Our People

Gavin Henderson

Chair

Carolyn Craig

Secretary

I have worked in Social Care for the past forty years. I trained as a Social Worker but have always worked in the voluntary sector. Whilst working for one of the large Scottish providers I was responsible for setting up supported living services for people leaving a long-stay institution for people with learning disabilities and for people with severe and enduring mental ill-health and a forensic history.

Since 2014 I have been the Chief Executive of New Directions West Lothian and was initially tasked with introducing transformative change. This post has enabled me to be much more connected with the communities of West Lothian. I have a particular interest in trauma in women who have a learning disability. In my spare time I write (bad) poetry.

Stephanie Gibbs

Treasurer

A qualified actuary working in the pensions sector. I graduated with a Master of Mathematics degree from the University of Warwick and then went on to become a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries. I live in West Calder with my family. 

My other volunteering roles include being Treasurer on the Trustee Board for the Community Woods and Garden (Polbeth and West Calder) and supporting the PPA at Parkhead Primary School.

Frank Boles

I was born and brought up in Hawick in the Scottish Borders. On leaving school I trained as a primary school teacher and taught in Hurlford, Ayrshire, for two years. I moved to Livingston in 1976 and took up a position in St. Thomas Addiewell becoming headteacher there in 1982. I also moved to West Calder that year. I was appointed to St. Mary’s Polbeth in 1986 and remained there until my retirement after which I taught in a number of West Lothian schools on a part time basis for a further six years.

Now fully retired I have spent some time volunteering with the food bank as well as delivering meals for The Brunch Club during covid. I enjoy most sports particularly rugby and football and I compile quizzes and host them for charities.

Willy Findlay

Born and brought up in West Calder , I trained as an engineer whilst attending Napier College  in Edinburgh . This lead me to a career with a major international engineering company who supplied  pressure control equipment to the oil and gas industry worldwide. As my career lead me into a senior management role I was fortunate to travel extensively and have lived in France  and Singapore and spent the  last 14 years of my career in Texas USA.

On my retiral I returned to the West Calder area where I am still involved in mentoring companies to develop business development plans.

I find my involvement with the CDT very rewarding , and feel that my business experience can make a positive contribution.

Norman Lannigan

Now retired after a forty two year career as a pharmacist working in the NHS, as an academic and as a managing director of a health care consultancy. Following completion of a PhD I worked as a pharmacist in a number of Health Boards across Scotland laterally as Chief Pharmacist in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. I also held a Visiting Professorship within the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences and an Honorary Professorship at the Robert Gordon’s University in Aberdeen. I was awarded an OBE in June 2018 for services to Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Care.

My current time is spent as a Trustee for the Lyme Resource Centre Charity and for the Easter Breich Community Woodland. I am also a “Listening Friend” volunteer for the Pharmacist Support Charity.

Jim McEwan

Sarah McIntosh

Dorry Mclaughlin

I joined Scottish Autism in late 2018 as Chief Executive and prior to this was Chief Executive of Viewpoint providing care and support services to older people. I have worked in housing, support and care services for some 30 years, following spells in local government and with the housing regulator in England. I have been a Board member of a number charities over the years including Age Scotland and until more recently Easter Breich Wood Community Group.

Carol Salem

I have lived in Polbeth since 2007. Before retirement I was employed by Marks and Spencer for 18 years.

I now represent the ‘Getting your Hands Mucky’ department of the community woods and gardens. I am a trustee and have been involved for more than 10 years. I am a founding member of Wet Lothian Litter Pickers of which we have 3500 members. I’m also an office bearer of both Polbeth Community Council and Murieston Community Garden. 

Colin Shipton

I was born and brought up in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. I moved to Scotland in 2006 and West Calder in 2016.

I have spent the majority of my working life as a freelance web developer but I decided to return to full-time employment in 2022 as after COVID home working is now the norm.

Guy Vernham

I am a retired Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon, having retired at the end of March 2021 after working in the NHS for almost 40 years. I have been chair of Harburn and District Residents Association since 2003 and a committee member of both the Harburn Village Hall Association (now a SCIO) and the Grand Harburn Festival, both of which were registered charities. Before moving to West Lothian in 2002, I was a member and later chair of the East Kilbride Advanced Motoring Group which was a registered charity. As an ENT surgeon in Scotland, I am a member of  ENT Scotland (previously the Scottish Otolaryngological Society) and served on the committee of this charity and had periods as Deputy Secretary and later Secretary.

I previously served on the Board of the West Calder and Harburn Community Development Trust  for 5 years from 2013 and was elected back on to the Board in 2022.