Islay's new job at ICS

Assistant Director appointment

Islay McLeod has been appointed Assistant Director of the Institute of Contemporary Scotland and takes up her new post on 1 July 2008.
     Islay, 27, joined ICS as Administrative Assistant in July 2006 and was promoted to the role of Administrator last year. She is a regular co-chair at the Young Scotland Programme, a leading member of the organising team at courses of the Young UK and Ireland Programme south of the border, and a familiar figure at Institute events such as the Academy of Merit and the Young Scot of the Year.
     Since February, she has been Production Editor of the Scottish Review, Scotland's weekly online current affairs magazine, and her photo-feature, Islay McLeod's Scotland, is one of the most popular features on the site. In July, she will embarking on a tour of Scotland for her weekly contribution to the magazine, travelling as far north as Orkney.
     Islay, who was born in Ayrshire, was educated at Kilmarnock Academy, and during her last year was the East Ayrshire schools' representative on East Ayrshire Council. Later, she studied politics and economics at Glasgow Caledonian University, gaining a BA Hons degree and completing a final year dissertation on early 20th-century Russian policy and ideology. One of her passions is music; a gifted cellist, she is a member of the Ayrshire Symphony Orchestra.
     When asked recently to write her own six-word life story, she replied: 'Travelled far, long way to go'.
     Kenneth Roy, founder of ICS, said: 'In the two short years she has been with us, Islay has made an immense contribution to the work of the Institute. Without her creativity and expertise, the Scottish Review online would not be the remarkable success it has so quickly become. I look forward to working with her to take ICS successfully to its 10th anniversary and beyond.'
     Islay said: 'This is an exciting opportunity to involve myself in the many tiers of ICS. The Young Scotland Programme in particular is a priceless asset. Having attended so many of the courses, I've seen for myself how it has had a major impact on the young people who take part.
     'The Scottish Review online, with its unique, unbiased voice, highlights ICS's distinctive role in contemporary Scotland. The creative possibilities of the new job are endless.'

Islay McLeod's Scotland is one of the most popular features in the Scottish Review Online. Check it out on www.scottishreview.net