Cardonald College Principal, Ros Micklem was appointed to a prestigious new post during the summer vacation.

She will be Director for Scotland with the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) when it launches formally in October.

‘I’ve loved being at Cardonald College. It has been a fantastic time because this is a great college and there are wonderful people here,’ Ros told the LOCAL NEWS. ‘But I feel I’ve had a good stint – ten years – and at 51 this is an optimum time for me to move on.’

She described her new post as ‘the next step’.

‘It combines equality, inclusion, commitment and those are the main reasons I’m in education.’ The job merges agencies currently dealing with sex equality and human rights while overseeing the implementation of new legislation on age and religious belief.

‘The new Commission’s job is to see that everyone is given a fair chance and treated with dignity and respect,’ she said.

Managing a staff team of 600 people at the College, Ros sees her new role as part of a powerful team under a board of eminent people and a Commissioner – Morag Alexander – who previously headed up the Equal Opportunities Commission.

Scottish specific legal processes have to harmonise with British-wide legislation. ‘I don’t expect to come up with quick answers. But I do expect to do a lot of listening and learning.’

Nominated by her College colleagues as the ‘Best Boss’ in 2004, she won the UK title and is very proud of that tribute. Over the last three years she has had the responsibility of managing the £23 million estates re-development projects at Cardonald College. This produced a children’s centre and a skills centre.

Her partner, Mike Schilling, works for the Citizens Advice Bureau. ‘I’ve gained a deeper understanding of what people are up against through his work,’ she said candidly. In her leisure time she grows vegetables and fruit in her ‘large’ garden and enjoys hill walking and socialising with her ten nephews and nieces.

Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok commented, ‘Ros Micklem has been very committed to the community in the south-west of Glasgow in her ten years at Cardonald College. She is very committed to helping people understand the power of education and she is always in the community. I often meet up with her in the most unexpected places.’