GCHT Team:
Niall Murphy, Director:
Niall has nearly 20 years experience as an architect and is heavily involved in heritage, conservation and community issues in Glasgow being current Chair of Govanhill Baths Building Preservation Trust – the largest meanwhile use in Scotland – and Vice Chair for the Pollokshields Trust – a community anchor organisation set up following the ‘Make Your Mark’ East Pollokshields and Port Eglinton Charrette in 2016 which Niall helped secure funding for. Previously, Niall has been chair of Pollokshields Heritage, Planning Convener for Pollokshields Community Council and a member of the Glasgow Urban Design Panel. Between 2016 – 2018 he was invited by the Minister for Local Government and Housing to be a member of the Development Management Working Group for the Scottish Government’s Planning Review.
Niall has won the Glasgow Doors Open Day Excellence Award for Inspiring City Tour (2017), the Glasgow Doors Open Day Above and Beyond Award (2014), the Sir Robert Lorimer Award for Sketching (1996) and, in addition to nominations for Saltire Awards and GIA Awards was nominated for the Scottish Civic Trust’s My Place Award for Civic Champion in 2015. Niall regularly lectures on architecture, heritage and urban design issues.
Maggie Mercer, Business Manager:
Maggie, a Biomedical Science graduate with a Postgraduate Certificate in Forensic Medicine, began working for the Trust in 2012. She has always had a keen interest in architecture and studied the subject whilst at University. She is continuing to follow her interests by studying various subjects including WW1:Trauma and Memory, Forensic Psychology and GDPR. Maggie has been in managerial roles for the past 16 years and is an affiliate member of the IHBC.
Gemma Wild, Heritage Manager:
Gemma has over 10 years experience protecting and celebrating the historic environment in the UK, and supporting others to develop skills and understanding within conservation and heritage contexts. After beginning her career in a planning consultancy, she moved to Glasgow in 2007 and has worked for the Scottish Civic Trust and the Scottish Waterways Trust delivering community engagement, interpretation and education projects helping communities unlock the benefits that the historic environment can offer. Gemma is an active Affiliate Member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) and a Trustee at Maryhill Burgh Halls, where she chairs the Fundraising Committee and sits on the Heritage Committee.
Gemma works part-time, Tuesday – Friday.
Rachel Kacir, Heritage Manager:
Originally from Northern Ireland, Rachel first moved to Glasgow as a student, graduating in History and Politics. She then worked for the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) across a number of properties including Holmwood House, Kellie Castle, the David Livingstone Centre, Greenbank Garden and primarily the Tenement House. Rachel led on daily operations at these properties, welcoming visitors from across the world and managing teams of staff and volunteers. Whilst working for NTS Rachel studied part time for a Masters in Museum Studies from the University of St Andrews and was awarded a Distinction.
Rachel is particularly interested in social history and in providing opportunities for communities to engage with Glasgow’s incredible historic built environment in new and innovative ways. During her time at GCHT she has led on schemes including the Kids Heritage Trail series and the Scottish Design Award nominated Gallus Glasgow project, which used an 1864 map of the city as a jumping off point for exploring the Victorian era through animation, an interactive website, blogs and events.
Rachel works part-time, Wednesday – Friday.
Erin Russo, Historic Environment Grants Administrator:
Erin is an Art Historian, who spent her undergraduate years at Franklin University in Lugano, Switzerland. She has completed an MSc in Museum Studies from the University of Glasgow and an MLitt in Curatorial Practice (Contemporary Art) from Glasgow School of Art. During her MSc, Erin was an exhibition research and design intern at GCHT, with her exhibitions focused on Glasgow’s cinemas and cemeteries. She has since rejoined GCHT as Historic Environment Grants Administrator. Alongside her work at the Trust she is a PhD candidate at the University of Glasgow, centring her research on the documentation of performance art.
Taylor Cross-Whiter, Heritage Officer (Sustainability & Buildings):
Taylor grew up moving between the UK, US and Denmark. As an undergraduate she studied History and received her BA in Portland, Oregon, before moving to Scotland to undertake a postgraduate degree in Architectural Conservation at the University of Edinburgh. Prior to joining GCHT she worked as the Technical Research Intern for Historic Environment Scotland’s Conservation Directorate. In 2017 she helped with organising Doors Open Day for Edinburgh and East Lothian, and has worked in a voluntary capacity for the National Trust for Scotland and done case work for the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland. Besides Glasgow’s many architectural gems, her favourite thing about the city is its vibrant music scene.
Silvia Scopa, Heritage Officer (Activities):
Silvia is a Museum Studies graduate with a major interest in social history and community engagement. After living in Italy and Spain, she moved to Glasgow ten years ago. Before working at Glasgow City Heritage Trust, she spent four years at the National Trust for Scotland.
She is the mind behind Ghost Signs of Glasgow and coordinated the project from 2019 to March 2021. During the past year she has enjoyed working on GCHT’s podcast, “If Glasgow’s Walls Could Talk”, and contributing to the event programme.
Although she has dipped her toe in various aspects of heritage and collections, her main goal has always been to find a link between communities and heritage and get people from every path in life to enjoy Glasgow’s rich history.
Katharine Neil, Heritage Officer (Activities):
Katharine studied History at the University of Glasgow before undertaking a Museum Studies Masters there in 2016. Since then she has worked for The British Museum, Science Museum Group, National Trust for Scotland and more recently was the Curator of a regimental museum in the Highlands. Katharine is particularly interested in creating links between local communities and their built heritage, to encourage a deeper connection to their history. When not at work you can find her at the cinema or enjoying the outdoors.
Dafydd Knops, Trainee Buildings Inspector:
Dafydd, originally from Bristol, studied his bachelor’s in architectural Technology and Design at the University of the West of England. He then spent two years working as an Architectural Technologist on Student Accommodation schemes before moving to Glasgow. Here, he is currently undertaking a Masters in Architectural Design for the Conservation of Built Heritage at the University of Strathclyde and has since joined the team at GCHT joining the Grants team while developing his skills and knowledge under the training role. In his free time he attends Calisthenics classes, enjoys bouldering or finding fun hikes.