John King bellassai, jd
President, Council of Scottish Clans and Associations.
John is Vice President of The National Capital Tartan Day Committee, Inc. (NCTDC) and Secretary of The Living Legacy of Scotland, Inc. - a founding member of the Scottish Coalition, USA.
The Rt. Hon. Viscount Dunrossil
The Rt. Hon. Viscount Dunrossil
Andrew Morrison, 3rd Viscount Dunrossil was born London in 1953. Educated at Eton and Oxford, he came to US in 1981. He has made San Antonio, Texas his home for the last 30 years being engaged in the banking and financial services industry.
Professionally, he served as the former Chairman of the American Financial Services Association.
Andrew’s grandfather, the 1st Viscount, was Speaker of the House of Commons; and then subsequently Governor- General of Australia. Andrew’s father, the 2nd Viscount, was a career diplomat, Governor of Bermuda and Lord Lieutenant of the Western Isles (in Scotland). Of particular note, his mother, Mavis Dawn Spencer-Payne, retired as chairman of the Gloucestershire County Council on her 80th birthday, after more than 30 years on the council.
The Morrisons are a distinguished Highland family. The Viscount’s grandfather’s older brother was first chief of Clan Morrison in 350 years. Today, Andrew serves as Chieftain of Clan Morrison for North America - a hereditary position first granted to his father; and he serves as an Executive committee member of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs.
The Viscount previously served as Chairman of the Society of Scottish Armigers. Today he is their Vice Chair, and the Lord Lyon serves as their President. He is on the Advisory Board for COSCA and an Honorary Patron for the American Scottish Foundation. He is married with four children.
KEITH MACGREGOR
Keith MacGregor is the North American Representative for the Clan Gregor Society of Scotland and has served on the Society’s Council for twenty six years.
He is co-administrator of the MacGregor Surname Project/FTDNA and tour director/guide for the clan’s International Gathering 2022 in Scotland. He has organized and led eight years of professional archaeological outings in Glenorchy and Glenstray, the original MacGregor homelands, which uncovered a trove of information about the early clan’s medieval settlements and were published for the Society during “The Year of Archaeology – Scotland 2017”.
He is currently involved in the preservation of the carved stone monuments of the MacGregor chiefs, discovered at Dalmally church in Argyll.
Keith’s professional career in media spans decades as Executive Director for the Fox Broadcasting Networks, New York.
SUSAN MILLER
Susan R. Miller is the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Director of Programs; editor of the NYG&B’s New York Researcher magazine; a managing editor of the New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer.
She has researched her New York and New England families for more than 25 years. Susan organizes the New York State Family History Conferences and has presented genealogical lectures at national and regional conclaves.
Beyond genealogy, Sue is a life-long sailor (racing and cruising) and Past Commodore of the Manhasset Bay and Frostbite Yacht Clubs.
dr maurice gleeson
Dr Maurice Gleeson is a genetic genealogist and Medical Doctor in London, United Kingdom, and runs Surname DNA Projects for the following: Spearin, Farrell, Gleason, Boylan, O'Malley, and Ryan.
As Education Ambassador for the International Society of Genetic Genealogists (ISOGG), he organizes the Genetic Genealogy Ireland conference each year in Dublin, and maintains his blog and a YouTube Channel, both called: DNA and Family Tree Research.
ROB SPENCER
Dr Rob Spencer is a Family Tree administrator for two Surname Projects and author of SNP Tracker and other genetic genealogy tools.
Following degrees in physics and biochemistry (B.A. Williams, Ph.D. MIT), Rob was a pharmaceutical scientist and manager at Syntex and Pfizer for 29 years, then a software developer at Imaginatik for eight years.
Now retired, he's found that genetic genealogy perfectly suits his skills and interests. SNP Tracker, his new British-Irish mapping tool combines Y DNA haplogroup analysis with comprehensive 19th century census data, bringing more detail and resolution to those with Scottish, Irish, English, or Welsh paternal ancestry.
