Stuart reflects on nearly five decades of outstanding public service
The end of an era is approaching as Stuart Baxter, Connected Communities Manager, prepares to retire on 23 March.
Stuart has been reflecting on a long and varied career, which began straight from school in 1977 as a Trainee Civil Engineering Technician with the Scottish Special Housing Association. In 1980, he moved to the Highways Department of Lothian Regional Council, where he completed his training. He worked across East Lothian, Midlothian and Edinburgh - contributing to major projects, including the Edinburgh City Bypass.
“We were working on the bypass for years. It was a huge project,” Stuart explains. “It was nice to see that finish. It’s become such a critical piece of infrastructure to this day.”
With local government reorganisation in 1996, Stuart transferred to East Lothian Council, where he remained for the rest of his career.
'Big change'
“Coming into the council was a big change, as you got to know colleagues who had previously been part of the district council and some of my colleagues from the old regional council went to other new councils.”
His roles in East Lothian included Consultant Engineer, Senior Area Officer and Operations and Engineering Manager. During this time, he served as Project Manager for significant developments such as the initial access road to Queen Margaret University and the Wallyford Park and Ride.
“Those were great projects to project manage," he says. "I also enjoyed my time looking after the maintenance side of things with the design team and the roadworkers. I had a period of time when I was looking after both. It was certainly a busy time but enjoyable.”
Stuart was appointed Musselburgh Area Manager in 2015 which later became Connected Communities Manager in Musselburgh, where he led on a number of initiatives including Musselburgh Communities day, a local community market, the “Your Voice Your Choice” participatory budgeting programmes and feasibility studies at Fisherrow Harbour and Levenhall Links boating pond.
In 2022, Stuart reduced his hours and moved to a job-share arrangement in the Connected Communities team in Haddington.
Connections and community work
“I started the Area Manager job on April Fools Day - but it turned out brilliantly. One of the first things I did was a walk through the community - Wallyford and Musselburgh - to look at what we could do together to make a difference. It was good to get people involved. We did loads of great projects with the Area Partnership. All quite big projects. I had quite a lot of connections in the town and was able to build on these. I did presentations to the likes of the conservation society and rotary club. It was all about working with the community.”
Alongside his professional work, Stuart has over 20 years of voluntary experience supporting local communities. He has served with both the Cockenzie and Port Seton and Longniddry Community Councils - holding positions of Chair and Vice Chair - and spent more than 17 years as Chair of the Association of East Lothian Community Councils. He also ran hotels in Port Seton for around a decade.
Building on his engineering qualifications, Stuart went on to achieve a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. He is a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Chartered Management Institute and is also a Chartered Manager.
As he looks towards retirement, Stuart is excited about spending more time with his daughters who live in Queensland, Australia.
A keen hillwalker, he joined a group - mainly colleagues from East Lothian Council - who have carried out fundraising events for cancer charities including climbing Kilimanjaro in 2020.
“I won’t be moving to Australia, but it’ll be nice to just go there without the thought of having to get back to work," he says. "So there will be more options. Whether my daughters will be happy about that remains to be seen! There’s a huge amount of variety over there and things to see and do.
“Every Saturday, the group goes walking up Arthur’s Seat. We don’t have any more Kilimanjaros planned, but we will be doing the Rob Roy Mighty Hike in August to raise money for McMillan Cancer Support.”
'Fantastic place to live and work'
While Stuart acknowledges retiring after a long career is a significant change, He feels fortunate to have worked alongside so many hardworking, committed and dedicated colleagues, and will miss being part of the East Lothian Council team.
“Over the years it seems the council has had and more and varied things to do, as well as bigger financial challenges. There is also a more varied workforce these days. There are more opportunities to work with colleagues across different services here in a bigger council, certainly when compared to Lothian Regional Council.
“I saw myself as a public servant first and foremost. It’s great to be part of the council and in doing so it’s important to remember you work for the community. You can’t always please everyone but I’ve always tried to do things to improve quality of life in East Lothian as a whole and do the best for people.
“The variety and different communities is what makes East Lothian such a fantastic place in which to live and work.”
Eamon John, Head of Communities and Partnerships, said: "Stuart has given a life time to public service and East Lothian. He will be truly missed by so many but everyone here. We thank Stuart for his enormous efforts on behalf of the county and send him our very best wishes for the future."
Celebrating our colleagues in Scottish Apprenticeship Week
Scottish Apprenticeship Week from 2 to 6 March 2026 celebrates apprentices working for individuals, employers and the economy.
The week shines a spotlight on the power of apprenticeships to create careers, build businesses, grow the workforce and get real returns for the economy.
