Event Speakers

Michelle Cochlan

Michelle Cochlan is Chair of the Community Empowerment Group and the Community Planning Manager at Aberdeen City Council. Michelle is responsible for supporting the Community Planning Aberdeen Partnership to plan and deliver improved outcomes for and with people and communities across the City.

Maggie Hepburn

Maggie Hepburn is the Vice Chair of the Community Empowerment Group and CEO of ACVO TSI. ACVO is the third sector interface for Aberdeen City. Maggie is passionate about supporting and developing people and third sector organisations to be active in the community.

Jonathan Smith

Jonathan Smith is the Chair of the Aberdeen Civic Forum and Community Council Forum. A visionary civic leader for Aberdeen, Jonathan helps ensure the views, priorities and issues of communities from across the City are taken forward to shape strategies, services, policies and decisions which most benefit the City’s communities.

Martin Wyllie

Dr. Martin Wyllie has worked for Aberdeen City Council for over 22 years. In that time he has done lots of stuff. From deploying a box office system, to analysing air quality monitors, to 3D printing, developing guiding principles to running conferences. Currently working with Community Planning Partnership with the remit of putting the citizen’s voice right at the heart of the decision making process.

Gordon Edgar

Gordon Edgar works for Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership on service user, carer and public engagement and hopes to provide opportunities for people to have positive experiences that can make a difference. 

Dawn Brown

Dawn Brown has a background in volunteering and community development, supporting organisations and projects to grow and develop, helping people make a difference to their community. Dawn gained her Post Graduate Diploma in CLD in 2017 and after a brief spell working for ACVO in 2021, Dawn joined SCDC. She has been involved in the Supporting Communities, Participatory Budgeting and Scottish Co-Production Network areas of work.

Anne McAteer

Anne McAteer is a Research Officer working within Community Planning at Aberdeen City Council. As part of her role in supporting Community Planning, Anne manages our Citizens’ Panel and is responsible for coordinating the City Voice questionnaire. This is a regular survey which offers panellists the opportunity to give their views on a range of issues that affect our communities.

Allison Swanson

Allison Swanson is the Improvement Programme Manager within the Community Planning Team. Allison is responsible for supporting the Community Planning Aberdeen Partnership to deliver a portfolio of improvement projects to achieve the agreed improvement aims within the Local Outcome Improvement Plan and Locality Plans.

Colin Wright

Email:communityplanning@aberdeencity.gov.uk

Visit: www.communityplanningaberdeen.org.uk

@CPAberdeen