Speaker biographies

Mohammed Naeem
Mayo Young Environmentalist 2021
Hi everyone! My name is Mohammad Naeem, I am a 5th Year Student at St. Colman’s College, Claremorris. I am really passionate about all the topics within climate change from recycling to biodiversity! Within my school, I am the Chairperson of my Green Schools Committee, and our topic this year is Biodiversity. I have worked with organizations such as ECO-UNESCO and I was one of An Taisce’s Climate Ambassadors last year.  One of the major things I have worked on is educating my fellow peers about climate change through the skills and resources given to me through these organizations. I am the Chairperson of Mayo Comhairle na nÓg (Youth Council) and sit on the Mayo Co. Co. Climate & Biodiversity Sub-committee as a Youth Representative. I won the Mayo Young Environmentalist of the Year 2021 award. I recently got involved with Fridays for Future Ireland and Mayo. 
I am involved with multiple youth organizations outside this such as the YAP (Youth Advisory Panel) for the Ombudsman for Children, the Youth Advisory Panel for Tusla and I am on the National Student Executive for the Irish Second-Level Students' Union. 
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Susan Heffernan 
Project Manager, The Mary Robinson Centre
Susan Heffernan is Project Manager at the Mary Robinson Centre
Susan is also a member of Ballina’s Green Town, a collective community drive to make Ballina Ireland’s Greenest Town and a Board Member of Sligo Volunteer Centre.  She has worked with many local authorities, State agencies and communities across the island of Ireland on themes including community development, diaspora engagement and sustainability, with a particular focus on sustainable tourism. 
Having taken a great leap west from Dublin to Mayo over 10 years ago, Susan has been known to don the Green & Red on the odd occasion.  
Vice Admiral (Rtd) Mark Mellett 
Former Defence Forces Chief of Staff , Co-Founder of the Irish Maritime & Energy Resources Cluster, Founder of Green Compass
Vice Admiral Mellett served his country for forty-eight years bringing vast experience to his role as Ireland’s highest ranking military officer, the Government’s principal military adviser and National Security Committee member. The longest serving Irish Chief of Defence in over 50 years he also served as Deputy Chief of Defence and head of Navy prior to that. As a specialist Naval Diving Officer and Commanding Officer of three seagoing commands, Admiral Mellett participated in and led counter terrorism and narcotic operations. He led the Military response to the COVID-19 pandemic setting a desired end state for a ‘better’ normal for society. He is one of only two recipients in the history of the Irish State of two Distinguished Service Medals (DSM) with honour & distinction.
 As a member of the Irish Public Service Leadership Board, he added to work-streams to deliver stronger leadership, institutionalising values, better governance, greater innovation, improved internal and external diversity and partnerships while promoting gender equality, mental health and well-being. 
 Admiral Mellett uses his strong academic credentials, deep knowledge and research interests in technological innovation, climate change, renewable energy, ecosystems governance, sustainability and security to lead the ‘Green Agenda’ influencing strategic policy towards net zero or negative carbon emissions building on the SDGs. A Lifetime Fellow and Council Member of the Irish Management Institute and a Fellow of the Nautical Institute he is Advisory Council Chair of the Azure Forum for Contemporary Security Strategy. He holds a Doctorate and a Masters in Political Science, Government and Public Policy specialising in Governance and Sustainable Development. He is an Adjunct Professor of Law in UCC and was the distinguished top graduate of each of his senior command and staff courses at the US Naval War College, the Irish Military College and the UK Royal Naval College.
 On retirement from the Defence Forces he established his own company ‘Green Compass’ specialising in ESG, providing foresight and strategic advice to government, developers, the renewable energy and related sectors in climate security and sustainability. 
Seán Carolan
​Mulranny Decarbonising Community & SWMDC Rural Development Manager 
​Seán Carolan, Rural Development (LEADER) Manager at South West Mayo Development Company has supported community participative planning under the Mayo/Mulranny Community Futures initiative as a means to further local community goals. Seán has advanced nature-based solutions for coastline management. He is also dedicated to the preservation and utility of traditional livestock breeds to underpin food security, tackle invasive species and combat upland fires, notably under the Old Irish Goats for Howth initiative. Seán is currently supporting the development of the Mulranny Decarbonising Zone vision, using his science background and extensive experience the engineering services sector to best effect.
