Maggie Cunningham (President)

​​Maggie Cunningham worked at a senior level in the BBC for over twenty years. Her roles included Head of Radio, Scotland and Joint Head of Programmes and Services, Scotland. Since 2009, she has worked as a leadership and executive coach. She is a Content Board member of Ofcom and chaired the Board of MG Alba for six years from July 2012. She chairs Kyle and Lochalsh Community Development Trust and is an independent member of Edinburgh Festivals Forum. She was a founding Board member of Sistema Scotland from 2007 until 2019.

John Joe MacNeil (Vice President)

​John Joe MacNeil hails from the island of Barra where he grew up surrounded by Gaelic language, song, culture and traditions. John Joe won the coveted Traditional Gold Medal at the National Mòd in Lochaber in 2017. He went onto win the Gold Medal in Inverness in 2021. He is a member of Còisir Ghàidhlig an Òbain (Oban Gaelic Choir) and also conducts Oban Gaelic Ladies Choir. He is the conductor of a new Gaelic harmony collective called Binneas. He is also the conductor of Còisir Ghàidhlig Bharraigh (Barra Gaelic Choir).

John Joe works for the University of Edinburgh as a Lecturer in Gaelic Education. Prior to this appointment, he was the Head Teacher of the first Gaelic primary school in Lochaber – Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Loch Abar. John Joe is also a freelance broadcaster. He is a volunteer at Celtic Music Radio where he presents and produces a number of programmes. John Joe also freelances for a number of Gaelic media companies as a contributor and presenter. He recently presented an online series of programmes for the National Mòd featuring winners of the prestigious Gold and Traditional medals throughout the years. His voice can be heard on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal’s Smuain na Maidne (Thought for the Day) along with other programmes.

DI Brown

​DI Brown has been attending Mòds since he was a young boy, with Oban local and national Mòds the first ones where he competed. He won the Comunn Gold Medal in 2015 and chaired the 2019 National Glasgow Mòd Local Committee. He sings in Ceòlraidh Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu (Glasgow Gaelic Musical Association, the GGs). As such, Gaelic language and culture is in his bones!

DI works full time for the BBC as Head of Transformation and lives in Glasgow with his family.

Kristine Kennedy

​Kristine Kennedy was born and brought up in Orinsay, Lochs, on the Isle of Lewis. She was very familiar with working the croft and also immersed in a heritage of songs and music. After spending years in the Police service, she worked for a time as a director at Comunn na Gàidhlig creating and implementing projects, particularly youth work, both nationally and internationally. Her voice was heard for years presenting the Dùrachdan programme and contributing to others on Radio nan Gàidheal.

She has been involved with Mòds all her life in different capacities and has attended almost every national mòd since she was twelve years old and holds life membership of An Comunn Gàidhealach. She has spent many years teaching and preparing competitors for mòds and at fèisean (festivals).

She won the Traditional Gold medal in 1989 and won the top Celtavisión prize representing Scotland at the Pan Celtic Festival. She has made recordings and sung in many places all over the world.

Kristine very much enjoys drama and song and takes every opportunity to promote “our language and our music”.

Linda Macleod

Linda is from North Uist, although she’s now been living in Glasgow for just as many years. Gaelic was her first language and through her childhood and teenage years in Uist she was always surrounded by the language, the songs, the stories, and the local culture. Linda graduated with a first-class honours degree in Gaelic in 2010 and then with an MPhil in Gaelic in 2011.

Today Linda works part-time as a presenter on CBeebies ALBA and the rest of her freelance work is divided between different projects. Linda has been Comhairle nan Leabhraichean’s Young Gaelic Reading Ambassador since 2016 and in October 2023 she was named An Comunn Gàidhealach’s Gaelic Ambassador of the Year at the Royal National Mòd in Paisley.

Janet Macdonald

Janet was born and brought up in Tobermory, in Mull, and in fact she still lives there. She graduated in Gaelic and Mathematics from Edinburgh University, and spent many years teaching those two subjects. She won the Gold Medal in Inverness in 1984, but before that she competed in many Local and National Mods. She was a member of the “Sound of Mull” group, which was very well known in the 70s and 80s. She still sings with the Mull Choir.

She has worked for the Gaelic cause all her life. Since stopping teaching full time, she has worked for Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, tutoring students of An Cùrsa Inntrigidh, and other college courses. She is also involved with the running of the Mull Local Mod, the Mull & Iona Gaelic Partnership, and any other initiatives which support the language. Janet likes to ensure that the Gaelic of Argyll has a high profile, where possible!

