Executive
Gene Moyle (Qld)
National President
Professor Gene Moyle has worked across a dynamic mix of fields including the performing arts, elite sport and the corporate sectors. A graduate of the Australian Ballet School, QUT Dance and after having danced with the Australian Ballet Dancers Company and Queensland Ballet, Gene pursued further studies in psychology completing University degrees including a Masters and a Doctorate in Sport and Exercise Psychology.
During her career Gene has developed a broad experience base cultivated within established and start-up small-through-large public and private organisations operating across Australia, New Zealand, North America and the United Kingdom. Positions within these companies have included both consulting and internal roles across departments such as learning and development, human resources, health and welfare, and safety within the energy, employment, mining, transport, engineering, construction, allied health, education, training, Olympic sport and performing arts industries.
Gene has focused on the application and research of performance psychology and performance enhancement, particularly within the performing arts and elite sports domains. She has significant experience working with and leading multidisciplinary teams in high-performance settings and possesses specific expertise in the area of career development and transition. Gene has supported a number of Olympic Winter sports programs across three Olympic cycles (Torino 2008, Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014), and has worked extensively within the elite sporting system at both State and National level.
Gene has worked in senior executive and management roles across a range of industries and has held multiple positions on boards and advisory committees. She is currently a board member of the Queensland Ballet, a member of the Queensland Board of the Psychology Board of Australia (AHPRA), member of the National Committee of the APS College of Sport and Exercise Psychologists, a National Executive Committee Member of the Australian Society for Performing Arts Healthcare, a Performance Health Advisory Panel member for the Queensland Academy of Sport, and an industry mentor and panel assessor for Arts Queensland and the Australia Council for the Arts.
She joined QUT Creative Industries faculty in the role as Head of Discipline—Dance in November 2012 and commenced as the Head of School in the new School of Creative Practice in January 2017
Elizabeth More, AM, MAICD (NSW)
National Vice President
Professor Elizabeth More is Dean Australian Institute of Management (AIM) School of Business. Her academic qualifications include a BA (Hons) (UNSW), GradDipMgt (Central Queensland), MComLaw (Deakin), and a PhD (UNSW).
Professor More is a past president of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management, and of the Australian Communication Association. She also has extensive experience in consulting to both private and public sector organisations, has worked in executive education, and has been called upon for expert media comment on issues related to management practice and education.
Before becoming a university academic, she worked as a classical ballet dancer in theatre, television and the advertising industry. She won the the former Scully-Borovansky scholarship to the Royal Ballet and in England was winner of the Silver Medal in the Genee Ballet competitions. Her academic career spans the key roles of Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Macquarie and Canberra universities; Director of the Macquarie University Graduate School of Management (MGSM), and Managing Director of MGSM Pty Ltd; Chair of Academic Senate at Macquarie University; Foundation Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business at the Australian Catholic University (ACU); Professor of Management and MBA and Research Director at the MGSM; and Academic Director of Macquarie University’s City Campus.
Professor More’s impressive academic achievements were acknowledged in the Queen’s Birthday 2005 Honours List, when she received the award of Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to education, particularly in the fields of communication, management and organisational change. She is currently the Chair of Flourish Australia (previously RichmondPRA), NSW Councillor of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Chair of Ausdance NSW and a board member of Shaun Parker & Co Dance Company.
Shaun Comerford (SA)
National Vice President
Shaun Comerford, Executive Director, Australian Dance Theatre, has been an executive manager for more than a decade. Shaun has worked across all business functions in the arts, events, and music industries with extensive experience in event production, relationship management, financial modelling and control, contracting, fundraising, investment, legal compliance, marketing and public relations.
Before joining Australian Dance Theatre, Shaun oversaw the development and launch of the 2016 Asia Tour of Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed new production of Les Misérables, in his role as General Manager, Production for the Michael Cassel Group.
From 2011 to 2014 as general manager of commercial producer, Newtheatricals, Shaun supervised the executive production of musicals and entertainment projects including Jersey Boys, The Addams Family, Rock of Ages, and Blue Man Group.
As an experienced event producer, Shaun has held roles such as General Manager Australia/NZ for Fastlife Media, managing a team of 60 and presenting over 120 events each month nationally, and as GM for boutique events agency Perfect Events specialising in fundraising and awareness events in the not-for-profit sector. Highlights with Perfect Events include the 60th Anniversary of Melbourne International Film Festival and Up Close and Personal with Jerry Lewis—a 1200-person Gala Dinner which raised over $1M for Muscular Dystrophy research and treatment.
Shaun commenced his career with Melbourne-based Woodwind and Brass Instrument Manufacturer, Temby Australia, spending more than eight years overseeing the organisation as general manager.
Marinda Burger (ACT)
National Treasurer
Marinda is an active, dedicated and passionate lecturer whose joy is training and supporting students in their programs of study while keeping up with legislation and furthering education at all levels.
She has been a senior lecturer in auditing and taxation at the University of Pretoria, a unit coordinator for Taxation Law and Advanced Taxation Law at the University of New England, Armidale, and she is currently a facilitator at Canberra Institute of Technology teaching business and management. Merinda also works as a business consultant for Lucrum Logic and as an accountant and office manager for Harmonie German Club Inc.
