College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE)
For details of the course listing and prospectus, and for other information about studying at CAFRE, please see the CAFRE website.
CAFRE College Advisory Group
The College Advisory Group provides advice at a strategic and operational level to the college director and college management team of CAFRE.
The group, which meets four times a year, has a chairperson and 12 members who represent the key CAFRE stakeholders.

In carrying out its work, the group takes full account of policies and strategies approved by the Minister and DAERA. The College Advisory Group members are:
- Maynard Mawhinney – Chairperson (Independent Food Consultant)
- Barclay Bell – Arable Crops - (Arable Farmer from County Down)
- David Brown – Red Meat - (Beef and Sheep Farmer from County Fermanagh)
- Nicholas Cowan – Environment in the Supply Chain – (Group Environmental Manager, Tayto Group Ltd)
- Malcolm Emery – International Relations – (Director, Powerhouse Energy Management)
- Ivor Ferguson – Intensive Livestock - Pigs - (Pig, Sheep and Arable Farmer from County Armagh)
- Mark Gowdy – Agri-food Business Development - (Sales and Marketing Manager, Whites Speedicook)
- Roy Lyttle – Production Horticulture - (Vegetable Grower from County Down)
- Harold Johnston – Intensive Livestock - Dairy - (Dairy Farmer from County Antrim)
- Deborah O' Hare – Education - (Emeritus Professor of Food Studies at Ulster University)
- Diane Ruddock – Environment - (External Affairs Manager, National Trust)
- Dr Esther Skelly-Smith – Equine – (Equine Veterinary Surgeon)
- Elaine Willis – Food Processing
Length of each term of appointment
|
Chair – 3 years Members – 3 years (Option for reappointment to a second 3 year term) |
Remuneration
|
Chair – £367 per day Members – £237 per day |
Workload |
Chair – Approximately 4 days per annum Members – Approximately 4 days per annum |
Name |
Date of First Appointment |
Expiry of Appointment |
Chair |
||
01/07/2021 |
30/06/2024 |
|
Members |
||
Mr Ivor Ferguson |
01/09/2013 |
31/08/2019 Extension of second term until 31/12/2022 |
Prof David McDowell |
01/09/2013 |
31/08/2019 Extension of second term until 31/12/2021 |
Mr David Brown |
01/01/2017 |
31/12/2019 Reappointed for a second term until 31/12/2022 |
Mr Mark Gowdy |
01/01/2017 |
31/12/2019 Reappointed for a second term until 31/12/2022 |
Mrs Diane Ruddock |
01/01/2017 |
31/12/2019 Reappointed for a second term until 31/12/2022 |
Mr Nicholas Cowan |
01/01/2020 |
31/12/2022 |
Mr Malcolm Emery |
01/01/2020 |
31/12/2022 |
Mr Roy Lyttle |
01/01/2020 |
31/12/2022 |
Dr Esther Skelly-Smith |
01/01/2020 |
31/12/2022 |
Mr Harold Johnston |
01/07/2021 |
30/06/2024 |
Mr Barclay Bell |
01/01/2022 |
31/12/2024 |
Mrs Deborah O' Hare |
01/01/2022 |
31/12/2024 |
Mrs Elaine Willis |
01/01/2022 |
31/12/2024 |