Explore his website at http://scaledinnovation.com/gg/gg.html
BRUCE DURIE
Bruce Durie, OMLJ FCollT FIGRS FHEA FRSB CBiol QG
Bruce Durie OMLJ FCollT FIGRS FHEA FRSB CBiol QG is a Scottish genealogist, broadcaster and author.
Originally a biochemist/pharmacologist, teaching and researching in those disciplines at various, Universities, he was awarded the IBRO/UNESCO Fellowship in 1977 as "Scotland's most promising young neuroscientist". He later started and ran the Professional Postgraduate Programme in Genealogical Studies at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, all online up to Masters.
In 2016, he was awarded the Fulbright Senior Scottish Studies Scholarship, and spent most of that year researching Scottish migrations to Colonial America, primarily at St Andrews University, Laurinburg, Scotland Co., North Carolina.
Durie has Right of Audience at the Court of the Lord Lyon, Scotland. The majority of his private work concerns Coats of Arms and issue around inheritance and Chiefship. He was a founder of the Register of Qualified Genealogists and the post-nomial QG, and of the scholarly peer-reviewed journal Genealogy.
In 2017, Bruce Durie was elected an Academician of the Académie Internationale de Généalogie and in 2018 was accorded Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (FRSB) and Chartered Biologist (CBiol) in recognition of his long-standing work in the public understanding of genetic genealogy.
He is the author of over 30 published books.
charles, lord bruce
Charles Edward Bruce, Lord Bruce DL MA MSc FSA Scot
Charles Bruce (Lord Bruce) is married to Dr Alice Enders and has five children. He was educated at Eton College; University of St Andrews (MA Hons); University of Dundee (MSc). (Dr Enders’ father, Tom Enders, was US ambassador in Ottawa from 1976-79. Alice attended Ottawa and Queen’s Universities.)
A Page of Honour to HM the Queen Mother, 1975–77; Deputy Chairman Association for Protection of Rural Scotland, 1998–2001; Director, Scottish Lime Centre Trust, 1994–; Director, Environmental Trust for Scotland, 1996–2012. Member International Advisory Council, International Academic Forum, 2010–; Trustee, Historic Scotland Foundation, 2001–2016; Chairman Patrons, National Galleries of Scotland, 2006–11; Patron, Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies, Edinburgh Napier University, 2011–; Chairman, Kolkata Scottish Heritage Trust, 2008–; Director, Canadian Friends of Scotland Foundation, 2006–; Honorary President, St Andrew Society 2007–12; Hon. Patron, Japan Society of Scotland, 2008–; President, The Democracy Forum 2016-; Hon. Keeper, Keepers of the Quaich, 2009; President, Dunfermline United Burns Club, 2011 (Chairman, 2005–10); Member, Queen’s Bodyguard for Scotland, Royal Company of Archers, 2003; Deputy Lieutenant, Fife, 1997; Hon. Major, 31 Combat Engineer Regt (The Elgins), Canadian Forces, 2007; FSAScot; Paolozzi Gold Medal, National Galleries of Scotland, 2012.
He is eldest son and heir to Andrew Bruce, 11th Earl of Elgin & 15th Earl of Kincardine KT, 37th Chief of the Name of Bruce.
His father, The Earl of Elgin, is Colonel of the Regiment, 31 Combat Engineer Regiment (The Elgins; in Waterloo and St. Thomas, ON) and he has been deputising for him for 10 years as Hon Major. Lord Bruce’s father and grandfather have served continuously as Hon Colonel of the same Canadian regiment for an unbroken period of 80 years. (The Elgins existed before the Confederation of Canada, tracing their origin to 1866 when the Militia Act officially created the 25th, Elgin, Battalion of Infantry from five local militia companies.)
His great-grandfather, Victor Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin, was born in Montreal in 1849. The only child born in Canada for whom Queen Victoria agreed to be godmother.
