The new President of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC), the UK’s professional body for historic environment conservation specialists, is Mr Eddie Booth, Director of the specialist conservation service The Conservation Studio. A former Chair of the IHBC, Mr Booth said ‘Having set one ball rolling when I was Chair, by encouraging the appointment of a professional director, I can take some pride in the IHBC’s remarkable progress since 2004. Our splendid ministerial reception in Northern Ireland last week, at the remarkable and historic centre of civic government there, Hillsborough Castle, proved to the 80 or so distinguished attendees that the IHBC is both a resource for, and a friend of, the best of conservation across the UK. Our branch and members there are to be congratulated for their success, as well as our institute, for providing such a focus for conservation interests.’
David Lovie, outgoing President and predecessor to Mr Booth, said that he was ‘delighted that such a distinguished and busy figure would help lead the IHBC from the front’. IHBC Chair, Dave Chetwyn, expressed the institute’s gratitude to Eddie for accepting ‘an honour, tinged with essential, but hopefully enjoyable duties’. Dr Seán O’Reilly, IHBC Director said that he was ‘looking forward to working closely with our new President in times that are both challenging and stimulating’. Dr O’Reilly went on to note that ‘training, standards and resources will continue to occupy the institute and all the sector stakeholders, not least given the diverse private and public sector interests, as well as the pan-disciplinary specialisms, that our members represent’.
References:
The IHBC is the UK’s professional body for historic environment conservation specialists see: www.ihbc.org.uk
For The Conservation Studio see: http://www.theconservationstudio.co.uk/
Queries: Seán O’Reilly: (0131) 5583671; director@ihbc.org.uk
2 October 2008