Ordinary Council Members
Kathy Baykitch (NSW)
Kathy has enjoyed 30 years of employment in the arts and cultural sector in wide-ranging roles such as arts and events manager, producer, educator and trainer, practitioner and community development arts worker. She is currently
She was Faculty of Education Programme Manager at the Royal Academy of Dance, Australia managing teacher training qualifications and Academy’s Continuing Professional Development Programme. In 2016 she organised and produced the RAD’s inaugural Dance Teaching for the 21st Century: Practice and Innovation International Conference.
She was the founding director of FORM Dance Projects (formerly known as Western Sydney Dance Action), development manager at the Walkley Foundation for Journalism and various positions within the public and not-for-profit sectors as an event producer and project manager. Her skills include project and program management and development; marketing, sponsorship and fundraising; research; and community development.
Kathy trained in classical ballet and contemporary with professional experience in Australia and the UK as a dance artist and community arts facilitator. A BA in Dance (UWS), Graduate Diploma in Arts Management (UTS) and an MA in Dance Studies from the University of Surrey UK equipped Kathy to produce and present new work by independent dance artists and facilitate professional development and mentorship programs for dance artists and teachers. She has also lectured in creative arts education and performance studies at the University of Western Sydney.
Annette Carmichael (WA)
Annette lives in the creative enclave that is Denmark, a small town on the Great Southern coast of WA. From this vibrant home, she works as a dance artist and creative producer. Between 2009 and 2011 Annette co-facilitated moveMENt, a men’s contemporary dance ensemble. She has also created two site-specific community works, Our Secret River in 2010 and its sister project Solace+Yearning: Between Kwoorabup and Denmark in 2012. In 2013 Annette supported Aboriginal artist Joey Williams in the creation of the performance, Songlines and was artist-in-residence with lighting designer David Nile at North Albany Senior High School. In 2014 Annette performed the solo re-working of Solace+Yearning as part of the National Regional Arts Showcase and exhibited My War? at the Vancouver Arts Centre.
In 2015 My War? became a full-length performance created with young people that premiered at the Albany Entertainment Centre. The Creation of Now also premiered that year as part of Brave New Works festival. In 2016 Annette was commissioned with Perth International Arts Festival and the City of Albany to create The Snake Run Project, an ambitious work that celebrated the 40th anniversary of one of the oldest skate parks in the world.
Following a residency with Tasdance in Launceston, Tasmania, Annette presented a solo installation at Brave New Works Festival 2016, called The Index.
As an arts manager/consultant, Annette has worked with West Australian Ballet, STEPS Youth Dance Company, Buzz Dance Theatre, STRUT Dance Inc., Festival of Perth, Women’s Art Library (London) and Denmark Arts. Between 2009 and 2013 Annette was the state’s regional contemporary dance facilitator for Ausdance WA creating the ground-breaking Future Landings model for animating regional communities through dance.
Annette is regularly invited to speak at conferences throughout Australia and in 2012 her work was featured in the British publication Animated. Annette won the 2011 West Australian Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Community/Regional Dance and was shortlisted twice in 2013. In 2012 Annette was short-listed for an Australian Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Youth or Community Dance for Future Landings.
Jacqui Simmonds (ACT)
Jacqui has over 30 years’ experience in dance and dance education. She established the Bachelor of Arts (Dance) at Nepean College of Advanced Education (now Western Sydney University) and led the successful redevelopment and accreditation of the Bachelor of Dance Education at ACPE (Australian College of Physical Education). More recently she constructed a second dance degree for ACPE: The Bachelor of Applied Dance.
Jacqui’s most recent role at ACPE was Associate Dean, Students and Services. Her responsibilities included strategic leadership in the areas of student engagement, welfare and retention, from initial contact through to alumni relationships with the College. As an educator, Jacqui’s philosophy of teaching is underpinned by research in somatic practices and dance as a community art. She completed the Feldenkrais Teacher Training course and is a qualified Iyengar yoga teacher. Publications include Dancers and communities: A collection of writings about dance as a community art (1997), edited with Helen Poynor; and Somdance Manual (2002), coauthored with Greg Holdaway and Zoran Kovich.
Her service to the dance community has included her work as President of Ausdance NSW; Chair of the Dance Committee, NSW Ministry for the Arts (now Arts NSW); and Chair of the Tertiary Dance Council of Australia. She was also a member of NSW’s HSC Dance Examination committee.
Jacqui is currently focussing on teaching dance within the community context including people with Parkinson’s disease and people with dementia.
Representative of the National Advisory Committee
Jasmine Moseley (Vic)
Jasmine Moseley is known for her passion and advocacy for the arts. Currently Jasmine is positioned as Company Manager for the Australian Ballet. Under Jasmine’s leadership, The Australian Ballet and regional touring arm The Dancers Company has toured to all major venues in Australian capital cities, over 30 regional cities and towns in all states and territories of Australia, and internationally to Japan, the United States, China and the UK.
Previously Jasmine worked at Cultural Infusion as an Arts and Touring Administrator for the National Schools’ Program, and volunteered at Express Media (Melbourne, Australia). In 2016, Jasmine joined the Asialink Leaders Program (University of Melbourne), which fosters Australia's emerging leaders in the corporate, government and community sectors. Jasmine was a delegate to the inaugural 2015 China Australia Millennial Project (CAMP) as part of the Vivid Ideas Festival as a member of the Chinese Cultural Centre’s Arts & Culture ThinkTank. She continues to work on creative projects with the Culture.