Margaret Kelly retired from the Department of Education and Skills in 2012. Her work there included responsibility for policy, funding and monitoring of programmes aided under the European Social Fund, (1989 -1998), Further and Adult Education, (1998-2003) and more recently, curriculum policy and developments at first and second level education. During the 1990s and up to 2003 Margaret was the Principal Officer with responsibility for  a major expansion of Further Education and Training – Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS), Youthreach, Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) and adult literacy provision, and the introduction of the Back to Education Initiative, the Adult Educational Guidance  Service and the appointment of Community Education Facilitators. She was the education representative on various inter-Departmental Committees on tacking poverty and unemployment, homelessness, childcare, and meeting skills needs.
Margaret has been serving as NALA’s Chairperson since October 2020. Margaret is also the Chairperson of our Literacy and Staff Policies, and Governance Subcommittee.

Aoife Foley is the National Financial Inclusion & Social Policy Worker with National Traveller Money Advice and Budgeting Service (NTMABS). Before joining NTMABS she worked in adult and community education and has a background in human rights law. Aoife has worked as a voluntary literacy tutor in Kerry and Dublin.
Aoife has served on NALA’s Board since April 2022 and is a member of our Audit, Risk and Finance Subcommittee.

Dr Eleanor Neff works in the Literacy Development Centre in South East Technical University. Eleanor has worked in adult education for 21 years with a focus on literacy work for the past 14 years. As a tutor with Kerry Education and Training Board, she delivered a wide range of literacy courses and worked on the Refugee Resettlement Programme. In 2020, she worked with NALA’s Distance Learning team and Marking Progress project.
Eleanor has served on NALA’s Board since April 2022 and is the Chairperson of our Education, Training and Assessment Subcommittee.

Margaret Hanrahan is an adult literacy student from County Tipperary. She learned to use the iPhone in her local centre in Cahir, with Tipperary ETB. She completed English and Communications courses at Levels 3 and 4 and has used the Learn with NALA website in the centre in Cahir. Having seen a notice on the website, she attended the 2022 NALA Student Day in Cork. Margaret won a case against the bank that was trying to take back her home. She is keen that people would not take out loans without reading and understanding everything they are signing. She is passionate about people, particularly women, being able to understand financial information. Margaret qualified as a legal assistant in early 2024, something she never thought she would be able to do.
Margaret was elected to NALA’s Board in 2024 and has been a member of NALA’s Student Subcommittee since 2022.

Patricia (Trish) Nolan has worked in the public library service for over thirty years and has also worked as a volunteer tutor. Currently she works as Executive Librarian with Carlow County Library Service and has an active interest in adult literacy. She is Right to Read Co-ordinator for Carlow County Council and has led many initiatives including the Carlow – A Literacy Friendly County research project.
Trish has served on NALA’s Board since April 2022 and is a member of our Literacy and Staff Policies, and Governance Subcommittee.

Tom O’Mara is Head of Digital Education in University College Cork. He manages the Centre for Digital Education, which provides support to staff around the best application of technology to learning.
An educator for over 27 years, Tom has worked as an English language teacher at third level in Ireland and abroad. He was also the Distance Education Coordinator with NALA for nine years. Tom led the design and development of www.writeon.ie and supported the development of the literacy TV series on RTÉ.
Tom has served on NALA’s Board since April 2022 and is a member of our Education, Training and Assessment Subcommittee.