In 2017, at the start of the Lochaber Mòd, she was honoured to be presented with the Gaelic Ambassador of the Year award by the Scottish Government.

Alasdair MacCuish

​As a Glasgow born, of Harris parents, at the age of 5 I had no English when I started primary School. This was relatively common where I lived in Glasgow and we were known as the Glasgow Gaels. During my 40 year career with BT I had the opportunity of speaking Gaelic daily to my colleagues and customers. My only regret is the Gaelic Medium Education came far too late for me to benefit. However, since retirement from BT I have learnt to be able to read Gaelic although writing is still a bit of a struggle. Being a member of An Comunn Gàidhealach Board has given me the opportunity to contribute to the furtherance of the Gaelic language and culture which I appreciate and endeavour to contribute to the best of my ability.

Donald Macdonald

Donald joined An Comunn Gàidhealach (and the SYHA!) in 1982 when he went to work in London. He became involved in running the Lewis Local Mòd in the early nineties and moved forward with Mòd Ionadail Leòdhais in 2001.

He was joint treasurer at the National Mods held in the Western Isles in 2001 and 2005 and Treasurer for 2011; he joined the board as one of the 2 representatives from the Western Isles Region in 2007. He worked as a Software Analyst for the local council, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar since going ‘back’ to Lewis in 1987 until he retired in 2011.

His main leisure pursuits are hill walking and travel.

Eilidh Johnson

Eilidh is from North Uist, where she lives and works. She completed a degree in Gaelic Studies at Aberdeen University before continuing to further studies. She moved back to Uist after many years working at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and Bòrd na Gàidhlig. Eilidh is now employed in Community Learning and Development at Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, working with young people and community groups. She is interested in a variety of initiatives and events taking place in communities in the islands and nationally, in Gaelic, heritage, drama, music and the work of voluntary organisations and charities.

Iain Robertson

From Fort William, Iain is currently the chairperson of Meur Loch Abar and is involved with the running of the local Mòd in the area. Iain was actively involved with the organisation of the 2017 Royal National Mòd in Lochaber and is part of the team bringing the National Mod back to Lochaber in 2025, Although not a fluent Gaelic speaker Iain has many family connections through Gaelic to Lewis, Skye, Ballachulish and South Uist. Iain works as a Principal Officer with the Design and Construction team at Highland Council and has been actively involved with the delivery of new Gaelic medium schools across the Council area. Iain has been a board member of An Comunn Gàidhealach since 2022. He is also involved with Lochaber Pipe band and supports family members at piping competitions and Mòds across the country.

Iain Murdo Macmillan

Iain Murdo Macmillan was born and raised in Carloway, Isle of Lewis. He grew up in a large family in a Gaelic community which is where he developed an interest in the language and its culture. From a very young age, he was attending Mòds with his family and still does to this day. He can be seen conducting the school choir, singing with Còisir Ghàidhlig Chàrlabhaigh (Carloway Gaelic Choir) or one or two other choirs from time to time!

He completed a Gaelic degree course at Lews Castle College in Stornoway when he left school. In 2014 he moved to Glasgow to undertake initial teacher training. He then spent 3 years in Aberdeen before he moved to Inverness, where he is now a teacher at Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Inbhir Nis. In addition to school work, he is a member of the Inverness Local Mòd Committee where he is the Vice Chairperson. Iain Murdo is very keen to encourage children to take part in the Gaelic community so they have the opportunity to use their Gaelic outwith the classroom. Since the school choir started in 2018 with only 15 members, there are now around 50 singing on stage at different concerts which he is very proud of.

Agnes Rennie

Agnes lives in the village of Galson on the Isle of Lewis. She has been involved in community development work throughout her life with language and culture having played a big part in that work. She secured her first full time employment with Comann Eachdraidh Nis (Ness Historical Society) and after that, among other roles, has worked as a development officer with Community Cooperatives, was a manager at the publishing company Acair, a member of The Crofting Commission and presented radio programmes. Agnes has been involved in many groups on a voluntary basis including; CnaG, Gaelic Broadcasting Committee, (PNE) The Gaelic Arts Agency and An Lanntair in Stornoway. Since 2005 she has been a member of the Galson Estate Trust and Community Land Scotland.