Appointment of Chairperson to the Governing Body of Stranmillis University College

Economy Minister Gordon Lyons has appointed Mr Edgar Jardine as Chair to the Governing Body of Stranmillis University College.

Governing body temporary chair appointed

Economy Minister Gordon Lyons has appointed Mr Edgar Jardine as Chair to the Governing Body of Stranmillis University College.

The appointment of Mr Jardine is effective from 1 January 2022 and is for a period of four years.

The appointment has been made in accordance with the Code of Practice of the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland.

He replaces Sir Desmond Rea whom the Minister thanked for his tenure.

Notes to editors: 

1. Mr Jardine has been appointed following a recent public appointment competition.

2. Members of the Governing Body, including the Chairperson, do not receive any remuneration. However, they are eligible to claim allowances, at Northern Ireland Civil Service rates, for travel and subsistence costs necessarily incurred on official business.

3. Stranmillis University College was founded in 1922 by the then recently established Ministry of Education for Northern Ireland to provide state-funded teacher training alongside that already available at the existing St Mary’s College. Both institutions have become academically recognised as university colleges of Queen’s University Belfast. Stranmillis offers teacher training for the primary and secondary school sectors as well as professional development courses, a BA in Early Childhood Studies and a BSc in Health, Physical Activity and Sport.

4. Mr Jardine is a former Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency and has served at senior level in the former Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister and in the former Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and as Interim Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Policing Board. He was awarded the CB in 2012 for public service. Since retirement from the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Mr Jardine has served in a number of non-executive roles. He was a member of the Probation Board for Northern Ireland from 2012 to 2018 and of the Education Authority from 2015 to 2020. He joined the NI Policing Board as an Independent Member on 1 April 2020 (which attracts remuneration of £15,000 per annum) and also serves as Chair of the Department of Finance’s Statistics Advisory Committee. Mr Jardine is an Education Authority representative on the Board of Governors of Dundonald High School. He has been a member of the Governing Body of Stranmillis University College since 2014 and previously served as Vice Chair.

5. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland requires the political activity of appointees (if any declared) to be published. Mr Jardine has not undertaken any political activity in the last five years.

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