Welcome to New EREA New Board and Council Members
A very warm welcome to our newest EREA Board and Council Members. Dr Sue Vollert, Ms Cynthia Rowan and Mr Tony Ryan have joined the EREA Board. Mr Peter Turner is new member of the EREA Council.
Dr Sue Vollert
Dr Sue Vollert (nee McAvoy) is a Senior Research Fellow with The Centre for The Business and Economics of Health, University of Queensland, a Lecturer in Business Dynamics with the University of Queensland Business School and an Affiliate Professional staff member with the Mater Misericordiae Hospital. She is program lead for Health System Dynamics. She researches, teaches and consults extensively with industry in the discipline of systems thinking and system dynamics. Sue spent nine years on the St Joseph’s Nudgee College Advisory Board, four as Board Chair and two as Chair of the Finance Committee. She feels a personal connection to the charism of Edmund Rice and its vision and legacy mindset for equitable and accessible education in Australia. She feels privileged to have educated four of her five children in EREA schools and to have visited Edmund Rice’s resting place in Waterford in Ireland, where the legacy began. Sue is passionate about the role of education in building humanity, faith and character, capacity, empathy and resilience and in championing equality, diversity and opportunity. Sue was appointed to the EREA Board on 1 Jan 2021.
Cynthia Rowan
Cynthia has spent more than 25 years in senior and executive roles with Queensland Government, mainly on Indigenous policy and inclusion, child safety and family support. She spent two terms as a part-time Commissioner for Queensland Corrective Services. Currently, Cynthia is the Reconciliation Action Plan Project Manager with the Archdiocese of Brisbane. She is passionate about empowerment and self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students and their families, social justice, dignity, respect and how Australians care for country. Her son attended an EREA school for part of his education. Cynthia was appointed to the EREA Board on 1 Jan 2021.
Tony Ryan
Tony has acquired a strong background in governance, financial leadership, strategy and risk management within the not-for-profit sectors of mutual banking, education, health and aged care. Previously an executive in the mutual banking sector, Tony is currently a Board member of the Catholic Development Fund, chairs the Fund’s community banking subsidiary and is a member of Mercy Health’s Finance, Audit & Risk Committee. Tony has also been an elected Director of the Customer Owned Banking Association and is a member of EREA’s Stewardship & Resources Committee. Tony was appointed to the EREA Board on 1 Jan 2021.
Peter Turner
Peter Turner was appointed to the EREA Council on 1 January 2021. He has broad experience in Catholic education, most recently as Director of Schools with the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong for 13 years. Peter’s other roles include Regional Director of Education for the Southern Region of the Archdiocese of Sydney for five years, principal in two secondary schools as foundation principal over 13 years, Deputy Chair of the former NSW Catholic Education Commission for five years, and Chair of the Commission School Resources Committee for nine years. Peter has a deep love of faith and a strong commitment to Catholic education ‘making a difference’. He brings to Council his capacity to think and act strategically, a collaborative leadership style and a preparedness to tackle the ‘hard issues’ with honesty.