The Commission

Chair

Ronnie Hinds CPFA - Appointed 1 September 2013 for a period of 4 years, reappointed and extended until 31 May 2023.

Ronnie Hinds is a qualified accountant with over 30 years experience in local government in Scotland and the UK. He was Chief Executive of Fife Council for seven years until he retired in June 2013. Prior to that he held posts as Head of Financial Services with the City of Edinburgh Council, Director of Finance with North Lanarkshire Council and Controller of Audit and Deputy Auditor General for Scotland.

Deputy Chair

Ailsa Henderson - Appointed 1 December 2017 for a period of 4 years, and reappointed until 30 November 2025.

Ailsa Henderson is a Professor of Political Science in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Edinburgh, where she gained her PhD and now teaches courses on research methods, quantitative analysis, UK and comparative politics. Her published research examines sub-state political behaviour, including voter turnout, political culture and civic engagement. She was previously Assistant Professor of Political Science at Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Toronto and was formerly Working Groups Chair of the Ontario Citizens' Assembly for Electoral Reform. She is currently a Commissioner for the Boundary Commission for Scotland.

Commissioners

Roland Bean holds a degree in Geography and Masters degrees in Urban Design and Regional Planning and Theology, Imagination and Culture and is a retired Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. He spent his career in Local Government in Scotland, latterly as Head of Planning for Perth and Kinross Council. After taking early retirement in 2011, he worked for VSO in Zambia as a Planning and Management Advisor. He sits on the board of a number of national and local charities including the Gannochy Trust. Roland brings to the Commission wide knowledge and experience of the geography and demography and of the operation of local government in Scotland.

Jon Collins is currently a Company Director and Freelance Consultant offering advice and insight on Local Government and Property issues. Jon previously served as a City Councillor in Nottingham for 32 years, 16 of which were as Council Leader. At various times during that period Jon chaired East Midlands Councils, Nottinghamshire’s Police Authority, was Vice-Chair of the Core Cities Group and was a member of a range of bodies including the Local Enterprise Partnership, Midland Engine and The LGA City Regions Board. Jon has also served  as a Peer Councillor for both the Audit Commission and Local Government Association working as part of a team to offer advice and support to other local authorities. Beyond being a councillor, Jon has variously worked for an Urban Regeneration Company, as a Local Authority Communications Officer, in Housing Project Development and for 20 years chaired as a volunteer, The Renewal Trust Charity.

Gordon Macmillan is a graduate of Aberdeen University with a honours degree in Politics and Economics. He was a senior journalist and media executive for more than thirty five years, working for the BBC in London and Scotland, CNN in Atlanta USA and most recently with STV as Head of News. At STV he oversaw the broadcaster’s coverage of political issues at local, regional and national level. He led the teams covering Holyrood elections, European Parliament campaigns, Westminster elections as well as local government elections and the 2014 Scottish Independence referendum. Gordon has a proven track record of objective assessment of political issues and has a developed understanding of Scotland’s political landscape and the concerns and interests of local communities.

Sue Walker has a degree in Geography and a PhD in computer mapping. She has worked in the rural and environment sector for over 30 years. She was for a time Professor of Geography and Environment at the University of Aberdeen. Over the last 15 years she has held a number of Board positions with public bodies in Scotland. She is currently a board member of Food Standards Scotland; Commissioner of the Boundary Commission for Scotland; and member of the customer forum representing customer interests to Scottish Water.  

The work of the Commission is supported by a small Secretariat which is headed by the Secretary, Isabel Drummond-Murray. Isabel is a civil servant employed by Scottish Government where she has worked on a range of policy issues and as Secretary of the Council of Scottish Government Unions.

Appointments

Appointments to Boundaries Scotland are made under Schedule 4 to the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.

Members of the Commission are appointed by Scottish Ministers, following procedures approved by the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland. Appointments are normally for 3 or 4 years, with the possibility of renewal. These posts receive a daily fee, plus expenses. Vacant posts are advertised in the national press and be subject to a process of selection and interview by a panel including the Chair and a representative of the Scottish Government. The final appointment is made by the Scottish Ministers.

Commissioners must be politically neutral.