John Edwards has been appointed to the post of Chairman of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in Scotland. John takes over from outgoing Chairman, residential surveyor Jim Gibson.
A commercial property surveyor and property development manager for Crichton Development Company Ltd in Dumfries, John has been in the property industry for 35 years. His previous positions within RICS Scotland include: senior Vice-Chairman; member of RICS Scotland Commercial Property Professional Group; former Chairman of RICS Dumfries and Galloway region; and a member of RICS Scottish Council. RICS has 10,000 members in Scotland.
John said: “This is a great honour. Throughout my year in office I will be seeking to uphold the RICS principles of integrity, trustworthiness and honesty, supporting the positive message of being a chartered surveyor and encourage young men and women to join the profession and take up the mantle.”
Graeme Hartley, director of RICS Scotland, added: “John’s wealth of experience coupled with his enthusiasm for the role of Chairman is good news for RICS Scotland. He will be continuing Jim’s good work, supporting RICS members and encouraging future generations of chartered surveyors, and we look forward to his time in office.”
In addition to acting as an ambassador for RICS members, John will be looking at two other key themes for his year in office: carbon reduction and social responsibility.
Carbon reduction is a subject close to John’s heart – he is actively involved in the Scottish Government’s SSCI Ladyfield Project in Dumfries for a new sustainable eco-village to support the employment hub at the Infirmary and Crichton site. As such, he will be encouraging all of those in the profession to support the move to a low carbon industry.
John has also set a ‘Chairman’s Challenge’ for all RICS Scotland members: to donate 2011 pints of blood by the end of his tenure.
