Louisa Macdonell joins Development Trusts Association Scotland.

Scotland’s community-led regeneration network has appointed a new chief executive.

Louisa Macdonell will lead Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS) from May after the charity’s current director Ian Cooke stands down.

Louisa joins DTAS from Scottish Enterprise, where she recently returned to after secondment to the UK Government as head of economic development at the office of the secretary of state for Scotland.

Prior to working in the public sector, Louisa set up and ran several businesses, and has been a business mentor to the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and Women in Business since 2014. She is also entrepreneur in residence at Edinburgh University Business School.

Louisa said: “I am delighted to be joining DTAS. With its great reputation for supporting community-led change at the grassroot level, DTAS and its members are at the forefront of local regeneration and place-making activity.

I know that it is the people within our communities who are our biggest assets and that development trusts are crucial to delivering sustainable, place-based change through community enterprise. I very much look forward to getting started, working with the terrific DTAS team and meeting and supporting our members.”