Scott Ferguson (Chair) Expand Scott is Project Coordinator for the Seven Lochs Project, an ambitious greenspace / green network project focussed on the creation and sustainable management of the Seven Lochs Wetland Park, Scotland largest urban nature park, which spans the Glasgow City / North Lanarkshire Council boundary between Easterhouse, Coatbridge and Stepps. Scott began his career in environmental science, gaining a PhD in acidification of uplands, before moving into the city to work on greenspace planning and management, urban biodiversity and community involvement in environmental action and learning. He previously worked for Scottish Natural Heritage and the Glasgow & Clyde Valley Green Network Partnership.
Alistair Wylie (Vice-Chair) Expand Alistair is the founder of a multi-disciplinary education consultancy operating internationally but based in Scotland. Most recently, he has worked with the federal government in Abu Dhabi, UAE within the Ministry of Education managing areas related to accreditation, regulation and quality. Alistair previously worked in Scottish education for over 25 years and was Head of Service (Qualifications) at the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) where he had responsibility for Technology, Engineering, Construction and Creative subjects covering both the school and vocational areas. In addition, he had responsibility for significant regulated qualifications activity across the rest of the UK market and internationally. Although originally destined for a career in accountancy, he turned his attention to education and completed his postgraduate teacher training in Business Studies and Economics at Jordanhill College before starting his teaching career in secondary schools. He progressed to teaching in further and higher education for 10 years before joining SQA in 2004 as a National Manager. Over the course of 20 years, he has written and published more than 15 educational textbooks for Hodder Gibson. He is a graduate of the University of Strathclyde and the University of Stirling and has an on-going passion for all things related to education, qualifications and assessment. His other board commitments include committee work for TAICEP and Interim Chair of the Board of SSERC. Outside of work, Alistair enjoys keeping fit by cycling and taking long walks with his dog. He also takes an active interest in the educational progress of his nieces and nephews.
Kathryn Hall (Co-Finance Director) Expand Kathryn is an Associate Sustainability Consultant with Arup, a global collective of designers, engineering and sustainability consultants, advisors and experts dedicated to sustainable development. She supports clients to develop impactful sustainability and net zero strategies to deliver positive environmental and social outcomes. Prior to joining Arup, and changing career, Kathryn worked within homeless and youth support services where she provided intensive support to at risk and vulnerable young people transition to independent living, as well as in advocacy roles supporting young people to participate in dialogue leading to change relating to local service provision, policy and planning.
Mark Graham (Co-Finance Director) Expand Mark is an Investment Manager for Evelyn Partners, the UK’s leading integrated wealth management and professional services group, and is based in Glasgow. He has been in the role since early 2015, and manages investment portfolios for a wide variety of clients across the UK. Mark works closely with Charities and Social Enterprises as part of his role, helping them to navigate their finances and appropriately invest any excess reserves. He is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment and also holds the CFA Certificate in ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) Investing, and works with his clients to ensure that investment portfolios are managed in line with any ESG preferences and restrictions. Prior to this role, Mark worked for Barclays in an operations role, and is originally a Mathematics graduate with a Masters in International Banking, Finance & Risk. Outside of work, Mark enjoys visiting the various parks around Scotland with his wife and young children, and is passionate about improving access to parks and greenspaces for all.
Rona Gibb Expand Rona has worked at Paths for All for 20 years and is a Senior Manager looking after the Community Paths, Policy and, Communication teams. Rona has had a successful 33 year career within the public and third sectors in Scotland. She was seconded to the Scottish Government for 14 months in 2013 to help develop the National Walking Strategy(NWS) and facilitates the NWS Delivery Forum. She started her career as a Countryside Ranger in local authorities; was a Senior Tutor at a Field Centre in Perthshire; managed a European funded interpretive project across the Highlands and Islands and later became the Access Manager in Argyll and Bute. She has also worked with the British Council in Brazil developing community based interpretive projects. Throughout Rona’s working life the focus has been on getting people outside, active and enjoying their environment.
Dr Emilie Wadsworth Expand Emilie has worked in the environmental sector for over 20 years, primarily in the third sector, and has generated a wealth of experience in biodiversity and ecological issues, place-making, blue green infrastructure and climate adaptation and resilience, particularly around nature-based solutions to flooding. Emilie currently works for Verture, a sustainability charity who fosters collaboration across sectors and places to ensure transformation towards a flourishing and fairer future for all in a changing climate, and leads the organisations work on flood resilience. In previous roles, Emilie was programme manager of several major environmental initiatives, including the Central Scotland Green Network, Europes’ largest green infrastructure programme; and the 10,000 Raingardens for Scotland programme.
