The Improvement Service is a company limited by guarantee, with 34 members – COSLA, Solace and Scotland’s 32 local authorities. It is governed by a Board of Directors which meets quarterly and this is chaired by Councillor Shona Morrison, President of COSLA. Current board members are:
Councillor Shona Morrison, IS Board Chair
Councillor Shona Morrison is the President of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.
Shona is currently serving her second term as a Moray councillor for Fochabers Lhanbryde. In the previous term and as part of the council administration, Shona sat on the board of NHS Grampian and chaired the Moray Integration Board. Having worked as a mental health nurse before moving into politics, the appointment onto both boards was a huge honour and the years spent working with both teams provided constant challenge and learning.
From 2018, Shona served as Convener of Moray Council and as civic head, thoroughly enjoyed representing the council both locally and nationally.
As well as the above roles, Shona sat on several of the council service committees including economic development and infrastructure, community planning and education.
Councillor Morrison was elected as the 16th President of COSLA in June 2022, and is the fourth female President of the organisation.
Sarah Gadsden, Chief Executive, Improvement Service
After completing her PhD in public sector management, Sarah started working in local government in 1998 as a Training and Development Officer in South Ayrshire Council. She then joined Renfrewshire Council in 2001 as a Policy Officer and moved on to the roles of Policy Planning Manager and Customer Services Manager.
Sarah joined the Improvement Service in January 2009 as a Programme Manager and moved on to the roles of Head of Change and Development and Director of Strategic Development and Collaboration.
Sarah was appointed as Interim Chief Executive in March 2018 and as Chief Executive in April 2020.
Councillor Sandra Macdonald
Sandra was born in Africa and brought up in Aberdeen. She studied at Aberdeen and Strathclyde Universities and worked in tourism in the north east before switching to the oil industry, where she worked for over 30 years.
Sandra is a life-long campaigner for women’s and workers’ rights and works as an elected city councillor to enable local people to have their say on decisions affecting their lives and their communities. She has represented George Street/Harbour ward on Aberdeen City Council since 2017, having previously represented St Machar ward from 2003 to 2007.
She is married to former north east Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald. They have two daughters, one who works as a Physician Associate in the NHS, and one who works in television.
Sandra is a committed Labour and Co-operative Party member and trade unionist, and a member (among other things) of Aberdeen Women’s Alliance, Langstane Housing Association, the Workers’ Educational Association, and Grampian Regional Equality Council. She enjoys reading, live music, playing table tennis and winning at strategy games!
Cllr Claire Miller
Claire was first elected as a Scottish Green Party councillor to represent the City Centre ward of Edinburgh in 2017. She is the economy spokesperson for the group of Green councillors in Edinburgh, encompassing workers’ rights, anti-poverty work and economic investment, which ties in to her role in the centre of the capital city where many national and international businesses are based.
Before being elected, Claire worked for over a decade in the finance sector in Edinburgh, where she carried out research and had roles in business strategy and strategic marketing. Her focus was on expanding and sustaining the business through new products and services to compete in an increasingly digital financial services marketplace. Claire hopes to bring her business experience to the work of the Improvement Service.
Cllr Heather Anderson
Cllr Heather Anderson is the Convener for Climate, Environment and Biodiversity in Dundee City Council. She is also the Depute Chair of the Dundee Climate Leadership Group, which co-ordinates city-wide action on tackling climate change. Dundee is one of 119 cities worldwide with Category A Status from the Carbon Disclosure Project for transparency in climate change leadership.
Heather was an organic farmer in the Scottish Borders for 20 years and ran a diversified farm retail and hospitality business as well as undertaking a range of campaigning work to make Scottish farming and food production more sustainable. Prior to farming she co-founded and ran an organisation campaigning on social inclusion which played a lead role in securing the right to inclusive education and person centred support.
Heather first served as a councillor in Scottish Borders from 2017 before returning to her home town. She is also a passionate European and former MEP (Member of the European Parliament), serving in our last month of EU membership.
Maggie Sandison
Maggie Sandison has been the Chief Executive of Shetland Islands Council since February 2018.
She started her career in local government as an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) in 1995. She worked for Tonbridge and Malling District Council in Kent, and Arun District Council in West Sussex and Principal EHO.
Maggie moved to Shetland in 2004 to manage the council's environmental health service and was Director of Infrastructure from 2013 until her appointment as Chief Executive.
Paul Manning
Paul Manning was appointed Chief Executive of South Lanarkshire Council in January 2024 following a successful period as Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) and Depute Chief Executive of South Lanarkshire Council. With over 30 years in local government, Paul brings a wealth of experience to taking forward the Council’s Corporate Plan and South Lanarkshire’s Community Plan.
Paul is focused on ensuring his organisation is well connected with communities and industry to encourage new sustainable employment from investors that recognise the unique opportunities in an amazing part of Scotland with outstanding potential. He takes pride in a career spent in public service and is dedicated to the promotion of South Lanarkshire.
In his spare time, Paul enjoys walking and spending time with his family.
Education and Background: Paul Holds an Honours degree in Accountancy from Glasgow Caledonian University and is a Chartered Public Finance Accountant.
Career History: Originally from Glasgow, Paul has spent his career in Lanarkshire, working firstly for Hamilton District Council and then for South Lanarkshire Council.
Lesley Brown
Lesley Brown is Executive Director in East Lothian Council. As well as corporate responsibilities, including deputising for the Chief Executive, she has responsibility for education, children’s services, communities and housing. Lesley joined the council in 2017 and has been Executive Director since 2020. Lesley started her career as a primary teacher in Strathclyde region and in Ayrshire before becoming head teacher of a primary school in 2000. Lesley then moved on to HM Inspectorate of Education where she held various roles as an HM Inspector and as Strategic Director until 2017.
Lesley is a SOLACE representative on the IS Board and is currently the Project Director on the SOLACE/Improvement Service transformation workstream focused on realising the ambitions of the Crerar review.