Carmel is the first female chairperson of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue .She is deeply committed to ensuring a pipeline of aspiring female leaders for the future and in March 2020 she was appointed as an Equality Commissioner for Northern Ireland .Carmel is a multi-award winning professional for her highly acclaimed work on Diversity and Inclusion including coaching and mentoring programmes, and key note speaker at local national and international events. Carmel was also appointed April 2020 by the Minister for Justice as an Independent member of the Policing Board. Carmel is a former Independent Assessor for the Commissioner for Public Appointments and is currently working alongside the Commissioner to design and deliver a range of short courses to encourage females to enter public life. Carmel is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors and a strong supporter of the work of Women in Business in NI.