Our People
VLM is a charity governed by a voluntary Board of Directors. There are currently eight board members. They are drawn from diverse backgrounds including education, finance, policy, governance, safeguarding and faith. The day-to-day operations of the charity are run by the Coordinator, appointed by the Board. In addition, there are sub-committees which are working groups in the areas of finance, governance and compliance, social media, fundraising, schools programmes, and the Ethiopia Deaf Project.
Board of Management
Rita is a graduate of Maynooth University. Her early working career was in International Telecommunications followed by a period in Industrial Relations. She joined the administrative staff at Castleknock College in 1998.
In 2012 Rita travelled to Ethiopia to volunteer at the Vincentian projects in Ambo. This visit had a profound effect on her and on her return she became involved in the VLM organisation in a voluntary capacity. In November 2018, Rita assumed the role of Project Coordinator of VLM which she enjoyed until her retirement in June 2021.
She is currently Interim Chairperson of the Board.
Susan is an accountant, an FCCA with over 20 years senior executive experience working in the financial services sector in both London and Dublin. She is currently lecturing in the Faculty of Business with TU Dublin. She has volunteered on other not for profit committees and boards. She has a Diploma in Company Direction and is a member of the Institute of Directors in Ireland.
Susan brings both financial and governance expertise to the board as Treasurer of VLM and Chairperson of the Finance Committee.
Geraldine is a Daughter of Charity with extensive experience of mission in Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria, particularly in the areas of healthcare and service provision for those with intellectual disabilities. She is currently the Mission Development Coordinator for the Daughters of Charity Mission in Ireland, supporting the work of her colleagues on the ground in Africa.
Rico is a former participant of the VLM School Immersion Programme. He has further volunteer experience in Ethiopia, Ghana and Tanzania. He has a BA in Economics, Politics and Law from DCU and is currently studying medicine in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Rico sits as a member of the Fam Vin National Council and brings further experience as a previous member of the US Embassy Young Leaders Council. Rico sits on the board as Company Secretary.
Maureen has worked for the Daughters of Charity Child and Family Service for the last 24 years. She currently works with families who experience Domestic Abuse and Coercive Control. Maureen is originally from Toronto Canada and worked with the Toronto Children’s Aid Society. Maureen joined the VLM Board in November 2023.
Stephen is a Vincentian Priest. Formerly: National Chaplain to the Deaf Community in Ireland; Parish Priest at the Parish of the Travelling People, Dublin Diocese; Chaplain at St. Patricks Teacher Training College, Drumcondra. Presently: assistant coordinator and developments officer at the Ambo Lazarist Deaf School, Ambo, Ethiopia, where he also assists with teaching.
(Fr. Stephen has a HDip (Teacher of the Deaf) from DCU). He is chairperson of our Ethiopia Deaf Project subcommittee.
Noreen worked in the Health Service as a community development worker in Kerry and Cork from the mid 1970’s until her retirement in 2010. She has extensive overseas volunteer experience.
Noreen first volunteered for two years in Bangladesh as a volunteer with Concern in the 1980’s. She has continued her interest in development work since her retirement and has volunteered with the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in Ethiopia for three months every year since 2013.
Her specific work whilst there has involved project support, capacity development and more recently collaborating in the writing of the history of the Daughters of Charity in Ethiopia. Noreen brings extensive knowledge of the Daughters of Charity projects, and their needs, to the board.
Garvan is a retired overseas development worker and diplomat with over 40 years of international experience across Africa and the South Pacific. He holds a BSc in Agriculture from the University of Aberdeen and an MSc in Agricultural Economics from Wye College, University of London.
His overseas service has included technical cooperation roles in Bolivia and South Sudan, followed by senior advisory and planning positions with Irish Aid and the UK’s Overseas Development Administration. Between 1990 and 2017, he held successive leadership roles in development policy, rural planning, and diplomacy—including as Head of Development and Deputy Head of Mission at the Irish Embassies in Vietnam and Kenya.
Garvan brings a wealth of experience in international development, rural policy, and governance to the board.
