Trustee Candidate Blog – “Trust me, I’m a volunteer”

Full Job Description

• #altc
• altc
• Board of Trustee
• Board of Trustees
• elections
• Kate Molloy
• Trustee

By Kate Molloy, Technological University of the Shannon

Candidate Statement: I bring over twenty years of cross-sectoral experience in education and learning technology, combining teaching, higher education, and national-level leadership. I have served for ten years on the National Executive of the Computers in Education Society of Ireland, currently as Chairperson. In this role, I am an invited member of the Department of Education’s AI Advisory Taskforce. I served as Co-Chair of the 2026 Irish Learning Technology Association (ILTA) conference.

As an active ALT member since 2016, including volunteering on the OER Conference Committee since 2019, I understand ALT’s community and the commitment required to sustain an independent, member-led organisation. I am motivated to give back to a community instrumental in shaping my professional journey.

As a Trustee, I would strive to strengthen member voice and increase participation, future-proof CPD options, mentor others across career stages, and contribute to ALT’s longevity and independence. I bring a critical perspective on an evolving EdTech landscape, advocating for ethical, inclusive, and sustainable approaches to learning technology.

I would contribute through strategic oversight and collective decision-making, drawing on my international networks and leadership experience. I am a confident decision-maker, reflective practitioner and empathetic listener, committed to ensuring ALT remains an influential, evolving professional community.

I would bring over twenty years of cross-sectoral experience in education and learning technology, combining teaching, higher education, and national-level leadership to the role of ALT Trustee. I began teaching in 2005, moving from secondary-level into higher education in 2015 on the learning technologies team at the University of Galway, where I was university lead on the Irish Universities Association’s Enhancing Digital Teaching and Learning project (2019–2022). I joined online learning at Atlantic Technological University in 2023 and have recently joined the Centre for Pedagogical Innovation and Development at the Technological University of the Shannon. I hold teaching licences from the Teaching Council (Ireland) and the State of Connecticut (USA). I am currently co-leading the development and first national rollout of the Higher Education Authority (Ireland) funded open course on Open Education. My work has been recognised with an OE Global Open Collaboration Award (Higher Education for Good) and an HEA Strategic Alignment for T&L Enhancement Impact Award (Inclusive Learning).

As Trustee, I would like to give back to a community that has shaped my career. As an active ALT member since 2016, including volunteering on the OER Conference Committee since 2019, I am committed to developing and sustaining ALT’s reach through wider partnerships. The commitment to diversifying ALT’s community in the 2026–2030 Strategy is pivotal to growing the community beyond its current makeup. Communicating ALT’s value to new communities is a pressing challenge. In tertiary education, especially digital learning, we often operate in a vacuum of acronyms and jargon. As Trustee, I would ensure ALT communicates its mission and values clearly for a wide range of relevant communities. I believe ALT must strengthen its partnerships with similar organisations, nationally and internationally, and I hope to leverage my own experience as Trustee to enact this.

I have extensive experience leading a voluntary professional network of educators in Ireland. I have served for ten years on the National Executive of the Computers in Education Society of Ireland (CESI), and am currently Chairperson. Our ~2000 members engage through our annual conference, TeachMeets, open café, and lively mailing list. I lead our National Executive in maintaining working relationships with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, State Examinations Commission and Department of Education, and I am an invited member of the Department of Education’s AI Taskforce. I recently negotiated an updated memorandum of understanding with the Irish Learning Technology Association (ILTA), and served as Co-Chair of the 2026 ILTA EdTech conference on its 25th anniversary. However, this high-level account of my voluntary experience doesn’t fully illustrate the necessary soft skills required to lead as a Trustee.

Voluntary work is still work, and it requires a nuanced, delicate approach with colleagues who generously devote their time and energy to an organisation they care about deeply. Working together involves good time management and organisation, but also mediation, negotiation, and empathetic listening. We work towards a common goal, but often concede on some decisions or remain quiet, and I take great care to hear everyone at my table. In my public-facing role, I conduct myself with professionalism and pride. Voluntary work also carries responsibility—for every seemingly mundane decision, I also authorise payments from our limited Department-funded budget and ensure our conference activities are covered by insurance. CESI was founded in 1973, and as Chairperson I consider myself the temporary driver at the proverbial wheel, preserving the organisation’s legacy while planning for the future. I would hold the role of ALT Trustee with utmost respect and carefully consider its responsibilities when difficult conversations arise. As a committed volunteer, I work pragmatically within limits beyond my control, and would ensure my service sustains this valuable community.

My PhD research at Dublin City University focuses on the professional identity of learning technologists, and alongside it, I am developing a postgraduate programme in Critical Digital Learning Design for experienced learning technologists. Based on lived experience, I understand the issues facing our community, including precarity, deprofessionalisation, and institutional barriers. As Trustee, I the community’s voice is heard during difficult and austere times, using my privilege to ensure marginalised voices are heard and centred in higher-level decision making.

I often reflect on the ALT ‘Greater than the sum of our parts’ sticker that has adorned my MacBook for years:

I believe the intrinsic value of organisations like ALT is within the membership, and together we can ensure the organisation represents this diverse community with honesty and integrity. Together, we are greater than the sum of our parts.

Last year at the ALT conference, I snapped this photo in the room before my proposer, Clare Thomson, and I presented. I find myself most interested in documenting who was in the room with me—the people I connected with for a short time, and perhaps will remain connected to going forward.

Trustee Elections 2026

Information about the candidates standing for election to the ALT Board of Trustees is available here. Voting instructions will be emailed to members who are eligible to vote by Civica, ALT’s independent election provider, on Monday 5 October 2026. Voting will close at 12:00 PM BST on Monday 26 October 2026. All members are invited to learn more about the candidates by reading their statements.

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