General Trustees

Chief Executive – Brian Waller

Brian joined the General Trustees staff in May 2010, having previously been a commercial property lawyer. His initial role was as Assistant Secretary for Fabric matters before moving on to be Head of Policy and Legislation. He was appointed Chief Executive in April 2023.

An elder in his own congregation for more than 20 years, Brian feels privileged to lead the Trustees’ staff team as it assists and advises congregations and Presbyteries in all matters relating to buildings, land and related funds and resources.

Heads of Land & Estates – Morag Menneer

Morag and Claire are joint Heads of Land and Estates, and each bring a different and complimentary set of skills and experience to the role.

Morag Menneer

As well as being one of the Heads of Land & Estates, Morag is also the Depute Chief Executive.  She is a Chartered Surveyor with a background in commercial property development, lettings and sales at a well-respected Scottish surveying practice that laterally formed part of an international firm.  Additionally, she has managed a Scotland wide portfolio of properties in all sectors.  Having now worked for the General Trustees since 2008, she has extensive knowledge of rural property management and development within the Church of Scotland.

Heads of Land & Estates – Claire Cowell

Morag and Claire are joint Heads of Land and Estates, and each bring a different and complimentary set of skills and experience to the role.

Claire Cowell

Claire has worked for the General Trustees since 2012 and is a solicitor having previously been a partner in an Edinburgh law firm, where she specialised in commercial and residential property transactions and land law. Claire spent her early life on a farm and has always had a particular interest in rural property, agricultural law and environmental issues.

The combination of these two backgrounds means that, under one department, we are able to provide advice, assistance and support on a range of matters likely to arise in connection with land.

Head of Buildings & Projects – Katharine Isherwood

Katharine is a Chartered Building Surveyor and Project Manager who joined the General Trustees in 2023. She brings extensive experience in managing capital projects for historic properties, along with a strong background in the maintenance, repair, and longterm stewardship of buildings.

Katharine is passionate about supporting congregations, working closely with them to ensure that projects deliver the right spaces in the right places—fit for purpose, sustainable and aligned with future mission.

Head of Policy & Planning – Rob Lee

Through his work for the Presbytery Support and Buildings Committee, Rob oversees policy development and long-term planning for the General Trustees. He is responsible for shaping strategies around property use, funding models, and resource allocation. His work supports Presbyteries and congregations by ensuring that decisions about buildings and investment are guided by careful planning and a sustainable vision for the future as well as overseeing the programme of disposals.

Fire & Risk Compliance Manager – Robert Speedie

Robert is educated to a degree level in fire risk engineering and is a member of the Institute of Fire Engineers. He provides technical, professional and management support services to the General Trustees, Presbyteries and congregations to ensure regulatory compliance for the risk management and decision-making processes within their properties, specifically in the areas of fire safety and health & safety.

Health, Safety, Risk & Compliance Manager – Mo D’Souli

Mo is a very passionate and committed health & safety practitioner.  He feels privileged to play his part within the General Trustees’ Safe Buildings team providing guidance, advice and support on health and safety management and compliance for all stakeholders across the church estate.

Sanctuary Development Manager – Judith Roebuck

Judith is the Sanctuary Development Manager which involves advising congregations on proposed works to the interior of the church buildings and dealing with issues raise under ecclesiastical exemption.  She also undertakes inventories in advance of church closures and advises congregations on appropriate relocation of items. Main point of contact in relation to communion-ware, stained glass, organs and other artistic matters.

Presbytery Buildings Officers

The Presbytery Buildings Officer works closely alongside Kirk Sessions and congregations, providing advice and guidance on property matters, including repairs, maintenance, and development. The role involves assessing, recording and monitoring the condition of all ecclesiastical buildings within the bounds of each presbytery and helping congregations plan and prioritise fabric repairs and improvements.

Paul Baker – Presbytery of Cleir Eilean I

Derived from a joinery background working on luxury yachts and conservation buildings, Paul continued education to degree level in building surveying and spent 16 years with The National Trust in south west England as a project surveyor. Paul moved to Scotland in 2017 with his family to work for Lord Cawdor doing various roles as Building Surveyor, returning to his tools to train his son in joinery, returning to surveying for Highland Council and now the Church of Scotland.

Donald Forbes – Presbytery of Edinburgh & West Lothian

Donald is a Chartered Building Surveyor who joined the General Trustees in December 2023. He has a broad range of experience in public and private sectors including, general property advice, statutory approvals, strategic property asset management, commercial and domestic project management, space planning, defects diagnosis and design. A minister’s son, he understands the history and culture of the Church of Scotland and the challenges it faces today. He enjoys working closely with congregations, helping to resolve building problems, signposting to the right consultants and liaising with Presbytery.

David Gillan – Presbytery of Fife

David is a Chartered Building Surveyor covering the Presbytery of Fife with over 25 years of experience working in all aspects of Building Surveying within multi-disciplinary teams.  Having graduated from Heriot Watt University in 1997, David began his career in Glasgow, prior to returning to Dundee, where he worked for national surveying firms, and before joining the General Trustees in 2022.

