Second Key Appointment For Far North Regeneration Plan

21st October 2007

The post of programme manager for the Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership will be taken up on an interim basis by Gordon Cox pending a permanent appointment.

A senior member of staff at Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Gordon is project director for the organisation's network management system currently based in Inverness. He previously served for six years as chief executive of Ross and Cromarty Enterprise.

The recently formed regeneration partnership will drive forward new initiatives to counteract Dounreay nuclear plant's diminishing role as the area's principal employer.

Gordon (58) is a graduate of Glasgow University with over 20 years' management experience in manufacturing. He joined Scottish Borders Enterprise in 1991 where he was involved in promoting sustainable technology businesses; demonstration projects on leading edge environmental technologies, inward investment opportunities and generating new enterprises. He is married with three sons.

Gordon joins Roy Kirk, who took up the new post of inward investment manager in August of this year, and administrative staff at the partnership's office within the T3UK decommissioning test facility at Thurso. In his role as interim programme manager Gordon will be the main point of contact for the partnership. He will be responsible for several key tasks, namely governance arrangements, finalisation of draft action
plan, drawing contributors together to work effectively on early projects identified in an action plan and communications.

Both appointments have been unanimously agreed by the partnership's key stakeholders - HIE, The Highland Council, Scottish Government and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).

Sandy Cumming, chief executive of HIE said: "I am delighted that we have someone of Gordon's calibre and experience to shape this new post. He will assist all those with a stake in delivering a stream of transformational projects to do so successfully. In Roy Kirk and Gordon Cox we have the capability to make a real contribution to the economic future of Caithness and North Sutherland."

Local MP John Thurso, who chaired the strategy group which led to the formation of the Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership, said: "I am delighted the partnership has made this appointment. I know from personal experience of working with Gordon Cox during his time at RACE of his excellent qualities and commitment. I have no doubt therefore that he will make a major contribution to the future progress of the regeneration strategy. Managing projects so that they have the best chance of becoming
reality is one of the most important tasks within the partnership and I wish Gordon every success."

Gordon takes up the post today (Monday, 22 October 2007)

For more information about the Regeneration partnership see -
www.caithness.org/regeneration/index.htm