Following a national recruitment campaign conducted by the Public Appointments Service (PAS), Donegal ETB is pleased to announce three appointments to the position of Director as follows:- Dr Martin Gormley, Director of Schools: Mr Jim McGlynn, Director of Organisation Support and Development: Ms Cróna Gallagher, Director of FET (Further Education and Training).
Ms Anne McHugh, Chief Executive, has welcomed the appointments, which were sanctioned by the Department of Education and Skills, of the three new Directors to Donegal ETB, stating, “the three Director Posts will further enhance our provision and delivery of a quality education and training service. It is great news for Donegal ETB and for the County, particularly now following the Government’s recent launch of its Action Plan for Education to make the Irish education and training service the best in Europe by 2026. We look forward to playing our part to help achieve the aims of the plan and to making the education and training service in Co Donegal the best that it can be.”
Dr Martin Gormley, Director of Schools
Martin has been employed with Donegal ETB since 1987 and taught Engineering, Metalwork and Mathematics at Mulroy College, Milford. He has been a key driver and influencer in the area of adult education policy and delivery in the county following his appointment as Adult Education Officer in 1999. He previously chaired the Donegal County Childcare Committee and was a member of the former Donegal County Development Board.
In 2015, taking up appointment as Education Officer, Martin’s remit expanded to the executive function of the organisation alongside Chief Executive, Anne McHugh, in the management of an organisation ranked as the second largest employer in the county. Donegal ETB’s service provision comprises of fifteen post-primary schools, including two Island Schools in Tory and Aranmore, five through the medium of Irish, eleven Further Education and Training Centres, an Outdoor Education and Training Centre at Gartan, a county Music Service as well as Youth Provision for the county.
Speaking recently, Martin said’, “I am delighted to take up this new appointment and look forward to the opportunities and challenges that the post as Director of Schools will present. Working together with the Board, Chief Executive, School Principals, Deputy Principals, School Staff, the Donegal ETB Team, and key stakeholders we will be looking to further develop our education provision for our 15 schools for the benefit of the young people of Donegal.’
Mr Jim McGlynn, Director of Organisation Support and Development
Jim commenced work with Donegal ETB in August 1978 having spent the first six months of his working life with the ESB. Fortunately for Donegal ETB, Jim, considered by colleagues as running a tight finance ship in respect of the €65m Budget, has worked in all areas of administration at the current ETB Offices at Ard O’Donnell, Letterkenny.
Jim progressed through the ranks to become the youngest serving Administrative Officer (Grade VII) in the Public Service in 1987. Following a Review of the Administrative Structure, he was appointed to Assistant Principal Officer in 1992, a position he held until his new appointment as Director.
Jim has steered this tight ship through many changes in the management and admin functions which have ensured that Donegal ETB has remained to the forefront in the delivery of Education and Training Services to the communities of County Donegal and its Islands. He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his new role and is excited to take on the new challenges, “I will endeavour to bring the same work ethic and commitment to this post as I have to date, however, I will undertake with gusto the new opportunities of further developing and enhancing our organisation in my role as Director with the Donegal ETB Team”.
A keen sports enthusiast, in his spare time, Jim acts as Secretary of the ETB Golf Society and is also actively involved in his local GAA Club, Letterkenny Gaels.
Ms Cróna Gallagher, Director of FET (Further Education and Training)
Cróna has been employed in Donegal ETB since 1994, and in her capacity as Adult Education Officer has jointly managed the expansion and delivery of the ETB’s Adult & Further Education Service since 1999. The Service caters for approximately 12,000 adult students per annum across the county through a wide range of part-time and full-time centre and community-based provision. Originally trained as a teacher of English and French, Cróna brings to the new position of FET Director a wide range of experience in youth work, community development and adult & further education, in Ireland and overseas and she is a qualified facilitator, conflict coach and mediator.
She has secured resources for and implemented numerous EU projects for Donegal ETB.. Cróna is a member of the Executive Committee of AONTAS (the National Adult Learning Association) and represents Donegal ETB on the current SEUPB/Donegal County Council Peace Partnership.
“I am delighted to be offered this exciting opportunity to take up the role of FET Director for Donegal ETB, which involves a challenging remit of integrating former FÁS training services and ETB adult & further education services to form one cohesive further education and training service. The ETB is strongly committed to providing an accessible, responsive and high quality FET service for the people of Donegal and our aim is to continue to work in partnership with staff, agencies, employers and the local community to achieve this goal” she said.
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