Royal Commission Welcomes New Secretary

The Royal Commission’s Secretary, Dr Peter Wakelin, is to leave after eight years to take up the position of Director of Collections and Research at Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales.

Previously an Inspector of Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings with Cadw and then Head of the Regeneration Unit in the Welsh Government’s Communities Directorate, Peter has made a notable contribution to the work of the Royal Commission. Much of his time over the past two years has been taken up with discussions regarding possible merger with Cadw, on which we expect a decision from our sponsoring minister, John Griffiths AM, very early in the New Year. Peter has led a strategic review and restructuring of the organisation and ensured that it emerged through two major external reviews of its work with flying colours. He also enhanced considerably the public profile of the organisation through popular and successful publications and its participation in three English-language television series and one in Welsh.

Hilary Malaws

We are pleased to announce that Hilary Malaws, the Royal Commission’s Director of Services, has been appointed Acting Secretary for an initial six months, by which time there will be more clarity about the future.

Hilary is a long-standing member of staff with extensive experience in the library, archives and information management fields and is well-known to many of our partner organisations. She has led the Royal Commission’s involvement as one of the three partners in the People’s Collection Wales project as well as our innovative SWISH partnership with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, which underpins the on-line delivery of our archival resources and knowledge through Coflein and other platforms.

Hilary will start in her new role as Acting Secretary on 1 December 2013. Speaking about her appointment, Hilary said:

“I am honoured to have been appointed as Acting Secretary and I am looking forward to working with our Commissioners, staff and partners to achieve a smooth transition at this very challenging time. The Royal Commission’s dedicated staff are our greatest asset and I am committed to ensuring that their expertise, combined with our core functions, continue to provide an excellent service to the sector and the public.”

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