Newry Chamber Board of Directors
Dr Conor Patterson (President)
Newry and Mourne Co-Operative & Enterprise Agency
Dr Conor Patterson is the current Chief Executive of Newry and Mourne Co-operative & Enterprise Agency and has been actively involved in the economic regeneration of Newry and Mourne and the Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland East Border Region since the mid-1990s.
Prior to this, Conor was Chairman of the Newry & Mourne Economic Forum between 1997 and 2003.
In taking over at the helm of Newry Chamber for the second time, having served two years in the role from 2009-2011, Conor becomes only the third person in the Chamber’s long and rich 205-year history to serve more than one term as President, following in the footsteps of William V. Hogg and Eddie Mackle.
Gary Digney (Vice President)
FPM Chartered Accountants
Gary Digney is currently a Partner at FPM Chartered Accountants, part of the AAB Group.
Gary is a Licenced Insolvency Practitioner, Chartered Accountant and Mediator with 14 years’ experience working with lenders, as well as individuals and companies in financial distress and heads up the Irish Restructuring and Recovery Team, delivering debt solutions.
Tracy Rice (Vice President)
Southern Regional College
Tracy has worked in economic development for 20 years and has headed up the SRC Business Support Team since 2014.
Tracy ensures that Southern Regional College plays its part in supporting local economic development and growth.
Mairead McParland (Treasurer)
Canal Court Hotel & Spa, Newry
Mairead is a Director at Canal Court Hotel & Spa, while also being a Chartered Accountant and Charted Tax Adviser.
Mairead has worked in accountancy for over 10 years and has since developed her skills in the hospitality profession.
Edwina Flynn (Past President)
Wood Innovations Ltd
Edwina Flynn is the Chief Executive Officer at Wood Innovations Ltd, a flooring distributor, importer and wholesaler specialising in the supply of wooden floors throughout the UK & Ireland.
Prior to this, Edwina was Operations Director of Best Property Services for 16 years before she re-joined Wood Innovations in 2020, having been their first employee in 1996 for 8 years.
Edwina was elected as President of Newry Chamber in November 2023. She is also a Business Studies Graduate from Ulster University and an Accredited Executive Coach.
Jackie Reid
DELI LITES Ireland
Jackie Reid is the Co-Founder and CSO of DELI LITES Ireland, a multi award-winning food solutions provider.
Heading up a strong commercial team and building an innovative food development team, Jackie has supplied the local market and GB for over 20 years. Nowadays, her expertise has expanded its supply chain to over nine countries.
Jackie was also a Finalist of EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2021 and is a member of Women in Business NI.
Deborah Loughran
King Communication
Deborah Loughran is currently the Managing Director of her own recently established Communications Business, King Communication.
Deborah is a Former President of Newry Chamber and has more than 15 years’ experience delivering corporate and consumer PR, public affairs, public consultation, and event management for local household names including Norbrook and MJM Group.
Gemma Murphy
Jack Murphy Jewellers
Gemma Murphy is Partner & Manager at the multi award-winning family business, Jack Murphy Jewellers.
Gemma is a prominent figure within the local retail community and has overseen the recent extension of their showroom in Newry City, the launch of its new ecommerce site and the ever-growing reach of the brand locally, nationally and globally.
Maeve Finnegan
Mitso Marketing
Maeve is a Digital Marketing Consultant with over 10 years’ experience specialising in digital, brand and public relations.
Maeve works with a wide range of clients across Ireland, the UK and Bermuda and founded her own Brand & Digital Agency, Mitso in 2016.
Paula Maguire
BT Northern Ireland
Paula Maguire is a Senior Contract Manager within BT Northern Ireland Public Sector.
Paula has over 21 years’ experience within BT where she has led a variety of teams from application development to service management.
Prior to this, Paula was a Business Consultant working with local and international companies.
Geraldine O’Hagan
Bank of Ireland
Geraldine is an experienced Business Development Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the banking industry.
With over 30 years experience working in Bank of Ireland, Geraldine has skills in business planning and financial services which enhance her strong business development professional.
Elizabeth O’Connor
MJM Marine
Elizabeth is the Director of People and Governance at MJM Marine and manages the provision of Human Resource services within the company.
Prior to this, Elizabeth worked as a private practice and company solicitor, for many years specialising in Employment Law, before switching to HR Management.
Liam Devine
Clanrye Group
Liam is the Chief Executive Officer of Clanrye Group, where he has provided strategic leadership since 2000.
With over 34 years of experience in community development and education, Liam has been instrumental in transforming Clanrye Group from a training-focused organisation into one of the largest and most respected community organisations within the Southern Health and Social Care Trust area.
David Holmes
Warrenpoint Port
David is Chief Executive Officer of Warrenpoint Port, having also previously worked in senior operational roles in Irish & UK’s plc’s.
Prior to this, David was the previous chair of NIBC & long serving fund raiser of the all Ireland charity IBBS, up until 2019.
David is a business school graduate of Portsmouth University, with time also spent studying in Germany, the Far East and the US.
Gary Rocks
Patterson & Rocks Solicitors Ltd
Gary is a Senior Solicitor at Patterson & Rocks Solicitors Ltd, qualified to practice in both Northern Ireland, England and Wales.
With over 20 years experience in the legal industry, Gary specialises in areas of practice such as Commercial Property, Banking and Finance, Renewable Energy and Licensing Law.
Gary has obtained a LPC from the College of Law, Chester and a LLB from Portobello Law College, Dublin.
