Ms Joan Russell, Education Research Officer (ETBI) (Chairperson)

Joan qualified as a Home Economics and Economics teacher. She formerly worked in Cork as a teacher, a Director of Adult Education, Principal, Education Officer and CEO (Acting). She has worked at National level since 2014, as Director of Schools in ETBI and currently works as Research Officer.

Joan has coordinated the Instructional Leadership Programme (ILP) since its inception in 2008, and the various programmes associated with the ILP.

Joan is passionate about teacher professional learning and is currently studying for her PhD. Her area of study is to honor the perspectives of post-primary teachers as to their perspectives on the characteristics of effective professional learning opportunities.

Dr Sharon Coffey, Graduate & Principal, Grennan College, Kilkenny

Sharon Coffey is a school principal in Grennan College, Kilkenny. Sharon began her career as a post-primary teacher and spent 14 years teaching in schools in the UK and Ireland. She moved into school leadership in 2016 when she was appointed Deputy Principal of Athy College.

Sharon holds a Doctor of Education (EdD) with a specialism in Leadership from Maynooth University. She was also a recipient of the John Coolahan Research Support Framework (2019) and the Teaching Council’s Researchers in Residence Scheme (2022), enabling her to strengthen the link between research, policy and practice while collaborating with other stakeholders in education.

Ms Anne McHugh, Chief Executive, Donegal ETB

Anne McHugh is Chief Executive of Donegal Education and Training Board (ETB).

Anne has spent her entire career in education initially as a teacher of Geography and Gaeilge before becoming Deputy Principal in Crana College, Buncrana, followed by her Principalship of Errigal College, Letterkenny.

Both jobs were with the former Co Donegal VEC and in 2012 she joined as Education Officer and proceeded to her current role as Chief Executive in 2016.

Dr Finn Ó Murchú,

Former Head of Education Department, Mary Immaculate College

Mr Eugene Power, Graduate & Retired Principal, WWETB

Eugene Power B.A., M.Sc. (Education and Training Management), H.D.E., H.D.E.A., H.D.P.E.S. (School Planning)

Eugene has been involved in education for over 40 years and has worked in 5 different second level schools in Ireland and the Middle East, which included ETB, secondary and private schools, all boys, all girls and mixed schools. He spent 9 years as a Principal in St. Declan’s Community College, Waterford. In partnership with school staff Eugene’s priority was the establishment of a caring and supportive environment in school where learning and teaching could flourish.  Previously Eugene spent 8 years as Deputy Principal in Abbey Community College. Previous to that he worked as a class teacher, class tutor, year head, member of planning teams for TYP and LCA. Eugene has been a member of the Steering Committee of the Instructional Leadership Programme since 2009. He has been a tutor with MIC (Thurles) since 2018, supervising students on school placement. He has been involved with Nurturing School Ireland since 2019, working with second level schools. Eugene is currently a member of two Boards of Management (Post-Primary) and is a former chairperson of a BoM (Primary). Eugene worked as a facilitator with SDPI. He initiated and was a member of the planning team for a Mentoring Programme for NQTs and newly appointed teachers in Co. Kilkenny VEC.

Dr Rebecca Saunders, Assistant Professor Education, Mary Immaculate College, (MIC), Thurles

Becky qualified as a teacher in post-primary and tertiary and adult education over 25 years ago. Since then, she has worked as a teacher, senior project manager, education and training consultant, researcher, academic chair and lecturer. She joined MIC Thurles from Perth, Western Australia in 2021 where she is currently an Assistant Professor in Education.

Completing her PhD in Instructional Intelligence, teacher professional learning, teacher emotions and systemic educational change in 2016, Becky is passionate about instructional leadership and supporting teachers to refine and extend their instructional and assessment repertoire. She has extensive experience in designing and leading teacher professional learning at the national and international levels and continues to work with individual schools and colleges to assist them in implementing sustainable systemic approaches to pedagogical change. Becky has had a long friendship with the ILP, visiting from Australia several times to present at IL conferences and events. Since arriving in Ireland, she has become an active member of the Instructional Leadership Steering Committee and in 2023/24 she had the pleasure of leading and facilitating Peer Instructional Conferencing and Coaching and assisting with the co-design and facilitation of Lasair: Supporting Principals and Deputy Principals as Instructional Leaders

Ms Veronica Walsh

Ms Paula Fitzpatrick, IL Administrator, Education and Training Board Ireland

Paula has worked in Education and Training Board Ireland, (ETBI) since 2015 as IL Administrator.  Paula’s provides administrative support to the Instructional Leadership Programme, including event management, organisation IL training events, maintaining social media platforms and overseeing the IL website www.instructionalleadership.ie