Who's who in Menter Aberystwyth?

The Board of Directors is made up of the following individuals, some representing our core partners and others who bring specific expertise and experience:

Cllr Ray Quant Chairman: Ray served in the Royal Air Force in the field of communications from 1954 to 1994. On leaving the Service he returned to his home in Borth and became actively involved with local community organisations. Ray was the driving force behind building a new community hall and multi user games area for Borth. He served as Clerk to the Borth Community Council 1995 to 2002 and was elected as the Local Member for the Borth Ward in 2001. He has served on the Council Cabinet since 2002 and currently holds the portfolio for Highways, Property and Works. He is also Deputy Leader of the Council. Ray is currently Chairman of Ceredigion County Sports Council and represents Ceredigion on the Wales Association of Local Sports Council, where he holds the post of Treasurer.
rayquant@btinternet.com

Jim Wallace Vice Chairman & Treasurer: Jim is a graduate of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and has an MBA from the Open University. He is Director of Residential and Hospitality Services at Aberystwyth University. Jim has experience of representing both Aberystwyth University and the Higher Education sector on various tourism and economic development projects, including the Aberystwyth Tourism Integrated Development Project 1996-2001, Mid Wales Partnership Tourism Working Group, and Ceredigion Tourism Working Group.
jsw@aber.ac.uk

Louise Amery Vice Chair & Aberystwyth Arts Centre Representative: After graduating from the University of Wales, Bangor, Louise has spent nearly 20 years working for arts organisations, specifically in the field of arts marketing. For the last 14 years she has worked at Aberystwyth Arts Centre, the largest and most active arts venue in Wales, in the last four years as its Deputy Director. Louise has strong links to the arts community across Wales and has served as chair of the Mid Wales Circuit Marketing Group and Festivals of Wales, and sat on advisory panels for the Arts Council of Wales.
lla@aber.ac.uk

Huw Bates Company Secretary and Morris & Bates Solicitors and Business Club Representative: Huw is a law graduate of the University of Wales Swansea, where he also gained an MA in Criminology. Having spent 2 years working and travelling abroad he is now a Partner at Morris & Bates solicitors, Aberystwyth. A former Head Boy of Penglais Comprehensive School, Huw is the Vice-President of the West Wales Young Solicitors Group, Secretary of Ceredigion Junior Football Development, and first team manager of local football team, Bow Street FC.
huw@morrisbates.co.uk

Rosemary Rhys Voluntary Sector Representative: Rosemary Rhys is one of the main organisers of the successful Castell Rock community festival held in the Aberystwyth Castle grounds. Rosemary is a senior planner with Ceredigion County Council and also assists in the family self catering holiday business. She strongly believes in Menter Aberystwyth’s potential as an organisation to establish events to attract visitors to the area, to develop links between businesses and organisations to improve marketing opportunities and to develop projects to promote and enhance the locality.

Gweneira Raw-Rees Tourism: Tourism. A graduate from St David’s University, Lampeter, Gweneira has experience in marketing, public relations and community regeneration. She is currently working for Ceredigion County Council as the Older Persons Strategy Co-ordinator but was formerly employed by the Local Authority as the Aberystwyth and Area Tourism Development Officer under Wales Tourist Board’s Coastal Resort Regeneration Programme. During that time she was involved in developing various marketing and environmental projects and represented Aberystwyth on the Town Centre Management Association for the Midlands and Wales region. She is currently a trustee of the Hafod estate in Cwmystwyth.

Cllr Mark Strong Aberystwyth Town Council: Originally from Gresford near Wrexham, Mark graduated from Nene University College with a BA in Visual Art before moving to live and work in Finland. Moving to Aberystwyth in 2000 Mark has become fluent in Welsh and works in the National Library of Wales. Elected as a Town Councillor for Aberystwyth North Ward in 2004 he has been active in the community being the Chair of Ceredigion Care Society and the Town Councils representative on Menter Aberystwyth.

Alun Davies Aberystwyth Chamber of Trade Representative: Alun is the Vice Chairman in Aberystwyth’s Chamber of Commerce. Alun is also the manager of the Aberystwyth Cliff Railway. The Aberystwyth Cliff Railway opened in 1896 and operated on a water balance system until electrification in 1921.

Alice Briggs: Alice is a local Visual Artist. She graduated with a BA Hons in Visual Performance in South Devon and then went on to get an MA in Art Museum and Gallery Studies at University of Newcastle upon Tyne. She now is a part time curator at Ceredigion museum in Aberystwyth. She has held many exhibitions and workshops in her field and brings her knowledge of art, culture and heritage to the board.