His great-great-grandfather, James Bruce 8th Earl of Elgin, was Governor General of Canada from 1848-54. He married (secondly) Mary Louisa Lambton, (daughter of the 1st Earl of Durham). He was the first Governor General to read the speech from the throne in both official languages, and the only Governor General to be threatened by mob violence. (He was the only Governor General, who was ejected from both the St Andrews Society of Montreal and the Thistle Curling Club). His principal task was to enact the Durham Report. He introduced responsible government in 1849 with the passage of the Rebellion Losses Bill but suffered the destruction of the parliament building in Montreal. He calmed the Annexation Movement and prevented the colonial government from abandoning British North America. In 1854 he negotiated the most advantageous free trade agreement in the history of Canada's bilateral relations with the US. He introduced the Canadian postal system and was the first to use the maple leaf as an official emblem. His last act was to select Bytown (Ottawa) for the site of the dominion capital. Lord Bruce’s great-great-great-grandfather was Jack Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, author of the Durham Report.
gus noble
Gus Noble - President, Chicago Scots
Gus Noble was born in 1969 in Dundee, Scotland. He grew up in the Duns, in the Scottish Borders. In 1992, after graduating from the University of Stirling, Gus moved to Chicago, where he worked for the British Consulate General for seven years.
During this time he concentrated on developing UK-US trade and investment. In 1999, Gus completed a Business to Business Marketing Strategy course at Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
Following 1999's devolution of Government authorities in the United Kingdom, Gus established and operated the first overseas office of the Welsh Assembly Government in Chicago. Gus took up his current appointment in August 2004.
Gus serves on the Board of the Admiral at the Lake and the Rosehill Cemetery Reserve Fund. Gus supports Newcastle United Football Club and plays electric bass guitar in a Scottish-American honky-tonk band. Gus is married to Aisha. They have two sons, Bobby and Langston.
professor donna heddle
Professor Donna Heddle
Professor Donna Heddle is Director of the award winning University of the Highlands and Islands Institute for Northern Studies.
Her research interests are Scottish and Northern Isles cultural history, Renaissance language and literature, and cultural tourism. She has led and is currently leading several national and international research and training projects involving cultural tourism, including a project in Vanuatu.
She was awarded a Personal Chair by UHI in June 2013 and became Chair of the UHI Tourism Group in August 2017.
Professor Heddle is currently developing a fully online Masters in Scottish Heritage aimed at the Scottish diaspora and those with Scottish themed businesses.
graeme mackenzie
Graeme Mackenzie MA
Graeme Mackenzie is a Scottish historian and genealogist with over thirty years’ experience researching and writing about the Highland clans. He studied history at Cambridge University and worked initially as a rock music writer and broadcaster, developing an interest in country and bluegrass music whilst helping organize the prestigious Cambridge Folk Festival.
He moved to Inverness in the late 1980s where he established Highland Roots Research and became an active member of local historical and genealogical bodies. He’s written papers for the Gaelic Society of Inverness, and served for seven years as the Chairman of the Highland Family History Society.
In speaking on Scottish history and genealogy, and in March 2019 returned from his second six week lecture tour of New Zealand and Australia.1993, he was appointed Curator of the Clan MacMillan International Centre and has since written extensively on the history of the MacMillans. Since 1995 he’s acted as Seanachaidh for Clan MacKenzie, and for two years was Chairman of the Clan Mackenzie Society of Scotland & the UK. In the course of his work he's collected a considerable amount of information on other Scottish families and names, and is pursuing a particular interest in the nature of the Scottish clan and the evolution of the so-called “clan system”.
In 2013 he published “Genealogy in the Gaidhealtachd: Clan and Family History in the Highlands of Scotland”, and he followed that up in 2015 with “Highland Clan and Family Histories: A Guide to Published Histories, Genealogies & Family Trees”. His latest publication is “Septs, Septnames, and Surnames of the Highland Clans”.
