New Chairperson appointed to the South West Mayo Development Company

South West Mayo Development Company (SWMDC) is delighted to announce the appointment of new Chairperson, Thomas Fitzpatrick. Thomas, a farmer living in Hollymount, represents the farming sector on the board as an IFA nominee. Thomas previously held the Company Secretary position and has been an active contributor to the Board since his appointment.

“I am delighted to be elected to the chair of SWMDC. The company is going through a time of significant change and significant expansion. We will have many opportunities and challenges over the coming years, and I will do my best to steer the company in the right direction during my time as Chairperson,” commented Mr Fitzpatrick.

At the recent Annual General Meeting, outgoing Chairperson, Paul Gibbons paid tribute to the SWMDC Board and staff for their support during his tenure in the Chair. He said: “SWMDC is positively impacting the lives of people living in south and west Mayo and beyond. During my three years, I am proud to have overseen the successful application for €4.9million RRDF funding, a 20 percent increase in company revenue, and the growth of the team to almost 60 people.”

Finally, Paul thanked retiring board members John Healy, Monica Horan, Eugene O'Malley and Padraig Reilly for their years of service to SWMDC and to their communities, which they consistently represented in all their board interactions. Warm tributes were paid to the outgoing chair, who will remain on the board in an Ex Officio capacity.

Sabina Trench, CEO commented: “Paul has been an incredibly dedicated Chairperson, working hard to represent the company at local, regional, and national level. His leadership during the preparation of the LEADER local development strategy was particularly noteworthy, and we hope that his work will be rewarded when the LEADER programme announcements are made later this year.”
SWMDC is now in the process of seeking new board member nominations from affiliated community and voluntary groups in the Claremorris/East Mayo, Castlebar and hinterland, and Ballinrobe/South Mayo areas. If groups are interested in affiliating to SWMDC and making a nomination to the Board and/or voting in community elections, please contact 098 41950 or info@southmayo.com for more details.

Pictured above are the board of SWMDC, back, from left: Aoife Moloney, Youth Rep; Noreen McGarry, Board Member; Padraig Reilly, Retiring Board Member; Monica Horan, Retiring Board Member and Malcolm Cooney, Board Member.

Front, from left: Sabina Trench, CEO, SWMDC; Paul Gibbons, Exiting Chairperson, SWMDC; Mary O’Malley, CFO, SWMDC; Thomas Fitzpatrick, Incoming Chairperson, SWMDC and Breege Joyce, Board Member. Pic: Trish Forde