Inform took the opportunity to speak to some of our colleagues in IT who are currently undertaking a Modern Apprenticeship in Cyber Security.
Developing our digital defences
Archie Baird, Susan McLachlan (both pictured) and Simon Ebdale are all helping to develop our digital defences by undertaking a 14-month, SCQF Level 8 apprenticeship in Cyber Security.
Graham Burke, Team Manager for Infrastructure and Security was successful in gaining funding from Skills Development Scotland for the apprenticeships.
“The course is run by QA, a leading provider of digital and data apprenticeships in Scotland. It blends hands-on technical training and workplace experience. Archie, Susan and Simon aren’t just studying cyber security, they are applying new skills directly in their roles while earning a nationally recognised Diploma in Digital Technology,” says Graham.
Archie Baird, Senior IT Analyst for IT Security, says: “I’m really enjoying the cyber security course so far. The QA team have been very helpful throughout and I’m looking forward to getting started with the technical specific courses which I expect will strengthen my current knowledge and skills.”
Combining work with learning is bringing benefits, says IT Analyst Simon Ebdale: “We have a dedicated learning coordinator who is available to answer all our questions. I’m finding a lot of the work I do in the Infrastructure and Security team can be used as evidence for the modules which is helping me to progress through the course.”
Susan McLachlan, a fellow IT Analyst who started her apprenticeship a few months ahead of Archie and Simon, is full of praise for the assistance she has received from her colleagues: “Knowing that I can ask for support or more extensive information and knowing they will always be happy to share that knowledge is definitely making the coursework more enjoyable,” she says.
“Making the decision to take on the apprenticeship was easy, fitting it into my daily life takes planning. I work full-time, teach fitness classes and have a family, so spare time is not something that I have a lot of, however with some planning and to-do lists, I am making it work in a way that is not overwhelming.”
Reflecting on the accomplishments of the apprentices and the benefits to our organisation Graham says: “Their achievement shows just how powerful it is when learning and work come together with the right support. At a time when cyber security has never been more important, they’re helping strengthen our defences while developing skills that will benefit our digital future. And we’ve been able to do this in a way that remains cost-neutral for the organisation, which makes their success even more impressive.”
Lee takes on West Highland Way fundraiser
In May, Lee Wright from our Emergency Planning and Resilience Team will be taking on the challenge of walking the West Highland Way to raise funds for Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA).
A keen hillwalker for many years, Lee has long wanted to complete the iconic West Highland Way, a 96-mile route stretching from Milngavie to Fort William. This May, he’ll be doing just that, walking the full distance over seven days, completely self-supported and carrying all supplies in a rucksack weighing in at approximately 16kg.
That’s around 250,000 steps across some of Scotland’s most beautiful (and challenging) landscapes.
While this is a personal challenge, it’s also an opportunity to raise vital funds for SCAA, whose mission is simple but powerful: to ensure that no one in Scotland suffers or dies because medical help cannot reach them in time.
Thankfully, Lee has never needed the support of SCAA. However, anyone who spends time outdoors understands the inherent risks, and it is hugely reassuring to know that such an essential service is there should the worst ever happen. As Scottish Continuity’s Charity of the Year for 2026, colleagues across resilience professions are helping to raise awareness of the incredible work SCAA undertakes.
Lee says “The Emergency Planning and Resilience Team works closely with emergency services, and the remote nature of some areas of East Lothian means we see first-hand the positive impact rapid-response services like SCAA can have, particularly when people are experiencing what is likely to be the worst day of their lives.”
Operating two helicopters and rapid response vehicles, SCAA costs around £15 million each year to run and receives no government funding. Every mission flown is only possible thanks to the generosity of supporters.
“The West Highland Way will undoubtedly be a challenge: long days on foot, unpredictable Scottish weather, inevitable blisters, the formidable midges, and perhaps even a few moments of questioning life choices along the way. But compared to the lifesaving work SCAA carries out every single day, it feels like a small effort in support of a truly remarkable cause,” explains Lee.
In preparation for the challenge, Lee has been building up his training steadily over the past few months. Most weekends are now spent out walking or cycling to strengthen endurance and get used to long days on the move. He’s also planning a few wild camping trips in the coming weeks to practise carrying a full pack and living self-sufficiently on the trail. “Training is going well, and while there’s still plenty of hard work ahead, I’m really enjoying the process,” says Lee. “The journey to the start line will ne just as rewarding as the walk itself.”
Lee will be sharing daily updates from the trail on Instagram, the highs, the lows and everything in between, so follow along @lee_the_mountain_goat.
“If you’re able to donate, no matter the amount, you’ll be helping to keep this vital service flying,” says Lee. “Thank you so much for any support, it will make a real difference.”.
