Management & Board

Colum brings senior leadership experience from across Camphill and community‑based organisations, alongside a lifelong personal connection to the Camphill movement. Having grown up within Camphill, his values and approach to leadership are shaped by a deep understanding of its social vision, cultural foundations, and responsibilities.

His career has focused on leading values‑led organisations through periods of change, with particular emphasis on governance, financial sustainability, estates stewardship, and workforce leadership. Across senior roles within Camphill communities and related charities, Colum has combined operational responsibility with careful attention to culture, systems, and long‑term resilience.

As Chief Executive of Camphill School Aberdeen, Colum’s priority is to provide stable, thoughtful leadership and to strengthen the organisational foundations that support the school’s educational, care, and therapeutic work. He is committed to ensuring that CSA remains well governed, financially resilient, and true to its ethos, with the leadership capacity and systems required to meet present and future challenges.

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Ashley joined Camphill School Aberdeen in 2014 and has worked within the residential side of care throughout her time here. She initially managed St Andrews House and later Cherrywood House, and for the past six years has been part of the senior care team, contributing to the leadership and development of residential care across the organisation.

Before coming to CSA, Ashley spent eight years working in a Camphill community in the United States at Camphill School, Beaver Run. During that time, she completed a BA in Curative Education, which continues to inform her approach to care, relationships, and community life.

She lives on site with her partner, her son, and her two dogs, which she describes as both a privilege and an important part of being connected to the life of the community. Outside of work, she enjoys watching and acting in plays and is a member of Culter Theatre Club, where she is involved in local amateur dramatics.

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Helen arrived in Aberdeen in 1998 after completing a BA (Hons)in Leeds. She has been teaching in Camphill School Aberdeen since 2003 and has been Head of Education for the last 5 years. Her role includes supporting the Kindergarten Manager and Young Adult Day Services Manager, however she spends most of her time in school, working with the teaching staff and children. Helen lives in the local area and likes to spend time enjoying the outdoors.

Stephen has lived in Milltimber since 1995 with his wife Karen, and two sons Robert and Laurence. He studied Mechanical Engineering at Leeds University and has been an engineer in the oil business since 1982. Stephen's hobbies are cycling, golf and hillwalking.

Steohen's family has had a long association with Camphill School as Laurence is autistic and has attended the school as a day pupil and a resident since 2003. This gives him particular insight into his role as a member of the board.

Sheila has recently retired from senior management in the public sector where she led the planning and delivery of children’s services. She has a background in community development, and has worked at national and international level in action research, and with third sector partners to inform policy development.

Sheila joined the Board in 2017, and continues to enjoy the governance role that enables Camphill School to innovate and deliver services to improve the outcomes for children and young people.

Dawn has worked in the media, communications and marketing sector for more than 25 years in journalism, PR, communications and marketing roles. Currently, she leads global marketing and communications for a global provider of specialist rig and well control equipment solutions.

Dawn lives in Aberdeen with her husband and daughter.

Dawn's son Seth has been a resident of Camphill since 2021 and last year transitioned from school to day services. His progress both in terms of skills development, independence and his overall wellbeing has been amazing.

Having seen first-hand the difference that the staff and facilities provided by Camphill can make to a family, Dawn was keen to join the board to offer guidance on how best to communicate its impact and services to the wider community.

Ian is originally from Aberdeen but as his working career was in the oil and gas industry, as was his wife’s, they have lived and worked abroad regularly but have now found themselves back in Aberdeen. Their daughter and her husband live and work in Aberdeen whilst their son and his wife live in Folkestone and commute to London as needed.

Despite no longer working full time Ian is keen to be active in society and to contribute where he can. He has been a member of the Simeon Care for the Elderly Board of Trustees since 2022.

Jacqueline is a retired head teacher of a large local authority special school that catered for children from 3-18 with a range of complex additional needs.

She also developed an inclusive provision in her local secondary school. As a Head Teacher and as a seconded Quality Improvement Officer, Jacqueline contributed to policy development and implementation both locally and nationally.

Jacqueline was an associate inspector of schools for HMI for a number of years and worked both as a team member and lead inspector on school and local authority inspections.

She has developed a close working relationship with the school over a number of years through inspection, quality assurance and mentoring. Jacqueline recently joined the Board, and is delighted to be able to contribute to the delivery of high quality outcomes for the children and young people of Camphill Schools Aberdeen.

James is an experienced Solicitor, with the full service law firm Ledingham Chalmers LLP, and Treasurer of the local law faculty, the Society of Advocates in Aberdeen.

Having trained and worked in a small general practice firm in Aberdeen, James has acquired a good breadth of legal knowledge and experience which he has been able to use for the benefit of Camphill School since joining the Board in 2018.

Lesley was brought up in Aberdeen and has a degree in Accountancy and Economics from Aberdeen University. She is a Chartered Accountant and, since qualifying in 1993, has spent most of her career to date working with owners of companies, whether local, national, or international, advising them throughout their business life cycle – from start up, through growth and acquisitions, to sale or retirement.

Lesley is married and has two daughters, both currently at University, and two very lively dogs to keep her active.

Lesley joined the Board in 2023 and uses her financial and business experience to support the team at Camphill School.

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Louise a graduate of Aberdeen University. After medical school, she trained in psychodynamic psychotherapy and child and adolescent psychiatry. Today, Louise is a consultant psychiatrist and clinical lead for inpatient eating disorders in the North of Scotland. She is passionate about parity of care for mental and physical health. Louise is married with four children and a dog, and loves music and playing guitar.

Louise has huge respect for the work of Camphill which she's experienced at first hand, since visiting during her training. She joined the board in 2020 and looks forward to helping the school achieve their goals.

Tom is an architect at Camphill Architecture & Development in Bieldside. Tom studied Architecture at the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture in Aberdeen, focusing on Design for Autism for his thesis project. He has worked in Sydney and in Aberdeen on a range of bespoke new build and refurbishment projects. His brother, Jack, went to Camphill School, and his learning, development and wellbeing improved immeasurably over the years as he became a valued part of the community.

As a Business Development Manager with 18 years of experience in the energy sector, Jennifer has a strong background working at the intersection of technology and business. As an advocate for diversity and inclusion, Jennifer assists with Women in Tech Aberdeen and is passionate about empowering both children and adults with wellbeing techniques and tools.

Jorg Kohnert was born in the North of Germany in Celle, Lower Saxony. After schooling he went to study at the Technical University Clausthal, where he obtained his B.Sc. in Engineering and an M.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering.

After graduation, he initially went to work in Essen in the German coal mining industry for 6 months, before joining Shell International. Here he worked for 23 years across Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, starting off as an Operations Engineer and culminating as the General Manager/Chairman of Shell in Cameroon. During his time in Aberdeen, he met his wife Julia, and they had 2 sons.

Following his Shell career, Jorg worked for various international energy companies as General Manager, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer – mainly in Africa and China. Having left Nigeria during Covid, Jorg spend 2021 - 2023 with an environmental services provider, working with conventional and renewable energy companies on projects conduction Environmental Impact Assessments and biodiversity baseline surveys in sensitive environmental habitats.

Apart from being a live-long learner and coach, Jorg is multi-lingual and speaks German, English, French and a little bit of Dutch.

Jorg retired from full-time work in November 2023 and joined a couple of NGOs working on important issues for the Northeast of Scotland as well as being a Scottish Chamber of Commerce registered Business Mentor/Coach.