Staff
Madeleine has worked with VLM since September 2021. She has an undergraduate honours degree in geography and a post-graduate certificate in community education from the University of Edinburgh and has recently completed a masters in international development through UCD.
Madeleine has professional work experience in the fields of youth work, community development and mental health and was Volunteer Outreach Coordinator with World Meeting of Families 2018 in Dublin.
Finance Committee
Semi-retired (ex PwC) tax & business advisor with 30+ years experience advising businesses in Ireland & abroad. Currently working on a part-time basis with a number of companies as a trusted business advisor. Also involved with sports bodies & a Men’s Shed in the South County Dublin area.
Eileen is a retiree living in Dublin. Prior to her retirement she was employed by St.Patrick’s College Drumcondra as Assistant Bursar where she dealt with all the Accounts and financial activities of the College. She is a member of the Finance Committee.
Ian is a chartered accountant based in Dublin. He is a past man of Castleknock College and is currently treasurer of Castleknock College Union. Ian has volunteered with VLM in Ethiopia and joined the board of VLM in April 2019.
Sean is in the final stages of becoming a chartered accountant. He is a past man of St. Vincent’s Castleknock College and holds a Bachelor of Business from Trinity College Dublin. He is currently working in the Audit department at Deloitte. Sean has previous volunteer experience with the VLM in Kenya in 2024.
Governance and Compliance Committee
Rose has been a member of the St Vincent de Paul Society since her early school days, visiting the North inner city in Dublin where she continues to carry out her visitation today with her Conference.
She has held a number of roles in the Society from Conference President, Area President and was Regional President for the Dublin Region from 2005. Rose was appointed National Twinning Coordinator in 2006 and became a member of the Commission for International Aid and Development in Paris. She served as a director on the Board of Management of VLM from 2016 to 2022.
Edward Donelan Ph.D., M.A., Barrister -at – Law (Kings Inns, Middle Temple), Dip. Eur. Law, Dip. Arb. Edward was a senior civil servant in Ireland (1980 – 2004) and worked for the OECD in Paris (2004-2014). Since 2014 he has worked as an independent consultant for many international organisations and the Law Society of Ireland.
During his career he has defended criminals, drafted legislation, and worked on projects in 35 countries. The projects focused on assessing and advising on how to build capacities in regulatory management (policymaking, legislative drafting and managing stocks of legislation in 30 countries.
He is a published author, lecturer, and speaker at conferences, seminars, and master classes in 50 countries on public administration reform and regulatory management. He was involved in the introduction of the Strategic Management Initiative for the Government of Ireland and played a major role in the modernisation of the Office of the Attorney General (Ireland).
Social Media Committee
Shane participated in the VLM Schools Immersion Programme to Kenya in 2024. He is a former pupil of St Paul’s College, Raheny. Shane has a passion for social media and creative video content creation and has gone viral on the VLM TikTok channel.
Ambo Kindergarten Project
Margaret Anne O’Brien is a member of the Irish Traveller Community from Ballyfermot in Dublin. Margaret Anne first visited the Vincentian projects in Ambo in 2009.
At the end of her visit, she made a promise to build a pre-school for the children she met who at the time, were learning under a tree. Since 2009, Margaret Anne has raised over €250,000 for the kindergarten, which is now recognised as a model school in Ethiopia.
Fundraising Team
Dymphna is a secondary school teacher and was Deputy Principal with City of Dublin VEC prior to her retirement. Since then, she volunteered with VLM in Ethiopia for two months in a teaching capacity development role. Dymphna served on the board of VLM from 2019 to 2025.
Luke Hogan is a post-primary teacher who completed his B.A. in English & History and Masters of Education at St. Patrick’s Campus, D.C.U. He has volunteered on 7 separate VLM partner projects across Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia and Ghana. He is currently on the VLM Fundraising Team & Volunteering Sub-Committee and has led workshops/webinars preparing volunteers for their experiences on these projects.
VLM committees meet monthly and we are always looking for new members to join and help further the mission and reach of the organisation. Please get in touch at info@vlm.ie if you are interested in finding out more.