Board of Governors

The College benefits enormously from the commitment and support of the Board of Governors. 

Conor McCrory

Construction Sector and Procurement: Construction professional with 20 years’ experience in the construction industry at a senior level. Currently with Strategic Investment Board (SIB) with responsibility for the management of strategic capital works projects. Has directed and led the procurement of some of the largest public infrastructure projects in Northern Ireland and elsewhere in recent years, including Enniskillen Hospital, NIFRS Training Centre and Belfast Metropolitan College at Titanic Quarter. Convenor of the Estates Committee. Elected Chairman of the Board in June 2024.

Dr Barbara E Callender

Medical Background: Retired General Practitioner with specialist interest in young people’s medical issues. Past President of the NI Branch of the Medical Women’s Federation and Past President of the Ulster Society of Organists & Choirmasters. Former pupil and Deputy Chairman of the Old Girls' Association. Parent Governor 1997 – 2001. Subsequently Department of Education Governor and Foundation Governor.

Principal of Victoria College.

Wendy Blundell OBE

Engineering and business: Chartered Civil and Structural Engineer. Worked in design consultancy and now Director at Institution of Civil Engineers, a professional membership body which supports a worldwide membership and liaises with governments and industry on infrastructure matters and the built environment.

Jacqui Durkin

Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in NI, public appointee, since 2019. Formerly Senior Civil Servant and Director in the Department of Education and Chief Executive of the NI Courts and Tribunals Service, an agency for the Department of Justice. Qualified as a Member of the Institute of Internal Auditors in 1994.

David Fairley

Parent Governor - retired former banker, with 35 years working for Ulster Bank and NatWest. Equally split between Retail Banking and Project Management, delivering a wide range of discretionary, regulatory and remediation projects. Former Vice-President of Belfast Junior Chamber of Commerce and active member of the VCB PTA.

John FitzGerald

Architecture and design. Chartered Architect with over 30 years’ experience. Director and founder of Dickson FitzGerald Architects. Sits on the Royal Society of Ulster Architects’ design review panel and is a specialist architectural advisor to the Ministerial advisory group for Architecture and the built environment. Treasurer and Board Member of the Golden Thread Gallery.

Gregor Hamilton

Legal Director at Strategic Investment Board and parent of a Victoria pupil.

Sharon Hetherington

Accountancy background: Chartered Public Finance Accountant from 1997. Director of Finance for the Department for Economy. Previously Director of Finance and Head of Corporate Services for the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service. Serves as independent member on the Northern Ireland Housing Executive audit and risk committee.

Antonia Hoskins

Background in Science, having attained a BA (MOD) TCD in Natural Science, followed by a H. Dip. Ed. Last teaching post was at Wesley College Dublin, where she was also Head of Junior Boarding. Joined NI Civil Service, working for a variety of Departments, but most notably for the Department of Education (Open Enrolment Transfer) where she undertook a study of Enrolment Criteria. Also worked in N.I. Assembly as Assistant Clerk to the TEO Committee. Currently involved in Pension Policy and the introduction of a new Career Average Scheme and more recently the age discrimination case relating to the McCloud Judgment. Married with 3 sons, all of whom are Choristers at St Anne’s Cathedral. Long-standing Cub Scout leader and has enjoyed the challenge of Scouting through COVID lockdowns. Licensed National Swim Ireland Referee and, having been a competitive swimmer, enjoys officiating at the highest levels.

Mary Johnston

Retired doctor. Former pupil of Richmond Lodge School and parent of former pupil of Victoria College. Member of Human Resources and Education Committees. Designated Governor for Safeguarding.

Trevor Johnston

Head of Careers, Employability and Skills at Queen’s University with responsibility for strategic planning and leadership of the Service in accordance with the University’s Strategy 2030 ambition with particular focus on enhancing the employability of Queen’s students. He leads the Service which supports students to develop their skills to prepare them for the world of work, enabling employers to come onto campus and meet and recruit Queen’s students as well as the international mobility team which supports some 300 students per year to undertake study and work opportunities in some 30 countries around the world.

Previously held a range of private sector roles as UK Business Development Manager for National Skills Academy for Environmental Technologies and Regional Manager for Northern Ireland with SummitSkills, a Sector Skills Council with responsibility for representing employers. He had previously led the development of an All-Ireland Interreg Funded Renewable Energy Installer Academy establishing regional training provision for a range of renewable energy technologies and an Ireland wide training, certification and quality inspection scheme for renewable energy installers.

Director of AHECS, the Association of Higher Education Careers Services in Ireland. Currently Co-Chair of the Executive Board of the AHECS Association and is the Ireland representative on the Global Careers Summit Programme Board, which delivers the annual Global Careers Summit to facilitate learning, sharing of best practice and dialogue amongst higher education careers services across the world. Chair of Walking Free, a UK registered charity which seeks to support people with addictions and life controlling issues.

Katharine Martin 

Engineering and Project Management: Chartered Mechanical Engineer. Marine Surveyor with Maritime Coastguard Agency. Previously contracts manager with MJM Marine and mechanical engineer with Harland and Wolff. A former pupil of Victoria College, currently has two daughters at the College.

Brian McDonald

Accountancy: Head of Finance and IT for a Non-Departmental Public Body of the Department of Justice. Member of the Audit and Risk and Human Resources Committees.

Linda Megahey

Parent governor. Finance and H.R. Director with an arms length Government Body. Over 20 years experience in private and public bodies with governance oversight.

Christopher Parker

Consultant legislative draftsman; barrister (currently non-practising). Worked in private practice as a barrister (at the Bar of Ireland and the Bar of Northern Ireland), as a government legal advisor (for the Departmental Solicitor's Office) and as a legislative draftsman for the Office of the Legislative Counsel at Stormont and for the Attorney General's Chambers, Isle of Man.

David Scoffield

Foundation Governor and High Court Judge. Called to the Bar in 1999 and specialised in public and administrative law, including an interest in education law. Appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in 2011; and elevated to the Bench in 2020. Parent of a daughter at the College.

Claire Staple

Legal, governance, compliance: Commercial lawyer with experience in private and public sectors. Currently practising as a procurement and contracts adviser on healthcare technology within HSCNI. Legal Panel Member of the Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal of NI since 2015. Member of the Audit and Risk Committee of Choice Housing since May 2020. Parent of one Senior School pupil and one Preparatory two pupil.

Caroline Young

Higher Education, Housing, Hospitality and Tourism: Director of Student Plus at Queen’s University Belfast with responsibility for Campus Life and the Student Experience. Previously worked in the Hotel and Tourism Industry throughout the UK, Ireland and in Europe. An old girl of Victoria College (1982-1989), Caroline has two daughters at the College and served as Parent Governor for the period 2017-2021 and was elected a Foundation Governor in November 2021. Caroline also sits on the Boards of Visit Belfast and Choice Housing.