GILLEAN SHAW – CHAIR
Currently Art Curator for University of Newcastle, its Galleries, Museum and Collection and has curated independent projects for arts and history organisations such as The Lock-Up, Maritime Museum and the Lovett Gallery. She has previously worked in public programs, visitor services and exhibition installation at the Newcastle Art Gallery and was the Curator at The Lovett Gallery. She holds Masters by research in the Presentation of Material Culture, particularly as it relates to historic buildings and collections.
STEPHEN MCLEAN – CO-CHAIR
Working as the Property Projects Manager for Reflections Holiday Parks, Stephen’s senior management leadership experience has been developed by having excelled in public and private sector organisations. His skills and expertise included multi-site, multi-services operations management, business planning, strategy and execution, customer and stakeholder relationship management, human resource management, workplace change and risk management, tender writing, response and assessment, and internal and external compliance and quality auditing.
ANNETTE MORRISSEY – TREASURER
Annette is a Chartered Accountant with approximately 25yrs experience in a senior financial management and advisory capacity for the commercial, NFP and government sectors. Management Accountant Asset Delivery for the Australian Rail Track Corporation, Annette’s expertise includes project management; governance; budgeting; strategic planning; risk management; taxation; leadership development; change management; IT systems exploitation; financial management, advice and reporting; and financial sustainability.
JOHN CARR
An architect with over forty years experience with NSW Public Works, John was the Project Architect for the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music Performance Hall for the Australian Bi-Centennial in 1988. John has been a Trustee for over twenty years and specialises as a heritage consultant.
CATHERINE CROLL
Kate is the founding director of Cultural Partnerships Australia Programming Sub- Committee and has held the position of Director Special Projects at Red Gate Gallery, Beijing since 2009. She is an arts patron, collector and practitioner with extensive experience in the management of multi faceted cultural exchange projects and international touring exhibitions.
ROSEMARIE MILSOM
Rosemarie Milsom is the founding director of the Newcastle Writers Festival, one of Australia’s largest regional literary festivals. The 10th event will be held in 2022. She has been an award-winning journalist, mainly with Fairfax Media in Sydney and Newcastle. More recently she has worked as a broadcaster with ABC Emergency. In 2019, she was selected to participate in the Australia Council for the Arts’ Leadership Program. Rosemarie is chair of Hunter Creative Alliance and is a member of Create NSW’s Literature Advisory Board. Rosemarie is also a respected facilitator and has hosted events with leading public figures such as Julia Gillard, Nigella Lawson, Peter Garrett, and Richard Flanagan.
KRISTEN TOLA
Kristen Tola is a Heritage Consultant in the cultural heritage sector. She is a graduate of the Master of Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies from Deakin University specialising in heritage practice, with interest in the integration of heritage conservation into planning and urban development strategies. Kristen draws on experience working at Newcastle Museum and the City of Newcastle, where she combined her cultural heritage and museum studies qualifications in museum management, support of the Fort Scratchley Historic Site volunteer group, grant management, heritage interpretation, local government processes, stakeholder relationships, the Museum Shop and customer experience.