Honour is a fitting reward for Mo’s educational achievements
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WHEN Mo Shepherd took up the role as board chairman at Inverness College, it was an organisation in crisis.
A damning inspection report described senior management as distant, disconnected and indecisive, while another critical Scottish Parliamentary report highlighted financial shortcomings at the college after it accumulated a deficit of £3 million.
Such was the scenario which faced Mrs Shepherd when she took up her unpaid role in 2006. Further challenges awaited her as the college made its controversial decision to move from its present location in Longman Road to a new campus at Beechwood on Inverness’s eastern outskirts — a move due to be completed by 2015.
But having retired as chairman last year, Mrs Shepherd can reflect that not only has she steered the college through some of its most difficult times, her passion for education — which she has pursued in various places around the world as well as in her native Scotland — has now been recognised with an MBE.
As the only person from the Highland Capital to be named in the New Year Honours list — which featured such well-known names as entertainer Ronnie Corbett (CBE), broadcaster Lorraine Kelly (OBE) and actress Helena Bonham Carter (CBE) — Mrs Shepherd was among the hundreds of unsung heroes across the UK to be selected for their "outstanding work" to their communities.
The widow, who lives in the Black Isle, revealed she was extremely surprised to receive the news of her MBE.
"I got the news in the usual way with a letter from the Cabinet Office and then there is the long period in which you are not supposed to share the news," she said.
"That part is quite difficult as you believe you should be able to share the good news with family and friends, but that is the instruction so one must abide by it."
When it finally became official on New Year’s Eve, the grandmother-of-two was finally able to celebrate with her son Rob and his family, whom she was visiting in Australia.
"I am hoping that both Rob and his son Connon will be able to come over to the UK to attend my investiture," she said. "But no indication of when this will happen has been given to date."
Born in Inverness, she was brought up in Strathconon, where she attended the local primary school, and Grantown-on-Spey, where she attended the grammar school, but for a short time was also educated at Inverness High School.
Much of her working life has been spent overseas. Initially, she lived in Malaysia where her husband served with the military police while she worked for the Ministry of Public Buildings and Works.
They then moved to Canada where she worked in the public library system in Ontario. That was followed by a three-year stay in New Zealand where she was the deputy librarian at Gisborne Public Library.
Returning to Ontario, she was re-employed by the library system in a senior administrative position but during that time decided to go to McMaster University part-time and subsequently obtained a degree in labour studies.
"Once I graduated, I moved to the private sector and become a human resources manager for LMCL — the then largest mushroom company in North America," she said.
Five years later she started up her own consultancy in human resources, training and development and health and safety. She was also the owner of a flower shop and taught human resources subjects part time at Mohawk College to enable students to achieve professional qualifications while also finding the time to do a diploma in adult education at St Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia.
"I have always had a keen interest in education and access to education for everyone," she said.
"During my university studies, I became very involved in the services and education being offered to students and became the president of the McMaster University Part-time Students Association as well as the Ontario Representative of the Canadian Organisation of Part-time University Students (COPUS).
"The goal of COPUS was to encourage part-time students on all university campuses to form part-time student associations to lobby the university courts to take greater cognizance of part-time students and their needs."
After being widowed 15 years ago, Mrs Shepherd returned to her roots in the Highlands, where she worked with the Black Isle based Highland Machinery Ring, an agricultural contracting business. She then worked for the Scottish Government as co-ordinator of a grant programme in the Highlands and Islands to enable rural diversification and development.
She also put her vast experience in education to use during her 11-year membership of the Inverness College management board and as a member of the court (board of governors) of the University of the Highlands and Islands.
"I was delighted when I was able to join the board and contribute to ensuring quality educational opportunities for the people of the Highlands," she reflected. "It took some time before I was truly able to make a impact and I am proud of the work that has been done in Inverness College to ensure a high quality of governance."
A measure of how Inverness College has turned itself around from its crisis years came in 2010 when it was awarded a "highly commended" governance award at Scotland’s Colleges annual awards.
Mrs Shepherd talks modestly about her achievements, however.
"Clearly, I did not do all of this on my own, but once I became chairwoman I was able to form a very capable board of management and we were able to employ a very experienced and committed senior management team," she maintained.
"The staff at Inverness College have always been committed and it is the culmination of board, staff and students that Inverness College UHI is the quality college it is today."