He’s the founding Chairman of the Association of Highland Clans and Societies, which has a membership representing over 40 clans, and serves on the Scottish Government’s “Clans and Ancestry Forum”. He travels regularly in North America
RT, HON. HENRY MCLEISH
The Rt. Hon. Henry Baird McLeish is a former Scottish Labour Party politician, now author and academic. Formerly a professional football player, McLeish was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Central Fife from 1987 to 2001 and the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Central Fife from 1999 to 2003. He also served as the second First Minister of Scotland, from 2000 to 2001.
Mr. McLeish is now a Privy Counselor to HM Queen Elizabeth II and an Honorary Fellow at the College of Humanities and Social Science at Edinburgh University. He served in government with former UK Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown (both fellow Scots); dined with Queen Elizabeth II; met with former President George W. Bush in the Oval Office; and had a private audience with Pope John Paul II in the Vatican.
During the last two decades, McLeish has been a visiting professor and lecturer at a number of universities in the USA, teaching European Union studies and UK Government and Politics. He is currently Visiting Professor of European Studies at St. Mary’s University School of Law, in San Antonio, TX. Courses he teaches include The Political Integration of the EU; Economic and Monetary Union; Democracy and Government in the EU; and other EU related topics. He also lectures on topics affecting European Union member countries with ties to the United States – the evolving conflict in Ukraine, the Greek debt crisis, and the Scottish independence movement.
Early life
McLeish was born in Methil, Fife into a coal mining family. After retiring from football as a young man, he became a lecturer at Heriot-Watt University, before entering politics.
McLeish joined the Scottish Labour Party in 1970. He was a local councillor on Kirkcaldy District Council 1974–1977 and then on Fife Regional Council 1978–1987. He served as leader of Fife Regional Council from 1982 until his election as Labour MP for Central Fife at the 1987 General Election. In the late 1980s and into the 1990s, McLeish was a Labour shadow spokesman for several portfolios, including the Scottish Office, transport, employment, and health and social security. When Labour came to power in 1997, McLeish was appointed as a Minister of the Scottish Office.
He played a key role in the process of devolution, which returned key aspects of legislative power and Government authority from the UK to Scotland. As Donald Dewar's right hand man in Westminster, McLeish helped secure devolution for Scotland and maneuvered the Scotland Act through the Westminster Parliament.
Later, as Minister for Devolution and Home Affairs at the Scottish Office from 1997 to 1999, McLeish was instrumental in shaping Scotland’s first Parliament in almost 300 years. He was also responsible for law and order including the police and the prison service. Elected to the Scottish Parliament from Fife Central in 1999, he was Minister for Enterprise and Life Long Learning, overseeing higher education, industry, science, technology and the economy.
First Minister
After Donald Dewar's death, McLeish defeated his rival Jack McConnell in the race to become Scotland’s second First Minister. While First Minister, McLeish was widely commended as being a business-like manager of the Scottish Executive, with good political instincts and good relations in Westminster and Holyrood, taking responsibility for Scotland’s emerging role on the European and world stage, leading official government missions internationally, and implementing Scotland’s social and economic policies. He travelled widely, particularly in the United States, where he capitalized on sentiment for Scotland among American politicians to advance the cause of Scottish industry and export. McLeish led several taskforces designed to improve the competitiveness of Scottish industry, especially the PILOT project for Scottish oil and gas supply chains.
After 30 years in elected politics, Mr McLeish retired from public office in 2003.
After Politics
Since leaving mainstream politics, McLeish has lectured widely in the United States, firstly at the U.S. Air Force Academy and then the University of Oklahoma and the University of Arkansas, where he holds a visiting professorship shared between the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and the Arkansas School of Law, and most recently, at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio.. He is considered an expert on European-American relations and on the European Union.