As a Chartered Building Surveyor, his experience covers all aspects of Building Surveying including: -

• Contract Administration – Provided on various refurbishment, alteration, repair/maintenance, fire/flood damaged projects, from inception to completion. This included preparation of Feasibility Reports and arranging for specialist consultants where required.
• Schedules of Dilapidations/Dilapidations Liability Reporting. – Acting for either Landlord or Tenant, this requires him to review Lease documentation prior to preparation of a Schedule of Dilapidations, depending on client requirements this included preparation of budgetary costings, and/or undertake works (with full Contract Administration Services).
• Schedules of Condition – Prepared prior to lease commencement, and to record the condition of a property with the view of minimising the tenants’ repairing obligations.
• Defect Analysis – To identify source of defect, prepare report on cause and provide appropriate remediation advice.
• Planned Preventative Maintenance – Prepared for the purpose of advising on the condition of the building fabric, which focuses on a planned strategy. Repairs and defects are classified according to priority and typically includes provision of budgetary cost information.
• Project/Financial Monitoring and Management – Reporting on new builds and development projects. The report gives commentary on statutory consents, ground investigation reports, suitability of professional team/contractor, and required funding sought by borrower.
• Pre-Acquisition Surveys – Typically prepared prior to clients purchasing a property. The report details construction, condition and may be supplemented with budgetary costings.
• Reinstatement Cost Assessment - Valuation for Client insurance purposes.
• Non-Domestic Energy Assessor (EPC`s) – Preparation of EPCs prior to marketing or sale.

Esmé Greenan – Presbytery of The South West

Esmé’s architectural education since 2015 has always had an undercurrent of interest in historic buildings and their conservation. Both Part 1 and Part 2 placements were undertaken in conservation-specialist practices in England. Under the tutelage of a Chartered surveyor and AABC Architect, Esmé has honed her skills in the development of drawing and document packages for the repair and development of both listed and unlisted ecclesiastical buildings. Since qualifying as an architect in 2023 and finding employment as the Southwest Presbytery Building Officer in 2024, Esmé is eager to carve a name for herself within the ecclesiastical field, despite still being so early in her career.  Her love for church buildings from every denomination, and her drive towards helping both the buildings and those who care for them, means that she is filled with enthusiasm for the field. Ensuring that Kirk Sessions fully understand the work being recommended for their church can be challenging, but one which she greatly enjoys. Helping religious spaces develop and grow into more flexible centres for both their congregation and wider community is incredibly satisfying and better safeguards the building for the future.

Gavin Kerr – Presbytery of Lothian & Borders

Gavin is a Chartered Building Surveyor and Project Manager who joined the General Trustees in 2025. He brings a wide range of experience from the private, public and educational sectors, with a background in rural estate work, refurbishment and maintenance, construction, repair, and management of built estate assets.

Ian Murray – Presbytery of North East & Northern Isles

Ian is a Church of Scotland minister with 18 years-experience in Parish Ministry and 5 years in Interim Ministry. Latterly, as an Interim Minister, Ian worked on a consultancy basis throughout Scotland dealing with issues of significant change, presbytery planning and dissolution of the Kirk of St Nicholas and St Mark’s, Aberdeen.

During this time, as acting Presbytery Clerk for Shetland, Ian was integral to the audit process which led to the closure and disposal of 22 of the 33 buildings on Shetland, the formation of a single Parish of Shetland and a new Presbytery of Aberdeen & Shetland.  It was whilst working with the General Trustees’ former Assistant Secretary and Head of Projects that the seed was sown for a change of direction leading to him becoming the first Buildings Officer to be appointed in 2021.

Ian is an associate member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, a trustee of the Baird Trust, and sits on the Housing and Loan Committee.

Mhairi MacLeod – Presbytery of Forth Valley & Clydesdale

Mhairi is a Chartered Building Surveyor who started her professional career in facilities management before moving to private practice; this included a secondment to Glasgow City Mission and led to years of volunteering for this incredible charity. She is Session Clerk at East Kilbride: Mossneuk and a member of FV&C Presbytery and this gives a different dynamic to her role as PBO. Mhairi loves being a PBO and being able to support congregations in whatever challenges their buildings may bring.

Jamie McNamara – Presbytery of Perth

Jamie holds a PG Dip in Applied Building Repair & Conservation, an MA in Conservation of the Historic Environment plus an MSc in Building Surveying. He is professionally accredited by the IHBC. He has worked with the conservation of industrial and residential heritage whilst championing the traditional skills sector. Jamie was a former Chairperson of SPAB Scotland, SPAB Ireland Guardian and SPAB Trustee. He is also experienced in advising community groups on how best to approach the regeneration of a historic asset by focusing on key areas such as the conservation approach, effective governance and project planning.

Mark Shanks – Presbytery of Clyde

Mark is a fully qualified Chartered Surveyor (MRICS) and has, throughout his career, been busy inspecting and valuing a vast range of property.  This includes church property, one-bed bedsits through to castles.  The need to travel extensively, and to provide accurate property advice, calmly and with a clear focus on the purpose of the report, and client expectations, is a daily experience.  My focus is risk.

Sometimes I am delivering a difficult message.  I understand, it can be overwhelming.  In those situations, but I feel it is my job to bring clarity and explain possible next steps.  I actively choose to be part of the process, whether it is identifying defects through five-year inspections, considering improvement proposals or bringing the head office a bit closer to the congregations.

The General Trustees have a variety of support staff who underpin the different areas of work.

• Head of Business Support - Eva Elder
• Executive Support Manager – Sara Deeks
• Business Support Manager:  Fiona Skellett
• Land & Leasing Manager – Gigha MacPherson
• Business Support Officer: PSB – Eilidh james
• Business Support Officer: Land & Estate – Zoe Robertson
• Business Support Officer: Fabric – Maria Badra
• Finance Assistant – Emily Walker
• Business Support Assistant – Ken Bogle