OUR EDUCATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The Experience Gold Coast Education Advisory Committee (EDAC) is now officially in place, bringing representatives with significant expertise right across the education sector, including schooling; vocational education and training; higher education; and ELICOS, with the express purpose of providing input and feedback on matters pertaining to education. The EDAC will be chaired by The Hon. Kate Jones, with the following representatives confirmed as members of the committee for an initial term of two years:

  • The Hon. Kate Jones - Education Lead on the Experience Gold Coast Board
  • Professor Sarah Todd - Vice President (Global), Griffith University
  • Mr Dean Gould – Vice President (Engagement), Southern Cross University
  • Ms Cheryl Jolliffe – Vice President Future Students, Bond University
  • Ms Karen Dickinson – General Manager, TAFE Queensland Gold Coast
  • Mr Bill Adler – CEO / Owner, Imagine Education
  • Mr Simon Craft – Managing Director, Inforum Education
  • Mr Paul Salter – Business Manager, St Hilda’s School
  • Mr Ben Weeks/Ms Vanessa Rebgetz – Principals of Robina State High/Queensland Academies Health Sciences and jointly sharing this role.

 

Kate Jones 3

The Hon. Kate Jones

Education Lead on the Experience Gold Coast Board

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SarahTodd

PROFESSOR SARAH TODD

vice president global, griffith university

Professor Sarah Todd commenced at Griffith in 2013, having previously been with the University of Otago in New Zealand.  Professor Todd leads Griffith's internationalisation activities, and has executive level leadership, management and budgetary control over Griffith International.  Professor Todd is immediate past president of APAIE (Asia Pacific Association for International Education), and remains a member of the APAIE Executive Committee.

Other current board appointments include IEAA (International Education Association of Australia), the global advisory board for MSM and the UAE University’s College of Business & Economics advisory board, as well as membership of Universities Australia’s and the Innovative Research Universities’ International Committees, both of which she is former chair of. Professor Todd represented Griffith University while sitting as a former committee member with Study Gold Coast. 

Dean Gould

MR DEAN GOULD

VICE PRESIDENT (ENGAGEMENT), SOUTHERN CROSS UNIVERSITY

Dean Gould is a marketing and media professional with three decades of experience across the diverse sectors of higher education, tourism, and media. His current role at Southern Cross University oversees global and domestic student recruitment, marketing communications, alumni, partnerships and outreach initiatives. Dean was previously Director of the Office of Marketing and Communications at Griffith University and Executive Director of Corporate Affairs and Strategy at Destination Gold Coast.

For more than 20 years, he was a journalist and editor, working internationally before serving as Gold Coast Bulletin editor until 2011. Dean has an MBA from Central Queensland University and a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Queensland. He is Chair of the Gold Coast Music Advisory Group, life member and coach at Broadbeach United Soccer Club, former State Committee and Gold Coast Chair of White Ribbon Australia and was a nominee for Gold Coast Citizen of the Year in 2019. Dean represented Southern Cross University while sitting as a former committee member with Study Gold Coast.

Cheryl Joliffe

MS CHERYL JOLLIFFE

VICE PRESIDENT FUTURE STUDENTS, BOND UNIVERSITY

Cheryl Jolliffe is Executive Director of the Future Students portfolio at Bond University, which includes strategic oversight of Bond International, Domestic Recruitment, and the Marketing and Customer Experience teams. Cheryl has more than 15 years’ experience in the international education sector, having previously worked in senior roles at both The University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology.

Cheryl has a Graduate Certificate in Executive Leadership and a Bachelor of Mass Communication. Cheryl represented Bond University while sitting as a former committee member with Study Gold Coast.

Karen Dickinson

MS KAREN DICKINSON

GENERAL MANAGER, TAFE QUEENSLAND GOLD COAST

Karen Dickinson is the General Manager of TAFE Queensland’s - Gold Coast Region, joining the TAFE Queensland Executive team in May 2017. Prior to this Karen was Managing Director, Kimberley Training Institute (KTI), part of the TAFE network in Western Australia, for over 7 years. Ms Dickinson has extensive executive level experience in public sector management across health, employment services and vocational education and training.

Prior to commencing in the Kimberley, Karen worked in senior positions for the Australian Government in Darwin and with the WA Health Department. Ms Dickinson has a Masters in Health Services Management, Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety and Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing). Ms Dickinson is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Karen represented TAFE Queensland while sitting as a former committee member with Study Gold Coast. Karen was also a member of the EGC Transitionary Board.

Bill

MR BILL ADLER

CEO/OWNER, IMAGINE EDUCATION

Over a 20 year career in secondary education, Bill Adler has held positions of responsibility including Head of Department, Director of International Programs and Head of School. In 2003 Bill started his own school, Imagine Education Australia. Imagine offers a variety of ESL, high school and post-secondary courses to some 1,700 students from all over the world.

Imagine Education also owns and operates two fully licensed Early Learning Centres on the same campus, which cater for local children and their parents. Mr Adler represented ordinary members (vocational education) while sitting as a former committee member with Study Gold Coast.

Simon

MR SIMON CRAFT

MANAGING DIRECTOR, INFORUM EDUCATION AUSTRALIA

Simon Craft is the owner and managing director of Inforum Education Australia, a boutique ELICOS college that has delivered high quality English language tuition to over 10,000 international students since opening its doors in 2007. Prior to establishing Inforum, Simon held the roles of Deputy Director at Griffith University’s English Language Institute and the Director of Studies, ELICOS at Southbank Institute of Technology.

Simon is highly versed in the international education sector, with over 30 years in the sector, and a skillset that covers teaching, adult education, curriculum design and student recruitment. Mr Craft would be a representative for the ELICOS sector.  

Paul Salter

Mr Paul Salter

Business MANAGER, St Hilda’s School

Paul is currently Business Manager at St Hilda’s School on the Gold Coast, as well as Executive/Secretary of the St Hilda’s Foundation, managing the operational and financial aspects of the School and Foundation.

Mr Salter is a senior executive with extensive experience in managing medium to large, multifaceted organisations in a range of industries including education, sport, local government and private sector utilities. Mr Salter represented ordinary members (school sector) while siting as a former committee member with Study Gold Coast. 

 

VRebgetz PrincipalQAHSMarch2023

Ms Vanessa Rebgetz

Principal, Queensland Academies Health Sciences

Vanessa is a dynamic educational leader with 26 years of experience in state schooling, as Principal since 2019 of Queensland Academy for Health Sciences, a state high school uniquely co-located in the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct, an emerging innovation hub for the Asia-Pacific region. I have the privilege of leading a multicultural school community which recognises 48 different language and cultural groups, with year-on-year growth in student enrolments of 12% since 2018.

My expertise is in creating a culture of support in challenging confidently capable young people to achieve beyond world benchmarked results and accredited excellence in delivery of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, a rigorous and globally recognised pre-university preparation curriculum.

Ben Weeks

Mr Ben Weeks

Principal of robina state high

Content + photo to come