Interim Chief Executive Officer

Sean Kelly

Sean Kelly is Parliamentary & Development Officer at Northern Ireland Environment Link and regularly liaises with elected representatives at the Northern Ireland Assembly, Westminster Parliament, the European Institutions and other key decision–makers to help promote member and organisational goals. His role entails assisting NIEL members to influence policy at the local, UK and EU levels as well as participation in European funding opportunities. He also provides the secretariat for the Northern Ireland Biodiversity Group and the NI Assembly All Party Group on European Environmental Directives. Prior to this role he led a number of work streams within NIEL including Climate Change, Freshwater, Biodiversity, Marine and Agriculture and represents NIEL on a number of external local and European fora. Sean has a background in agriculture and European project funding and development.

Senior Policy Officer

Malachy Campbell

Finance Manager

Deborah Shields

Networks, Events and Membership Coordinator

Iona Meyer

Iona joined the NIEL staff team in January 2006 as an Administration Support Officer. Iona’s background has been in the Civil Service and the University of Ulster. Iona is now the Network and Events Co–ordinator. Her duties in NIEL include: Education for Sustainable Development Forum, Northern Ireland Archaeology Forum, NIEL members and external agencies. Iona also assists with a number of projects, including the NGO Challenge Fund.

Policy & IT Officer

Connor McLean

Connor graduated from Queen’s University Belfast in 2012 with a BSc in Environmental Planning and joined NIEL team in June 2012 as a volunteer, assisting on a range of projects. In January 2013, Connor began working part–time as a Website Assistant, developing NIEL’s social media and online presence. In August 2013, he secured the position of Communications Assistant. Connor also manages events, provides IT support and works on a number of projects including Climate Northern Ireland, the HLF Catalyst Umbrella Programme and the Northern Ireland Open Government Network.

NI Urban Spaces Programme Manager

Lizzy Pinkerton

Historic Environment Policy and Projects Officer

Leah O'Neill

Economics and Environment Officer

Lawrence Geoffrey Tingson

Nourish NI Coordinator

Kerry Melville

Kerry Melville is the co–ordinator of the Belfast Food Network. She is a sustainability consultant, trained at UCL in 1999. She has a keen understanding and working knowledge of environmental sustainability, underpinned by a solid knowledge base and an undergraduate degree in International Development.

Kerry has gathered over 17 years’ experience of co–ordinating and managing all aspects of urban regeneration projects in post–conflict Belfast. She specialises in participatory practices, building exceptional stakeholder relationships, negotiation, conflict resolution, stakeholder analysis, fundraising and delivering award winning, challenging projects.

When she’s not at work, you’ll find her pottering in her herb garden or cooking up sumptuous banquets made with fresh, local and seasonal produce.

Climate NI Manager

Jane McCullough

Climate NI Project Officer

Stephen Jones

Stephen has more than 7 years’ experience co–ordinating climate adaptation in Northern Ireland. He has delivered bespoke climate resources and communication tools with a range of public, private and academic partners across a diverse range of sectors, from Health to Agriculture.

Recently he guided Derry City and Strabane District Council through development of the first climate change adaptation plan in the region. This led to the creation of the ‘Local Government Climate Action Network’ (LGCAN) which aims to develop adaptation plans in every local authority in NI.

Climate NI Project Assistant

Amy Bell

Rural Resilience Coordinator

Jill Montgomery

Jill oversees a new Rural Resilience project in Northern Ireland to support farming communities with information on climate risks, practical adaptation and new farming opportunities and provide additional evidence for the next UK Climate Risk Assessment in relation to Agriculture. Jill has over 20 years experience of project management in Northern Ireland including landscape projects with the National Trust, succession planning for the family farm, business development and funding. Previously she worked in London and overseas in international development for a disability NGO. Jill sits on the Regional Advisory Group for the National Trust and was formerly a Director on the Board of Outdoor Recreation NI. She is passionate about nature and the mutual health benefits of connecting people to the outdoors and is an advocate of outdoor learning for children and local food. Her interests include cycling, running and foreign affairs.

Climate NI Assistant

Erin Walker

Climate NI Officer

Will Stringer

Public Body Reporting Coordinator

Brenda Roddy

Brenda recently moved back to N. Ireland after 30 years of working in Scotland. During that time she led on climate change and sustainability first at Falkirk Council and later at Angus where she also covered active travel. As an active board member of the Sustainable Scotland  Network and a local government practitioner, she helped to shape and implement the emergent climate change legislation, writing carbon management plans, climate change strategies and a Local Climate Impact Profile. She has significant experience of producing climate change reports, initially through the voluntary Covenant of Mayors and later through the mandatory Public Bodies Duties.  Before moving back to Ireland, Brenda ran an award winning sustainable tourism business in Highland Perthshire and remains passionate about the subject.

Public Body Reporting Coordinator

Julie Corry

Julie has recently joined Climate NI as a Public Body Reporting Coordinator, helping to support DAERA through the pre-consultation phase of the Public Body Reporting Regulations of the Climate Change Act (NI) 2022.

Julie has spent the last 16 years with Local Government leading the development and implementation of Local Biodiversity Action Plans for Councils and most recently led the development of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s first Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

She is on secondment to Climate NI from FODC for 6 months and her role as Biodiversity Officer there sits within the recently formed Climate Change and Sustainable Development Team. She is passionate about all things nature, changing mindsets on environmental matters and getting out for family walks in the Sperrins.