SSGT Chairperson, Anna Lee has over 40 years experience of working in the not for profit sector in Ireland with people and communities at risk of poverty and social exclusion. Anna was educated in the University of East Anglia (BA Social Science) and the University of Birmingham (CQSW) and worked as a social worker in the London Borough of Southwark before coming to work in Dublin in 1975. She worked with Cherish and the ISPCC before moving to work in Tallaght in 1986 managing a 2nd EU Poverty Programme project and from 1991 the Tallaght Partnership (now South Dublin County Partnership). Anna retired from her role as CEO of the South Dublin County Partnership in 2014.

Anna has contributed to the development of policy and practice at local, county and national level including chairing Tallaght Drugs Task Force for 6 years, the South Dublin County Local and Community Development Committee (LCDC) and the Combat Poverty Agency (1995-2001).  Anna has written about local and community development and the community / voluntary sector.

Since her retirement from the Partnership Anna has maintained her voluntary commitments including to St Stephen’s Green Trust.

Jordan Campbell has worked in the Irish non-profit sector since 2005. Originally from South Carolina, Jordan earned an undergraduate degree in French, Political Science and Chemistry and a master’s in International Peace Studies at Trinity College Dublin. She is currently pursuing a MSc in Leadership and Management with UCD Smurfit Graduate Business School. Jordan currently serves as Chief Executive of UCD Foundation, where she is responsible for alumni relations and fundraising activity for University College Dublin. She previously worked as Grants Director at The Ireland Funds, as well as for Philanthropy Ireland and the youth leadership organisation, STAND. 

Dr Avila Kilmurray works with the Social Change Initiative (SCI) with a focus on peacebuilding, philanthropy and refugee/migrant rights.  A native of Dublin, Avila has lived and worked in Northern Ireland since 1975.  She has a long history of activism in the community movement, the Women’s Movement and in social justice causes.  Avila held the position of Director of the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland (1994-2014). She had previously overseen a EU Anti-{Poverty programme in rural areas (1985-1989) and served as the first Women’s Officer for the ATGWU (now Unite) in Ireland. (1989-1994).  Avila holds a BA (History & Politics) University College Dublin; an MA (International Relations) from Australian National University and completed a PhD (Institute of Governance) in Queens University Belfast, where she was later awarded a Hon. Doctorate in Social Science and was awarded a Hon. Professorship with the Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security & Justice.  Avila has long been involved with a range of peacebuilding initiatives as a founder member of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition in 1996 and serving on the Coalition’s Negotiating Team for the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement. As Director of the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland Avila also managed a number of measures in support of victims/survivors, political ex-prisoners and grassroots work under the EU PEACE Programmes (1995-2014).  Avila has written extensively on community action, peacebuilding and women’s rights. She has published a book – ‘Community Action in a Contested Society: The Story of Northern Ireland’ (Peter Lang, 2016) ; ‘Conflict-Affected Environments: Notes for Grantmakers’ – (www.thesocialchangeinitiative.org) and co-edited ‘Peacebuilding, Conflict and Community Development’ (Policy Press, 2023).

Mary Murphy is Head of Department and Professor in the Department of Sociology,  Maynooth University, with research interests in ecosocial welfare, gender, care  and social security, globalisation and welfare states, and power and civil society. She co-edited The Irish Welfare state in the 21st Century Challenges and Changes (Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2016) and authored  Creating an Ecosocial Future (Policy Press, May 2023).    An active advocate for social justice and gender equality, she was appointed to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (2013-217) and is currently a member of the Council of State in Ireland.

Seamus O’Prey is an innovative leader in the social enterprise sector in Ireland. Currently, Seamus is the CEO of The Ortus Group, a multi-award-winning social enterprise based in Belfast, that focusses on social and economic regeneration. With over 25 years’ experience in supporting, leading and managing social enterprises, Seamus is a driving force for change in the Irish economy, focussing on expanding and growing a diverse range of businesses with a strong social ethos. A director and chairman of several voluntary boards, Seamus is highly regarded in the industry as a strategic leader whose input has seen the success of many businesses within the local economy.  He currently serves as a director with Upper Springfield Development Trust; Ulster Community Finance; Community Finance Ireland; Enterprise NI and the West Belfast Partnership Board. Seamus is an Eisenhower Fellow having been awarded the Irish fellowship in 2009. Seamus has been awarded the CO3; SENI and the IOD’s Social Enterprise/Third sector Leader of the year in recent years.