Avila Kilmurray

Avila Kilmurray has been Director of the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland since 1994. Previously she was Regional Coordinator of the Rural Action Project (NI) – an EU Anti-Poverty initiative – and Development Officer with the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action. In 1990, Avila was appointed the first Women's Officer for the Amalgamated Transport & General Workers' Union (now Unite). She served on the Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) and on the Executive Council of the ICTU. Avila has long been active in the Women's Movement and was a founder member of the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition. Avila has written extensively on Community Development, Women's Issues and Conflict Transformation. The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland was a founder member of the Foundations for Peace Network, a peer network of independent indigenous funders working in contested societies. Avila currently serves on the Northern Ireland Committee of the Heritage Lottery Fund; she is a Board member of the Global Fund for Community Foundations; a member of the Working Group for Philanthropy for Social Justice and Peace; and a recently appointed Board member of Conciliation Resources. Avila has a PhD from the Institute of Governance, Queens University Belfast.