The appointments were formally approved by the SURF board following an open recruitment process that launched in October. The new trustees bring a wealth of experience, diverse skills, and a shared commitment to SURF’s goal of promoting improvements in policy and practice in place-based regeneration.

The new trustees are:

• Jamie Baker – As economic development and regeneration service manager in East Lothian Council, Jamie has a breadth of knowledge and understanding around community wealth building, project management, strategic town centre regeneration, new-start business support, and more. Jamie also has private sector experience in agriculture and data analytics, and with regional and national strategic initiatives, including the Edinburgh and South East Scotland Regional Prosperity Framework.
• Maggie Broadley – Maggie is an experienced figure in Scotland’s cultural regeneration landscape. Her work in establishing West Kilbride as Scotland’s Craft Town has won multiple awards, including from SURF, the Great British High Street Awards, and Creative Scotland’s Creative Places. Maggie, a graduate of the Glasgow School of Art, has also supported strategic arts-led regeneration activity across the south of Scotland with Dumfries and Galloway Unlimited and Upland Arts Development.
• Eugene Mullan – A founder of esteemed Edinburgh-based architecture practice Smith Scott Mullan, and its current Urban Design Director, Eugene has a wealth of expertise in residential home design, effective community consultation, spatial planning, and large-scale physical regeneration project delivery. He has a keen interest in neighbourhood-level regeneration, and spent 10 years as Secretary of the Architecture and Built Environment Cross Party Group of the Scottish Parliament.
• Francesca Lynch – Francesca is a passionate advocate for strengthening communities and local democracy. She is development manager with Scotland’s Community Development Centre, where her current responsibilities include supporting communities on participatory budgeting, co-production, climate change action, capacity building training, and more. Francesca also has 20 years experience with Community Links, a charity that supports community led regeneration activity across South Lanarkshire.

SURF chair, Brian MacDonald, said: “SURF was delighted to receive 12 strong applications for our trustee vacancies, and I welcome the appointments of four accomplished individuals. Jamie, Maggie, Eugene and Francesca are strong additions that will further enhance SURF’s ability to support positive change in the regeneration of Scotland’s places. Their experience, skills and connections fill important gaps and help us build for the future.”

SURF chief executive, Euan Leitch, said: “The four new appointments bring a highly impressive knowledge bank and skillset across all forms of regeneration – physical, social, economic, cultural and environmental. The staff team greatly looks forward to working with them on our shared interests and objectives.”

In 2024, SURF will further strengthen its existing structure by creating an Expert Advisory Group, led by vice chair Diane Gray and trustee Iain Wardop, which will bring together regeneration experts from a myriad of sectors and geographies to help inform SURF’s key deliverables and its policy influencing activity.