New President and Vice-President of The National Library of Wales

Fri, 16 Nov 07 16:43:00

 

Rhodri Glyn Thomas, the Heritage Minister, has announced the appointments of Mr Dafydd Wigley and Mr Arwel Ellis Owen as the President and Vice-President of The National Library of Wales. Their terms of appointment start on 1 December 2007 and will last for 4 years.

 

Rhodri Glyn Thomas, the Heritage Minister said: "I am very pleased to appoint two such well-known figures in Wales to the posts of President and Vice-President of our National Library. They both bring a great deal of experience from their respective careers to these roles and I am sure that they will contribute a great deal to the Library as it embarks on its second century of existence.”

 

Dafydd Wigley said: “It’s a great honour to be President of one of Wales’s most important institutions, and especially to succeed Dr R Brinley Jones, who gave such excellent service. I look forward to working with the staff to promote its exceptionally important mission during a time of exciting developments.”

 

Arwel Ellis Owen said: “I relish the opportunity to work with the Board of the National Library of Wales to develop a sustainable and long-term strategy for the future of what is undoubtedly one of the nation's greatest treasures."

 

Andrew Green, the Librarian of The National Library of Wales, said: ”It’s a great pleasure to welcome the appointments to these key posts. We look forward to cooperating with them in promoting the interests of the Library and its services, for the benefit of Wales and its people.”

 

 

Biographies

 

Mr Dafydd Wigley:

Honorary President of Plaid Cymru and Chair of the Board of the Business School, University of Bangor, Dafydd Wigley has a long association with politics and industry in Wales since the 1970s. He has been involved with various institutions including Deputy Chancellor of the University of Wales (2003-2006), Chair of the Audit Committee for S4C (2003-2006), Member of the National Assembly for Wales (1999-2003), Member of Parliament Caernarfon (1974-2001), Financial controller for Hoover Ltd (1971-1974). 

 

Mr Wigley has wide-ranging experience of working with cultural, voluntary and disability groups and organisations including the Kyffin Williams Trust, Segontium Museum, Tŷ Gobaith and Mencap Cymru. He has also been involved with various working groups and committees including the Political Archive of The National Library of Wales and the Snowdonia National Eisteddfod 2005.

 

Mr Arwel Ellis Owen:

Arwel Ellis Owen is the director of ‘Cyfathrebu Cambrensis – Cambrensis Communications’, a company providing public consultancy services, training, events organisation, and corporate and broadcast productions.

 

Mr Owen is ‘The Guardian’ Fellow in Nuffield College, Oxford, Churchill Fellow, and Fellow of his old college in Aberystwyth. He has been Head of Programmes for BBC Northern Ireland, producer of Panorama and News and Current Affairs Editor for BBC Wales. He trains journalists worldwide, in addition to holding media courses for corporate executives internationally, Governments and other public bodies.

 

For Further Information:

Siôn Jobbins, NLW Press Office: 01970 632 902  sij@llgc.org.uk