The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has paid tribute to its Northern Ireland Board member Malcolm Beatty.
Malcolm had been receiving treatment for cancer for some time and he passed away peacefully on Tuesday night (30 June) surrounded by his family, including his wife Helen and his five children.
OEP CEO Natalie Prosser said: “As our first Board member for Northern Ireland, he played a unique and important part in shaping who we are and how we work.
“His insight, judgement and candour have been invaluable. He brought to the OEP a distinctive Northern Ireland perspective, rooted in deep experience of his many years of public service, environmental leadership and practical delivery.
“But more than all of those things, he was a lovely person. He combined seriousness of purpose with warmth, generosity and good humour.
“He worked directly with many of our staff here at the OEP and his loss will be deeply felt.
“We are sending our deepest condolences to all his family and friends. We will all miss him very much.”
Malcolm Beatty was a Chartered Forester and Chartered Public Finance Accountant, and worked for many years in the Northern Ireland Civil Service, retiring from DAERA in 2018. Amongst other posts in the agricultural and environmental sectors, Malcolm was Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of the Northern Ireland Forest Service, and the NI Chief Plant Health Officer, Director of Agricultural Compliance and Director of Veterinary Policy. In 2019 he was awarded an OBE for services to the environment in Northern Ireland.
Malcolm was a Trustee, Company Director and Honorary Treasurer of the Field Studies Council (FSC), a UK environmental and educational charity. He was a Trustee and Company Director of Centre Ministries, a faith charity operating in England and NI. Malcolm was also a school governor for St. Colman’s High School and Sixth Form College.
