ballymun areas. Enjoys keeping fit and participating in ultra-events.
Lecturer, tutor and internal examiner in the Law Society of Ireland Law School (professional course).
Gene Mehigan
Gene Mehigan is Principal Lecturer and Director of Post Graduate Studies at Marino Institute of Education, Dublin. He has leadership responsibilities for Literacy Instruction, Post Graduate Studies and Continuing Professional Development. Gene has been a primary school teacher, a literacy specialist, an educational consultant, and a teacher educator over the past thirty years. His research interests are in early literacy development, particularly among children living in disadvantaged settings and in teacher education.
Gene serves as a consultant for a number of education and policy organisations and has worked in The Gambia as a Government advisor to the Department of State for Education on the development of a sector wide approach for the reform of literacy education. He is past President of both the Literacy Association of Ireland (LAI) and the Irish Learning Support Association. Gene joined the board of Youngballymun in 2015.
Miriam Colum
Miriam is a Senior lecturer and the head of Department of Inclusion, Religious Education and Student Life in Marino Institute of Education (MIE), Dublin, Ireland. She is the Programme Leader for the Postgraduate Masters of Education (PME) (primary).
Miriam coordinates the TOBAR programme that has a focus on supporting Irish Travellers’ access to and throughout initial teacher education (ITE) programmes. Miriam is a former primary school teacher with experience in mainstream and special school settings. Miriam is committed to working with the community to enhance inclusive practice and is a member of the ‘Children and Young People’s Service Committee’ in North Dublin.
Geraldine French
Geraldine French is an Associate Professor, the Head of School of Language, Literacy and Early Childhood Education, the Programme Chair of the Master of Education in Early Childhood Education and Senior Fellow of Advance HE (SFHEA) in the Institute of Education, Dublin City University. Geraldine has worked for a variety of governmental and voluntary organisations, national and international, in conducting continued professional development, research, needs analysis, evaluations and consultancy for strategic planning with a particular focus on educational inequality. She has published in the areas of parenting and the experience of poverty amongst families with very young children. In the context of early childhood settings Geraldine has published on quality professional practice, supporting early language, literacy and numeracy and nurturing babies’ learning and development.
Dr. Ann Devitt
Dr. Ann Devitt is Associate Professor of Language Education and Director of Undergraduate Teaching and Learning at the School of Education, Trinity College Dublin. She is the Academic Director of The Learnovate Centre and has extensive research experience in both academia and industry. She is the Trinity College representative on the LERU Digital Education Group. She is also a member of the Royal Irish Academy Languages, Literature, Culture and Communication Committee.
In previous roles, Ann has been Director of Research in the School and Chair of the Faculty and School Research Ethics Committees.
Ann has recently completed Irish Research Council funded project on Family Digital Literacy in partnership with NALA and conducted the NALA review of family literacy provision outside ETBs in 2022.
Her research profile is available here: https://www.tcd.ie/education/people/devittan/