Partners People

Staff

Jacqui Gage

Jacqui and Peter share the role of Coordinator for Partners Training for Transformation. Jacqui has been a Partners facilitator since 1995. She has worked in facilitation and training with a wide range of groups and organisations in Ireland and Britain. She has a particular interest in intercultural work and in creating spaces to where people can build relationships and learn about culture. Her background is in teaching and educational psychology.

Peter Dorman

Peter and Jacqui share the role of Coordinator for Partners Training for Transformation. Peter has been involved with Partners TfT since 1986. He has extensive experience as a community education and community development facilitator. His areas of work include housing regeneration, community safety, community responses to drug and alcohol, cultural diversity in neighbourhoods, responses to unemployment, leading community leadership and capacity building learning, His work involves organisational development, grassroots campaigns, community education, strategic planning/evaluation, human rights based approaches, research and project management.

Facilitators

Zoryana Pshyk

Zoryana has been involved with Partners since 2013. She is experienced in working with diverse groups including community, youth and intercultural groups. She is a current representative of Newbridge Asylum Seekers Support Group on Public Participation Network and an active participant in local community development in county Kildare with the emphasis on Social Inclusion, as well as chair of Kildare Integration Network

Ciara Flanagan

Ciara has been working in the field of mediation, restorative practices and facilitation since 2019. Her work has focused on supporting individuals, organisations and communities experiencing conflict. She also works as a community development facilitator with community groups and organisations working in the community and voluntary sector. Ciara designed funding programmes and supported community-based organisations through her work in Pobal for 13 years.

Frank Naughton

Frank was a staff member of Partners from 1995 to 2026. He retired from the staff in 2026 and continues to work with us as freelance facilitator for certain projects. He has been involved in facilitation and training, organisational development and support work with a wide range of individuals, groups and organisations in Ireland and abroad. He has been a visiting lecturer in Leadership and Group-work in Kimmage Development Studies Centre over the same period.

Directors

Declan Markey

Since completing his studies in Social Science and Social Research, Declan has been designing and delivering educational programmes and coordinating educational services specifically aimed at widening participation amongst groups under-represented in higher education. After Declan co-coordinated the BA in Housing and Community Studies for Respond Housing Association and UCD, he became the education coordinator with the Ballyfermot Chapelizod Partnership. Developing educational supports that are experiential, participatory and inclusive are fundamental principles underlining Declan’s approach and as a member of the board of Partners: Training for Transformation these principles are inherently applied to all areas of his work. Declan is currently working in the Access Team with the National College of Art and Design.

Mairead O'Connor

Mairead has been working with and in the community and voluntary sector for the past 12 years. She has been a trainer and facilitator and been involved in the development of a number of educational projects over the years. She is currently the Skills Development Senior Manager in The Wheel, Ireland's national association of community and voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises, where she has also developed experience and knowledge of charity governance.

Johnny Sheehan

Johnny has more than 30 years' experience working in the development, youth work, community & voluntary and environmental sector. In that time, he has worked with a range of national organisations including The Wheel, Dóchas, Fairtrade Ireland and the National Youth Council of Ireland. Prior to joining the board of Partners, Johnny served on the boards of Comhlámh and the Irish Development Education Association. He has a professional certificate in Charity Law, Trusteeship and Governance from the Law Society. In his spare time, Johnny enjoys sea swimming and running and is a regular volunteer for his local park run.

Camilla Fitzsimons