Meet the board
Here you can learn more about each of our board members!
Pat Clark
Founder Member
Pat has been involved with Opengates since it’s inception and is committed to making a difference to the futures involved in the project and to build a vibrant and growing support organisation.
Bill McNeill
Board Member
Bill is a Glaswegian. Married (widower) One Daughter, Two Sons, & Seven Granddaughters. Born in Maryhill, brought up in Maryhill and Drumchapel within a stable family the middle child of five, two brothers and two sisters.
Educated in the state system until sixteen years of age.
Apprenticed Engineering Draughtsman in the Clydebank Shipyard – six years, worked in Tobacco Industry – five years, worked in the Rubber Industry – five years. Remainder of his career, thirty years in the oil industry, North Sea, Russia, USA. Retired as an Offshore Installation Manager aged sixty two. Presently seventy five years old and living in Glasgow.
Kitty Cairns
Board Member
Kitty is the newest (and possibly only American) member of the board, and grateful to be a part
of the Open Gates community. She is originally from Michigan in the US, and has lived and
traveled abroad extensively. She was educated at MSU and Duke University for her BA and
MBA respectively. Her career spanned the corporate American landscape in the medical device
and pharmaceutical arenas. She finished her career as Sr. VP of Global Procurement for the Perrigo Co. in Dublin, Ireland and is happily consulting and donating her time to multiple charities. Kitty has two sons aged 15 and 20, both in school here in Glasgow.
Daniel Reilly
Chairman of the Board
Danny’s career has included over 30 years in local government mainly in community development and managing care services. He currently works in care service
improvement. He is on the board of the Patients Advocacy Service. The service, based at the State Hospital for Scotland and Northern Ireland, provides independent advice and advocacy to patients there.
Danny became a lay member of COSCA (Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland) in late 2021. COSCA aims to promote high quality counselling, psychotherapy and professional development for individuals and organisations providing these services. He is a qualified hypnotherapist, practicing part-time in the west of Scotland and online.
Ann Soutar
Board Member
Ann worked for 25 years for British Telecommunications where she held various roles in
Personnel, Facilities Management and as Manager of Office Services for Scotland. After leaving BT, she gained experience of the third sector with Inclusion Scotland. Ann gained a BSc (Hons.) in Social Science and Social Policy from the Open University and achieved a Certificate in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Counselling and now works for the NHS. She was a supporter of Open Gates through her husband Walter, but when he died in 2014, she joined the charity more formally, latterly joining The Board in 2015.
Linda Stevenson
Board Member
Linda is a long term single pensioner with one son.
She has spent the main part of her life running a variety of businesses. In her early 50’s, Linda was employed as a manager at Debra Charity.
This seemed to be her niche. She retired at 64 then
began volunteering at Open Gates and never looked back.
Linda also served as a Whiteinch local Councillor and Volunteer; as well as a board member of Whiteinch & Scotstoun Housing association.
Alex Gillies
Board Member
Alex Gillies is married to Charlotte and is the founder and senior pastor of Victory Christian Centre, an Assemblies of
God congregation in the city of Glasgow.
He was ordained into the United Free Ministry in 1974 but
he eventually found his way into the Assemblies of God.
Alex was involved in presenting on Revival Radio which is a
Christian radio station.
He holds a B.A. Degree in Philosophy from Stirling
University, a B.D. in Theology from Glasgow University, a
Masters in Theology from American Bible College and a
Doctorate in Theology from Evangelical Bible Seminary in
Florida.
In his spare time, he enjoys a game of golf and reading
good books.