Michele Woods, CIPFA Northern Ireland Branch Chair, welcomes everyone to the 2011 Annual Lunch

Michele Woods, CIPFA Northern Ireland Branch Chair with Jaki Meekings Davis, CIPFA President

Aideen McGinley, Ilex URC Ltd, Michele Woods, CIPFA Northern Ireland Branch Chair and Jaki Meekings Davis, CIPFA President

CIPFA Northern Ireland’s Annual Chair’s Luncheon is always a popular event for CIPFA members and invited guests and the 2011 event was no exception. This year the lunch was held on 24 February in Belfast City Hall and the Northern Ireland Branch was delighted to welcome over 120 guests including representatives from other professional bodies and senior executives from across the public services in Northern Ireland.

Branch Chair, Michele, welcomed everyone to the lunch with a special welcome to Stephanie McCoy, NIAO, who was the worthy recipient of the 2010 CIPFA Student of the Year Award. This is an annual award sponsored by the local CIPFA Branch to the student who has achieved the highest average marks over a range of papers as well as consistently contributed to class discussions and debates. Stephanie is currently at the Diploma stage of the professional qualification and has demonstrated a keen interest in her studies and achieved a remarkable average mark of over 70% across all the papers she sat during 2010. Stephanie’s enthusiasm is an inspiration to her class mates and she was a very popular winner amongst all her tutors, whose views were canvassed as part of the selection process.

The CIPFA Student of the Year Award comprises a book token as well as an attractive engraved trophy – a lasting commemoration of her achievement.

Colin Langford, Head of Academic Programmes, said “The annual award is a tangible recognition of hard work and dedication on the part of the most able professional qualification student who studies with us. Stephanie is a very worthy and popular student and we all wish her on-going success in her studies."

Stephanie said, “It is a real honour to be awarded Student of the Year, and I am grateful to both CIPFA and the NIAO for all the support they have offered.”

Aideen McGinley, Chief Executive of Ilex URC Ltd was the keynote speaker at the lunch. Aideen provided an interesting and informative account of the Derry ~ Londonderry successful win of UK City of Culture 2013.

Student of the Year, Stephanie McCoy with CIPFA President, Jaki Meekings Davis

Stephanie McCoy pictured with Aideen McGinley, Jaki Meekings Davis and Michele Woods