Gill describes her career to date as ‘patchwork’. Starting work life as a practicing pharmacist, she returned to University to study Zoology, and after completing a PhD in Biological Sciences (where she spent 3 years chasing palmate newts!), she worked as a conservation geneticist with RZSS Edinburgh Zoo. She later established and managed two biobank facilities at the National Museums (Scotland) Collection Centre and Edinburgh Zoo, as part of the UK’s CryoArks initiative.

Volunteer work throughout her career has focused on activism, promoting sustainability, and facilitating change at a grassroots level. She was a founding member of the Fibreshed Scotland affiliate and will talk about spinning, wool and flax to anyone who will listen! In recent years, Gill has also worked with the Scottish Community Climate Action Network (SCCAN) and Grow West Fife to coordinate climate and community action through engagement and networking, setting up the West Fife Community & Climate Action group facilitate peer-to-peer support across the region.

Three colourful threads run consistently throughout Gills background – project management, networking, and a deep love of finding diverse ways to tread lightly on the Earth. In CV terms, she has a broad range of transferable skills (but thinks a patchwork sounds better).