RDC appoints new Chair

13 September 2011

RDC has announced that Mr Tony Mc Cusker is to succeed Dr Arthur Mitchell as Chairman of RDC.

Tony McCusker was born and educated in Portadown, and served in a number of Government Departments including the former Northern Ireland Assembly and the Departments of Health and Education and Environment. He was one of the founding members of the Central Community Relations Unit before joining Making Belfast Work in 1993.

Dr Arthur Mitchell said: “I am delighted to be handing over to Tony Mc Cusker. Tony brings a great deal of experience from his background in the public sector and his knowledge and experience will be invaluable as we seek to continue to help shape the rural agenda and support the regeneration efforts of local people and communities”

Tony Mc Cusker said: “I am really delighted to be joining RDC as Chairman and helping to build upon the considerable work and success of the organisation to date. I am particularly pleased to be joining RDC as it looks towards 21 years in business. This is an exciting time for the Council and I look forward to working with the Board and staff and continuing the excellent work of RDC across Northern Ireland, the Border Counties and beyond”.

------------------ENDS------------------


Notes to Editor

As Director of Making Belfast Work, Tony led a Government initiative on urban regeneration tasked with the economic, social and environmental regeneration of the most disadvantaged parts of Belfast.

In 1997/98 he was Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Environment with policy responsibility for a wide range of public services including Water, Transport issues, Road Safety and the Fire Authority.

In February 1998 he was appointed as Director (Political Co-Ordination and Support) in Central Secretariat which supported the work of Northern Ireland Departments and its links with the Northern Ireland Office. He was involved in the negotiations to establish the new devolved administration in Northern Ireland and implementing other elements of the Good Friday Agreement.

He was Director in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister with responsibility for the Executive Secretariat and Corporate Services from December 1999 to January 2002.

He joined the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development as Deputy Secretary on 14 January 2002 and was responsible for the Department’s Policy Group. He led the 2003 Common Agriculture Policy negotiations for NI and represented DARD regularly at UK and EU strategy meetings on agri-food, rural issues, the environment and fisheries.

Tony retired from the Northern Ireland Civil Service on 30 August 2005 and since then has undertaken a wide range of advisory work in Northern Ireland and in several European countries. He is also the Chairman of the NI Community Relations Council and the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland.

For further information contact: Aileen Donnelly, Communications Officer. Tel: 028 867 66980; Email: adonnelly@rdc.org.uk