Message from the President

Well, I think we all finished 2021 thinking that we would start 2022 as a normal year.  Little did we know that we would be expected to ‘pivot’ yet again. We are Advancement professionals not ballet dancers! And we all thought COVID would be the thing knocking us around, I hope that your families and your schools have not been too affected by the recent flood events in Queensland.

A warm welcome to 2022. No matter the circumstances, Educate Plus is committed to supporting our members and ensuring meaningful professional development and collegiality.

The Christmas PD, AGM and Christmas lunch was well attended and was a very successful event. Many thanks to Ben Gouldson and Ben Foley from Clifford Gouldson Lawyers for a very informative interactive session “Anything you want to ask a lawyer?”

The AGM saw the election of our new committee, later in our newsletter the new committee will be introduced to you. Thank you to our committee members who retired at the AGM or during the year.  Lea Walker-Franks, Susan Ulhman, Stephanie Way and Kristie Welsh. We also farewelled long term member Glenda Fitz-Payne as she retired to enjoy more time with her family.  Glenda has served on the committee for many years including two terms as President. Thank you again Glenda!

It was with regret we postponed our SIGs scheduled for 17 February – a necessity with visitors restricted in schools. We will now hold four SIGs over two sessions on 28 April at Matthew Flinders Anglican College in Buderim.  We are hoping many members from Brisbane will make a day of it and join our Sunshine Coast members.  We will hold the Admissions and Alumni SIGs and then after a short networking session hold a joint Marketing and Fundraising SIG.

We look forward to being able to meet together again in person. There is nothing more uplifting that catching up with your ‘tribe’!

At an organisational level, a webinar or online SIG will be held each month and hosted by the various state chapters. Each chapter has been assigned a pillar – Queensland’s being Admissions. Thank you to Susie Hancock and Ben Foley for planning those sessions on behalf of our chapter. You will have the opportunity to join organisation online SIGs and five organisational webinars across 2022 so please check on the Events web page for All Chapter SIGs dates.

Please also mark Tuesday 31 May in your diary for the Qld Chapter dinner during International Conference week.

I look forward to seeing many members in person at our upcoming events, either in Queensland or at the International Conference.

Stay safe, well and pivot!

Sue Russell FEdplus | President
Queensland Chapter | Educate Plus

Welcome to our new members

A warm welcome to the following members who have recently joined Educate Plus. We look forward to connecting with our new members in person or virtually in the near future!

Meet the Committee

Sue Russell | Chapter President Sue Russell has worked in advancement for 20 years across foundation and alumni roles.  Sue has served on the Chapter committee since 2009, numerous Chapter Conference Committees and two International Conference Committees.

Claire Grlj | Vice President / Regionals (Chair) Claire is a community engagement consultant and has been in the catholic school sector for over 10 years. She has worked in schools across Brisbane, Rockhampton and Toowoomba dioceses. Running businesses, sales teams, large events and marketing campaigns for over 23-years, Claire’s business development experience is extensive. Claire has been a member of Educate Plus since 2016 and has been a member of the Queensland Chapter Committee since 2018.

Ally Walburn | Committee Member/Memberships (Chair) Ally Walburn is the Director of Community Engagement at Matthew Flinders Anglican College on the Sunshine Coast. She joined the College in 2018 having been the Director of Strategy and Marketing at St Andrew’s Cathedral School in Sydney for five years. Prior to joining the education industry, Ally held various marketing, communications and event management roles in the public and private sector.

Ben Foley | Committee Member Ben is Special Counsel Education and Workplace Law. He brings with him a very niche skill set with a strong legal background in addition to 10 years Executive experience at a Queensland GPS school where he managed the School’s Enrolments and Marketing Offices, the School’s International Student Program, Bursary Program as well as the School’s various Associations.

Claire Henkey | Committee Member/Chapter Marketing & Communications (Joint Chair) As Director of Community Engagement at John Paul College, Claire leads a team of admissions, student services, marketing, content, fundraising, community engagement and Alumni professionals. Claire focuses on improving the College’s engagement programs to build a deeper community connection from first contact with future families to past students and beyond.

David Miles | Treasurer David has an extensive background in sales and marketing which includes twenty years of experience in the fast-moving consumer goods industry. In a career founded on solid business relationships, he now manages a loyal network of Old Boys and continually provides opportunities for them to remain connected with each other and the wider school community. David is a member of the QLD Educate Plus Committee and currently serves as Treasurer, after previously serving as Secretary. David holds a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Queensland University of Technology.

Meg Graham | Secretary With a background in property and not-for-profit fundraising and governance, Meg joined the team at Clayfield College in 2018, moving into the position of Foundation Manager and Alumni Liaison in January 2021.

Helen Turner | Alumni (Chair) An experienced Advancement professional, Helen has honed her skills in multiple roles within the education sector. In her current role as Director of Communications and Events, Helen manages the Marketing, Communications, Fundraising, Alumni Relations, Events and Enrolments for St Laurence’s College. Under Helen’s leadership, she and her specialist team work collaboratively to communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders, creating strong community bonds and attaining tangible outcomes for the betterment of the organisation.

Kamyra Laurenson | Committee Member/Tertiary (Chair) Fundraising (Shared) Kamyra is a career philanthropy and engagement specialist, with passion for connecting people to their purpose to empower education and research success.

