Born and bred in Dumfries and Galloway, Gillian has worked for the Education Department for 20 years - becoming Head of Service in 2011, Chief Education Officer in 2015 and Director since 2019. Before coming home to work for the Council she spent 11 years teaching in College and University, before that, working as a physiotherapist for the NHS. She values her experience across the Further Education, Higher Education and Health sectors, recognising that they face similar public service challenges and can learn from each other. She is currently the regional lead for the South West Educational Improvement Collaborative where she oversaw the introduction of the digital delivery of Level 6 qualifications across 4 Local Authorities. She sits on Dumfries and Galloway College Board of Management and is chair of the College Audit Committee.