New principal for Northern Regional College

Northern Regional College has announced the appointment of Mel Higgins as its new Principal and Chief Executive.
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Mr Higgins, who has held the role of Chief Operating Officer at NRC for the past six years, secured a BTEC National Diploma in Business & Finance at the College’s Magherafelt campus before progressing to Higher Education and embarking on a career as a chartered accountant. In recent months he has served as Acting Principal and Chief Executive at the College. As Chief Operating Officer, Mr Higgins has been responsible for overseeing the College’s annual budget in excess of £40million and 700 staff. He has also led on an £85million campus redevelopment – funded by the Department for the Economy – to redevelop the College’s campuses at Farm Lodge in Ballymena and Union Street in Coleraine, consolidating its provision across six campuses to four.

Ken Nelson MBE, Chair of the Governing Body of NRC, said: “I extend my warmest congratulations to Mel Higgins on his appointment as Principal and Chief Executive of the College. Mel’s passion and strategic vision for Northern Regional College are underpinned by deep-rooted and long-established connections with the College and its catchment area. His strong commitment to Further Education and the career pathways and opportunities which it provides are evidenced through his notable career to date and sets an excellent example to our students. In recent years, Mel has played a key role in taking forward the College’s plans to develop two new state-of-the-art campuses at Coleraine and Ballymena which, under his continued leadership, will have a transformational impact in delivering a best-in-class educational experience for our students across our new four-campus model.”