In August 2007, McLeish was appointed to the Scottish Broadcasting Commission (established by the Scottish Government). He also chaired the Scottish Prisons Commission, which produced a report into sentencing and the criminal justice system in 2008 entitled "Scotland's Choice."
McLeish also authored a major report on the state of football in Scotland, which had been commissioned by the Scottish Football Association, in April 2010. He claimed that Scottish football was "underachieving, under-performing and under-funded" at a press conference to unveil the report.
Publications – Books
Henry McLeish has authored or co-authored more than 25 books, including Scotland First: Truth and Consequences (2004), Global Scots: Voices from Afar (with Kenny MacAskill) (2006) (published in the UK as Global Scots: Making It in the Modern World), Wherever the Saltire Flies (with Kenny MacAskill) (2006); Scotland: The Road Divides (with Tom Brown) (2007); Scotland: A Suitable Case for Treatment, (also with Tom Brown) (2009); Scotland the Growing Divide: Old Nation New Ideas (2009); and Rethinking Our Politics -The Political and Constitutional Future of Scotland and the UK (2014).
In line with the theme of this year’s Scottish North American Community Conference, Henry McLeish has written a significant piece for a new book to be published shortly which celebrates the 700th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath. This is being organized by Aberdeen University. Part of contribution looks at how Scottish ideas have shaped the broader humanity of the world and the need now for a greater degree of internationalism and inter-dependence. McLeish is also currently working on a new book celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament and what is likely to happen as the present UK government adopts a much more hostile and critical position on the Scotland Question.
Henry McLeish does a weekly column for The Scotsman newspaper on America - life and politics - and has now published 45 of them. The idea is that they will run until the upcoming presidential election in November.
ken mcgoogan
Ken McGoogan is the bestselling author of fifteen books, among them three that treat the Scottish influence in Canada: How the Scots Invented Canada; Celtic Lightning: How the Scots and the Irish Created a Canadian Nation; and Flight of the Highlanders: The Making of Canada.
Ken’s honors include the Pierre Berton Award for popularizing History, the UBC Medal for Canadian Biography, the Writers’ Trust Drainie-Taylor Biography Prize, the Canadian Authors’ Association award for history, the Grant MacEwan author’s prize, and an American Christopher Award for “a work of artistic excellence that affirms the highest values of the human spirit.”
Before turning mainly to books, Ken worked as a reporter and books columnist for two decades (Toronto Star, Montreal Star, and Calgary Herald). He has served as chair of the Public Lending Right Commission and is a fellow of the Explorers’ Club, the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and Wolfson College, University of Cambridge. Ken teaches Creative Nonfiction at University of Toronto (where he won an award for teaching excellence) and in the MFA program at University of King’s College in Halifax.
william petrie
William Petrie – Chair, Clans and Scottish Societies of Canada (CASSOC)
William Robert Merritt Petrie is a Toronto native with primarily a career in Information Technology, Business Analysis and Knowledge Architecture. After spending several decades in Quebec, William returned to the Toronto area and added corporate training as well as a serious sideline in theatre, Improv, singing, music composition and performance. A second music album is in development to join a single and initial album he has already released under a pseudonym.
William, as a tenor, has toured several times with choirs for performances in France (Notre Dame), Vatican City, Wales, Austria, Czech Republic and Italy. Ireland and Scotland, originally for July 2020, is now being rescheduled for Summer 2021.
William combines his paternal Scottish heritage of MacGregors through roots back to Edinburgh in the early 1800s with United Empire Loyalists (Merritts and Hamiltons) on his maternal side. He is a member of the Clan Gregor Canada Council and co-editor of the MapleLeaf MacGregor newsletter (www.mapleleafmacgregor.ca)
In the past, William has served on the Senate of York University and the IT Curriculum Advisory Committee for the University of Toronto Engineering Faculty. In addition to being Chair, William is also the editor of An Drochaid – The Bridge, CASSOC’s quarterly newsletter.
