Chairperson
Dr Ruby Watt was a General Practitioner in Aberdeen for 30 years, retiring from practice in autumn 2016. She was motivated to join the ADA Board as a result of seeing the vital role the organisation played in the recovery journey of patients in her practice. She spends her leisure time walking in Scotland's beautiful countryside. Ruby was previously Vice Chairperson and Chair of the ADA Governance Group.
Vice Chairperson
Elaine Mottram joined the Board in December 2021. After many years in the NHS, Elaine now works freelance as a coach in the area of emotional health and wellbeing as well as in leadership and organisation development. She has volunteered in many different areas including prison visiting, the Children’s Panel and most recently with Samaritans for the last 12 years. Both her freelance work and her volunteering have brought Elaine into contact with those affected by alcohol or drug use. She is Vice Chair of the Board and Chair of the Governance Group.
Board Member
Mark Whittington joined the Board of Trustees in early 2022. He has recently taken the role of Chair of the Finance Group.
Board Member
Roger Buckland has been a trustee of ADA since 2016 and was Chair of the Board for almost 6 years. He is a retired Professor of Accountancy at the University of Aberdeen since 1993, after a career at the universities of Cambridge, Aston, York and Aberdeen. Roger is married with two adult daughters and a serving member of the Children's Panel in Aberdeen. He retains the position of Trustee of the Board.
Our other Board Members
In addition to Ruby, Elaine, Mark and Roger, ADA have a further five people on the Board of Trustees. Each brings knowledge and experience over a broad range of specialisms, providing a balanced skill-set to guide the continual development and improvement or the services we provide.
Helen Valentine
Helen is a retired Finance Manager with 30 years of local authority experience, including strategic financial planning. Helen was drawn to ADA having seen through friends the valuable work the organisation does with both service users and their families. She wanted to support this work. Helen was formerly Chair of the ADA Finance Group.
John Willis
John is a Director in a business-to-business communications, managed mobile phone and internet company, with significant business associations here in the north-east of Scotland. His business experience, knowledge of the digital market and innovative thinking add value to the Board of Trustees.
Val Ashton
Val trained in accountancy in London, before holding several senior finance positions within social housing and other charitable organisations, as well as brief periods in the oil and gas industry. As a volunteer, she served as a charity trustee as well as providing front line advice and caring roles with various charities here in Aberdeen and further afield. Val joined the ADA Board in late 2018.
Alan Chalmers
Alan joined the Board in early 2021. Alan has a long-standing volunteering association with Alcohol & Drugs Action.
"Whilst on my own recovery journey, Alcohol & Drugs Action have grown to be part me. I see ADA as one big family who have supported me with my journey. I have gained my HNC In Social Care at The North East of Scotland College along with my Certificate of Higher Education in Applied Social Studies at Robert Gordon University. ADA have given me the opportunity to believe in myself once more and I hope that by being on the Board of Trustees it will let others know that anything is possible.
I am also the Service User Representative sitting on the Integrated Joint Board with the Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership."
Julie Fletcher
Julie worked in the NHS for 44 years. She is retired now but does some project work for NHS Grampian. She was originally a nurse working in both general and mental health, she then spent many years in management, working in Acute and Primary Health Care, before becoming the General Manager for Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Service for Grampian. She has previously been a Board member for Instant Neighbour.
Julie loves to travel, especially to exciting and different places. Her hobbies include, yoga, tennis and watching sports.
Julie brings with her a wealth of experience in relation to user involvement, change management and performance governance.