Prof Rich Mitchell Expand Rich Mitchell is Professor of Health and Environment at the University of Glasgow and is also co-director of the Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Health (CRESH), an inter-institution and interdisciplinary centre focused on how physical and social environments influence population health, for better and for worse. In his early career Rich focused on monitoring and exploring social and geographical differences in health. Over time however, he became more interested in how health can be protected than in what damages it, and in how social and geographical gaps in health might be addressed. He subsequently developed an extensive programme of research on the health benefits of urban green spaces and is author and co-author of multiple key studies in this field. After a degree and PhD in geography at the University of Southampton, Rich moved to London for post-doc work and training in public health and epidemiology. Following a research jobs at the Universities of Bristol, Leeds, Sheffield and Edinburgh, he joined the University of Glasgow in 2007, eventually leading the Public Health group. In 2017 he joined the Social and Public Health Sciences Unit to lead the Places and Health programme. Rich also served for several years on the board of Paths For All, a charity which champions everyday walking for a happier, healthier Scotland.
Claire Mennim Expand Claire is Greenspace Projects Manager at North Lanarkshire Council. Claire heads up the Country Parks for the Future program in North Lanarkshire which, over the next ten years will be transforming three country parks into vibrant, healthy spaces for everyone. Her love of parks started at an early age and she passionately believes that whether they are pocket parks or cover hundreds of acres, Natural or formal, urban or wilderness, they deserves investment to protect all of the benefits they provide for wildlife and people. Over the last twenty years she has worked for a range of not for profit and public organisations, fundraising for open spaces, engaging with the communities who use them, project managing improvements and writing long term management plans. Prior to joining North Lanarkshire Council, Claire worked for Falkirk Community Trust managing key strategic parks and outdoor sports facilities in Falkirk.
Nicki Sturzaker Expand Nicki’s career in communications spans over twenty years and includes working in both London and Scotland for a variety of leading consultancies, as well as running her own agency. She has extensive experience managing strategic marketing and communications initiatives across diverse sectors spanning construction, tourism and hospitality, education and aquaculture to deliver effective stakeholder engagement, crisis communications, and digital strategies. Throughout her career, Nicki has successfully supported organisations through significant transitions, including regulatory changes, brand repositioning and change management initiatives, maintaining a focus on evidence-based approaches and measurable outcomes. A Chartered PR Practitioner and CIPR Fellow, Nicki was elected to the CIPR Council in 2025.
Laura Mowat Expand Laura Mowat is a Planner at Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, where she is currently focused on developing Planning policy for the National Park. Her background includes experience in project management, overseeing nature restoration initiatives and infrastructure investment programmes aimed at enhancing environmental sustainability. Before joining the National Park, Laura worked for Glasgow City Council’s Planning Department, gaining experience across various aspects of urban and environmental planning. Her primary role involved working on Connecting Nature, a European-funded project designed to integrate Nature-Based Solutions into the planning process. Additionally, she contributed to the delivery of Glasgow’s Open Space Strategy, which seeks to improve community access to green spaces and enhance the city's natural environment.
Emily Whyman Expand Emily holds a Master’s (MA) in Design from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, Barcelona, and a Bachelor’s (BA) in Architecture and Urban Planning from the University of Newcastle. With a broad and multidisciplinary background, Emily has worked across the third and private sector, gaining valuable experience in community design, makerspaces, urban planning, public health, and architecture.Currently working as a Landscape Planner at LUC, Emily focuses on projects that balance environmental preservation with innovative solutions for renewable energy. Her work aims to create spaces that not only enhance the natural environment but also offer recreational opportunities for communities to enjoy and connect with nature.
Charlotte Wendelboe-Nelson (Advisor) Expand Charlotte supports the board as an advisor. She has degrees in Human Nutrition, Horticulture, Agriculture, and Academic Learning & Teaching, and a PhD in Molecular Plant Breeding. She is a Teaching and Research Fellow based at the OPENspace Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh. Her work focuses on the links between urban green & blue spaces and mental health & wellbeing, and how exposures affect us in different ways according to contextual factors. Charlotte currently works within the large multidisciplinary GroundsWell consortium, which is a programme of work in three cities – Belfast, Edinburgh and Liverpool. Specifically, her research focuses on the development and evaluation of community-based urban green & blue space interventions, using community engagement, co-design, systems science, and citizen science approaches.