Céline Reilly
Chair of Vita Ireland & recently retired Dublin City Council Executive Manager (Climate Action) 
​Céline Reilly, from Crossmolina, recently retired from her role as Executive Manager with the Environment & Transportation Department at Dublin City Council. She is a graduate of both NUIG (Bachelor of Engineering) and UCD (Masters in Water & Environmental Engineering), is a Chartered Member of Engineers Ireland and chairs Vita Ireland, an Irish development partner supporting farmers and communities in East Africa. Vita partners with local communities in Ethiopia and Eritrea, to create sustainable climate smart livelihoods. Vita’s programmes include ground up innovative agricultural initiatives, female driven fuel-efficient cook stoves, and community waterpoint repair programmes. The objective is to develop resilience and adaptability in areas that are already suffering the worst effects of climate change.
Prior to her retirement in 2021, Céline combined her role as Executive Manager with that of Energy Performance Officer for the Council and developed the Climate Change Action Plan for Dublin City Council, progressing initiatives on climate mitigation, adaptation, and communications. Céline was also involved on national committees on Climate Action with the City & County Managers Association.
In her community of Phibsboro, she is involved in the development and the delivery of the Energy Masterplan and the Biodiversity Action Plan through the Phibsboro Sustainable Energy Community. 
Theo Cullen Mouze
Youth Climate Activist 
​Theo Cullen-Mouze is a nineteen year old climate activist from Clare Island who has been part of the global Fridays for Future movement for the past three years.  He helped to organise the March 15th and September 20th 2019 strikes in Ireland where tens of thousands took to the streets.  Theo has also spoken on multiple occasions in the Oireachtas, attended COP25 and COP26 and he featured in an RTE documentary on youth climate activism in Ireland.
Ciara Durkin
Part II Architect & Sustainability Leadership Executive Assistant, Laing O’Rourke
​My formal education in sustainable design was founded through my degree and master’s in architecture from University College Dublin and Mackintosh School of Architecture in Scotland. Since which, I have worked in architecture practices in both Ireland and the UK to foster my ability to deliver sustainable design. 
Currently, I am working as the Executive Assistant to the sustainability leadership at Laing O’Rourke. My work focuses on enabling Laing O’Rourke to reach Net Zero carbon before 2050. The construction industry is responsible for nearly 40% of overall carbon emission, therefore aiding the carbon reduction of our industry is vital. 
Outside of work, I am part of multiple industry led carbon reduction groups such as a member of the technical Steering committee of UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard (NZCB) and a member of the Lessons Learned technical group of London Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI).
While my job focuses on carbon reduction and I am also passionate about aiding the development of sustainable community projects. Most recently, through volunteering I have aided the on-going development of Swinford Amenity pitch in Mayo and pre-design of Malawi dental school in Blantyre, Malwai, Africa.
Ultimately, through my paid and volunteer work I aim to convert sustainability aspirations into action!
Dr. Deirdre Garvey
Head of Department - Environmental, Humanities & Social Science ATU Mayo 
​Dr. Deirdre Garvey, BA (Mgmt), MBS, GRI Certified Sustainability Professional, is currently the Head of Department of Environmental Humanities and Social Sciences at Atlantic Technological University (ATU). She has held senior management positions in education and industry. Originally from Ballyhaunis, she returned  to live in Westport in 2006, joining the ATU (then GMIT) from the Irish Management Institute (IMI) where she was senior specialist in Strategic Management.
At the ATU she teaches in the areas of leadership and management, critical thinking, and sustainability related programmes and in research supervision.  She has led a number of cross disciplinary sustainability initiatives and programmes and is currently Chair of the ATU Mayo Green Campus Committee. She has a strong interest in regional development and was appointed Chairperson of the Western Development Commission (WDC) 2017-2020. She has been a board member of the (WDC) and the Fund Advisory Panel (FAP) (2014-2017). She was appointed to the board of WestBIC in 2020.
She is interested in and has continued her professional development in the areas of Business Sustainability and Critical Thinking. She was awarded her PhD from the School of Business Studies, Trinity College Dublin. She holds an MBS from Smurfit Business School, UCD and a BA in Management from the IMI. She has completed the  Cambridge University Business Sustainability Management programme with the Institute for Sustainability Leadership and has completed the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Professional certification programme.