Camilla Hellman MBE
Camilla G. Hellman, MBE - President, American Scottish Foundation
Camilla Hellman's career has been transatlantic relations, undertaking projects both in Britain and the United States to further collaboration between the two countries.
Brought up in Britain ( "I am a hodge-podge - English, Scottish, German, French-Swiss"), Camilla came to the USA in 1990. She loved the challenges and enthusiasm she found in the United States, and started an import company representing leading luxury manufacturers and selling to major retailers.
Moved by the events of 9/11, she conceived and led on the creation of the British Memorial Garden in Manhattan's Financial District and headed its organization as President from 2002 - 2009, during which time the Park received four royal visits. The Park was further honored by a visit from HM Queen Elizabeth II in 2010 when it was renamed the Queen Elizabeth II September 11 Garden.
Camilla joined the American-Scottish Foundation in 2009 as Development Director, becoming Executive Director in 2012 and was elected President in 2017. In addition to increasing the ASF's charitable work, Camilla has developed diverse event programs, often involving exhibits and performances, with a strong multimedia platform.
Camilla represents the ASF on the National Tartan Day New York Committee.
Camilla serves on the Board of The Foreign Press Association and Make Music New York.
In 2007, Camilla was honored by HM Queen Elizabeth II and awarded the MBE for services to British-American relations.
deb dalziel
Deb Dalziel is currently the Tourism Coordinator for Elora & Fergus Tourism and the Township of Centre Wellington. Since 1996, she has been actively involved with marketing, promotion and information services for the Township of Centre Wellington and the Town of Fergus.
Deb has served as the General Manager of the Fergus Scottish Festival and Highland Games from 1996-1998, a Festival Board member and as President. Deb became the Chair of the Music/Entertainment Committee in the festivals’ 51st year and is busy preparing for the 75th celebration.
Deb now volunteers with both the Marketing Committee as Media liaison in 2018 and 2019 and is part of the award winning Festival Ambassador program. She has proudly represented Canada and the Fergus Scottish Festival as a dedicated volunteer of New York Tartan Week and assists in stage managing performances in Bryant Park for the American-Scottish Foundation.
professor kevin james
Kevin James holds the Scottish Studies Foundation Chair and is Professor of Modern Scottish History at the University of Guelph. A graduate of McGill University, where he obtained the highest standing in Arts in his graduating year, and of Edinburgh University, where he held a Commonwealth Scholarship, Kevin is a prolific author who has held many grants and fellowships, and collaborated in research partnerships around the world. A specialist in modern Scottish tourism and travel history, Kevin is also Director of the University’s Centre for Scottish Studies.
The Centre for Scottish Studies at the University of Guelph is the largest cluster of scholars undertaking Scottish research outside Scotland. The University’s McLaughlin Library holds the largest collection of Scottish records outside the United Kingdom, of which our students and broader members of the community make extensive use. With scholars working in all periods of Scottish history, and with graduates who form part of a world-wide alumni network, the Centre’s mission is to support original research into Scotland’s past and present, to support teaching at all levels, and to nurture strong links with and beyond the Scottish community in North America.
DR. JULIE BOND
Julie Bond currently serves as the Communications Chair on the Board of Directors for The Gaelic Society of Toronto, one of Canada’s oldest Societies dating back to the late 1800’s.
Comunn Gàidhlig Thoronto / The Gaelic Society of Toronto was formed in 1880 to connect Gaelic-speaking persons who had emigrated from the Scottish Highlands and Islands. With a passion for learning Scottish Gaelic and a post-secondary education in digital marketing, Julie has combined her passions to help advance the learning of Scottish Gaelic in Toronto and surrounding areas.
Peter Wilson
Peter Wilson is the founder of Great Scot International, The Scottish Weaver and The Scottish Grocer.
Peter also serves as the President of Scottish Heritage USA.
Based in North Carolina but originally from Scotland, Peter has a great deal of experience and insight in the Scottish North American community.