Gillian Rose B.A. (Hons)
After graduating from York University, Gillian spent ten years in journal publishing before joining a civil engineering company specialising in road and bridge construction, urban development and fleet management in developing countries. As Marketing Manager she was responsible for identifying opportunities, liaising with agencies, and co-ordinating responses to calls for proposals and document preparation.
She joined the Plunkett Foundation in 1992, transferring her skills and experience from the built environment to rural development. She helped to develop the Foundation's activities in eastern and central Europe, managing a series of projects in ex-communist countries during the 1990's, the decade of transition from a command to a market economy. These included Poland (Farmers' Enterprise Centre, Kielce Province), Albania (Development of Rural Associations) and Moldova (Rural Enterprise Network).
In Transrural Trust she has continued to develop programmes in eastern Europe, as well as widening her experience to include south-east Asia. Currently Projects Director and Consultant, she is involved in Albania, with particular responsibility for environmental projects and the development of women's groups and women's enterprise; in Kosovo, where she manages a livelihood development programme for bereaved women; and in Romania, supporting a women's craft project in the remote north. She carries out training, advisory, management, monitoring and evaluation activities concerned with group development and small enterprise. She is actively involved in presenting the work of the Trust in the UK to groups of all kinds.
Trevor Lucey MSc (Agric. Econ)
Trevor has 30 years’ experience in rural and agricultural development in Africa, Asia and eastern Europe. The focus of his work has been the establishment and strengthening of rural organisations throughout the world, including agricultural co-operatives, farmers' associations, farmers' federations and farmers' groups. As Rural Enterprise Development Director at Plunkett Foundation from 1990-1997, he was directly involved in co-operative restructuring and rural association projects in Eastern Europe (Albania, Poland, Moldova, Russian Federation, Ukraine), EU member states (UK, France, Denmark), and developing countries (Burkina Faso, China, Mali, Uganda). Each project incorporated a strong element of participative training. Prior to this, he held senior posts at the Paris-based International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) for seven years. At IFAP he was responsible for a special programme of assistance to help build representative farmers' organisations, including agricultural associations, from district to national level in North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia.
Executive Director of Transrural Trust since its foundation in 1997, he has project advisory, training and implementation responsibilities for a number of programmes: Post-tsunami in India, Sri Lanka and Thailand; women’s rural enterprise and capacity-building in rural Nepal; and rural rights and representation in Albania. This role includes regular field assignments and institutional development. Since December 1997, has also acted as adviser to the Department for International Development in shaping its support policy towards rural association development, drawing on field experience.
Donna Bartlett MSc (Applied Development Studies)
Donna has eight years' experience in Marketing and Business Development gained working across diverse sectors in commercial businesses. After graduating in 2007 with an MSc in Applied Development Studies, Donna spent three months in Sri Lanka following up her dissertation findings with further research into the factors that contribute to the sustainability (or conversely, the failure) of craft livelihoods on the Island. Her findings, complemented by her understanding of marketing and business development, means she is able to determine the market potential of products made by rural craftspeople and to provide guidance on the suitability of craft-based livelihood interventions.
As Livelihoods Consultant to Transrural Trust she has project co-ordination and product and business development advisory responsibilities for Post-Tsunami programmes in India and Sri Lanka. She also has business development advisory responsibilities in Thailand and Nepal.
Rachael Twiss (Bookkeeping and Administration)
Rachael has 19 years experience in bookkeeping and accountancy. She began her career in the publishing industry, before moving on to Oxfam GB, where she supported the international program and Trading division (Oxfam shops network) on all aspects of accounting. Rachael then sought a part time accounts role and worked for a small charity called African Books Collective, a worldwide marketing and distribution outlet for over 1,000 African scholarly, literature and children's books. After two years, Rachael decided to ‘go it alone’ and started working freelance for small/medium sized businesses.
The newest member of the Transrural Trust Team, she joined in April 2009 and is responsible for the day to day bookkeeping and administrative duties in the office.