Orla Murphy
New European Bauhaus 
​Orla Murphy is an architect based in Westport Co. Mayo, and lecturer in UCD School of Architecture, where she jointly coordinates the Master of Architecture programme and is founding Co-Director of the UCD Centre for Irish Towns. In her research and teaching Orla’s work focuses on design for resilience, adaptive reuse and participatory planning of socially cohesive and climate resilient towns. Orla is lead investigator on Ripple – an engaged research project based in Greenhills in Ballina – one of 15 projects funded under Creative Ireland’s Climate Action Call. In 2020 Orla was appointed to the High Level Round Table of the New European Bauhaus, an EU Commission initiative that aims to harness design to deliver the EU Green Deal, with a focus on sustainability, beauty and inclusion.
Dr David Connolly
Chief Technology Officer, Astatine & Chairperson, Irish District Energy Association
Dr David Connolly, from Ballyhaunis, is Chief Technology Officer with Astatine, who offer turnkey solutions for large industrial users who wish to decarbonise their heat, using high-temperature heat pumps (up to 200°C), and electricity, using onsite solar PV or offsite Corporate PPA contracts.
​David is also Chairperson of the Irish District Energy Association which represents the district heating and cooling industry across the island of Ireland. Previously, David was CEO of Wind Energy Ireland which is Ireland’s largest renewable energy association and before that, David was an Associate Professor in Energy Planning at Aalborg University in Copenhagen, Denmark, where his research focused on the design and assessment of 100% renewable energy systems for electricity, heat, and transport. www.dconnolly.net.
Dr James Moran
Lecturer & Researcher in Agro-Ecology, ATU; Board Member, European Results Based Payments Network; Member, Expert Advisory Group of the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity 
James is a lecturer in Biology and Ecology in The Department of Natural Resources and the Environment at the Atlantic Technological University, Galway. He leads the Agro-ecology and Rural Development (ARD) research group which concentrates on sustainable agricultural systems with a particular focus on the Common Agriculture Policy and improving agri-environment policy and practice. He is particularly interested in the potential of innovative local partnerships to realise a sustainable future for their area.
​Current projects include a range of national and international collaborations on EU LIFE Projects; EU Erasmus plus - Innovation Education for Sustainable Development in Peripheral Rural Areas; Design of agri-environment schemes both in Ireland, the UK and Europe; Farmland and Forestry Systems for Biodiversity; and collaborations with a range of European Innovation Partnership operation groups across Ireland. He is a member of the National Biodiversity Forum; a member of the Expert Advisory Group of the Citizens' Assembly on biodiversity; and board member of European Results Based Payments Network. He is a cofounder and team member of the Farming for Nature not-for-profit initiative established in 2018.
Kevin Loftus
​Ballina Green Town & Architect & Director, Studio; Winner of Move to Mayo and an Irish Times Best Young Irish Talent: 50 People to Watch in 2022
Kevin is an architect, urbanist and director at ACT, a multidisciplinary social enterprise set up to accelerate the green transition in the build environment. Prior to this, he worked in China at Buro Ole Scheeren and in the Netherlands at MVRDV where he helped develop innovative design projects including 'The Timber Headquarters', a proposal for the world's largest timber building, 'Chengdu Sky Valley', a proposal for a car-free city in China and 'The Waldratsamt', a competition entry for a new district administration office in Karlsruhe, Germany in which Kevin was project lead. In addition to his main work, Kevin is an architecture tutor at The University of Central Lancashire and a member of Ballina Green Town, Ballina Community Clean Up, Ballina SEC and the board of Moy Valley Resources. With a strong passion for all things green and social, Kevin pushes the core ideas of sustainable development in his work. 
Barry Dixon
Head of Decarbonising Finance, Davy Group
Barry Dixon, originally from Claremorris is the Head of Decarbonization Finance at Davy Group in Dublin. Davy is Ireland’s largest domestic stockbroker and wealth manager. He has been with Davy Group since 2000 and previously held the role of Head of Research at the firm. Barry sees the provision of finance as a core part of delivering on Ireland’s decarbonization strategy.   Between now and 2030, it is estimated that at least €60bn of investment will be required to achieve the target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by over 50%.  Barry and his team help businesses secure capital to fund decarbonization strategies and solutions. He has a degree in Agricultural Science from UCD and an MBA from Trinity College. He is married to Elizabeth (nee Fox from Castlebar – didn’t stray too far!) and they have three children who are still happy to support Mayo in Croke Park.