Galway Simon Community has announced the appointment of Carol Baumann as its new Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Karen Golden, who had served the organisation for many years.
The Dublin native has used her personal experiences of her own upbringing to lay the foundation for a lifelong commitment to fairness, inclusion, and speaking out for those whose voices are too often unheard.
Most recently, Carol served as CEO of the Local Development Companies Network (formerly the Irish Local Development Network ), where she led the expansion of the national network’s capacity and visibility, supporting frontline responses to major challenges, including the arrival of Ukrainian refugees and the aftermath of Storm Éowyn.
“Like many families in that place, and of that time, there wasn’t much money growing up, but I was lucky. I got to stay in school and ended up doing a business degree. At the time, I saw a business degree as almost a working-class degree, something I could relate to – practical, vocational. It gave me a foundation, but it was my early teaching experience with young people living with disadvantage that opened my eyes to the structural barriers in their lives.”
Carol’s diverse career has included working in education, European social programmes, the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS ), and a domestic abuse service, where she helped further develop a high-quality, client-centred refuge, where she has consistently believed in the power of the local community.
“The clients we supported in MABS, people who found themselves in real difficulty through no fault of their own, taught me so much. Those who found themselves with unsustainable levels of personal debt and mortgage arrears following the banking collapse were often portrayed unfairly,” she recalls. “In reality, they were incredible managers of scarce resources – people with very little are forced to manage with exceptional skill. That experience taught me huge respect – and that respect has driven my work ever since.”
Welcoming Carol to her new role, Chair of Galway Simon Community, Ciarán Forken, said they are thrilled to welcome Carol to Galway Simon.
“Her deep commitment to social justice, her leadership experience, and her first-hand understanding of the challenges facing communities today make her an ideal person to guide us forward. We also wish to thank Karen Golden for her exceptional leadership and legacy.”
As she steps into her new role, Carol brings not only professional expertise, but a heartfelt connection to the place she has called home for 30 years, and a belief in the collective power of local action:
““Ireland has a long tradition of community. When something goes wrong, we rally. That spirit – that sense of place, of mutual responsibility – is something we must nurture. Galway Simon Community has always been at the heart of that, and I’m honoured to be part of its future,” she said.