Lara Pickering | Committee Member/Fundraising (Chair) Hi, I’m Lara Pickering. I have 9 years’ experience in educational advancement and am currently the Director of Philanthropy and Stakeholder Engagement at St Margaret’s AGS, where I look after our Foundation, Old Girls’ Association and alumni engagement activities, Professional Women’s Network and oversee P&F fundraising initiatives.

Lindsay Khushal | Committee Member/Partnerships (Chair) Lindsay Khushal joined St Joseph’s Nudgee College in September 2021 as Foundation Manager, responsible for supporting the Nudgee College Foundation and leading their fundraising activities. She works strategically with the Foundation Board, Principal and Development and Community team on fundraising initiatives supporting the growth of the Building Fund and Jack Ross Bursary. Lindsay has over 20 years’ experience working diversely across the private, not for profit and more recently education sectors. She has experience in philanthropy and fundraising, as well as stakeholder engagement, strategic partnerships, business development and talent acquisition.

Ryan Lind | Committee Member/Marketing and Communications Ryan started his career in film and television, and through storytelling to achieve business objectives, he unearthed an interest in marketing. After time spent in mobile app development and fast-moving consumer goods companies, Ryan transitioned to education, and now uses his love of storytelling and marketing to give families the confidence they’re making the right choice when choosing a school.

Susan McGinley | Committee Member/Tertiary/Alumni My name is Susan McGinley and I am an experienced Advancement Professional within the education sector and member of Educate Plus since 2016. Since 2019, I have been the Director of Advancement at The Women’s College within The University of Queensland responsible for marketing & communications, alumnae, donor and stakeholder engagement and philanthropy and fundraising.

Suzie Hancock | Committee Member/Admissions (Joint Chair) A practiced consultant with over 30 years’ experience in multiple sectors of the education industry. Initially working as a teacher and as a manager of a Registered Training Organisation before transitioning into the tertiary sector and diversifying into international engagement and global partnership administration and policy development. Suzie later transferred into secondary education managing school admissions and enrolments for large, independent private schools in Brisbane. Suzie currently resides on the Sunshine Coast and works as an independent contractor in schools and universities.

Getting to know the CEO – Mandy McFarland

Mandy McFarland commenced as CEO of Educate Plus on Monday 17 January and is well known to many members.  She is a Fellow and former Chair of the organisation and served on the Board for 9 and a half years as well as serving on the WA Chapter Committee for over 5 years. Mandy has had an enviable career in the field of Advancement at both tertiary and secondary levels, most recently as Chief Advancement Officer at St Catherine’s College (UWA) in Perth.

Ana Gozalo, SA/NT Chapter Chair recently sat down with Mandy to find out a little more about her interests. Her answers might come as a surprise to many…

If you could instantly become an expert in something, what would it be?
My husband and daughters quip that I am an expert in everything 😊 but there are two random things I’d like to be able to do well – play the piano and draw.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
The Headmistress at my high school was a passionate educator of girls and of empowering women and regularly used this phrase which I use or apply at least once a week, “Seize the opportunity of a lifetime during the lifetime of the opportunity.”

When you die, what do you want to be remembered for?
Like many people, I’d like to know I had an impact and that I was kind to people. I Iive my life by this mantra so beautifully articulated by the great African American poet and author, Maya Angelou, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.

If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you call it?
Difficult question as I’d never thought of doing this – who would read it??? It might be a book about giving others the strength to do what they never thought possible. The title could be something like this, “In my humble opinion…” or “Believe”.

What is the most rewarding part of being the CEO of Educate Plus?
The direct connection with so many talented and inspiring members who are just doing incredible things. It’s being surrounded by the best of the best every day and being able to share that with others as your day job is the most wonderful gift.

Who would you like to be for a day?
I’ve always thought I’d like to come back as a man to get a different perspective on life and while I’m at it I’d be pretty happy to be James Bond!

What’s one thing you couldn’t live without?
My family who are the mainstay in all that I do.

Who has had the biggest impact on your career thus far and why?
In my last two roles, I worked for strong women, both very different in their management styles but they both empowered me to take my job and make it whatever I wanted to. From Joy Shepherd (St Hilda’s) I learnt that quiet determination, meticulous preparation and trust are the best ingredients to success and because Joy and I had very similar approaches, I could just be myself and create. Fiona Crowe (St Catherine’s) on the other hand, was a maverick, competitive and highly agile thinker (who I must confess terrified me at times because her ideas were so audacious) but I learnt that sometimes I just had to let go and try something even if I didn’t have complete control, I had to risk to gain and I had to dream bigger than I ever imagined! I’m so grateful to both women for giving me such a Ying and Yang learning experience.

Favourite travel spot?
There are many but Hossegor in France, particularly when the World Surfing Competition is on, has very special memories.

What are your three most overused words/phrases?
‘Gosh’ would have to be one and possibly, ‘be that as it may’ but I guess this is something you are not aware of yourself – so maybe I should ask you what they are?

Save the date | SIGs and events for 2022

We have an exciting line up of SIG sessions available for our members. We encourage everyone to get online and join in. There is something for every profession in the Advancement sector and this is a great space to learn and share industry ideas – all events can be viewed here.

Reignite 2022 | International Conference

The 2022 Educate Plus “Reignite” International Conference will be held from Monday 30 May to Thursday 2 June at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

This conference brings together leading Advancement professionals from across Australia and New Zealand in the fields of Admissions, Marketing and Communications, Fundraising and Alumni and Community Relations.

After two years of disruption, the Educate Plus International Conference is a professional development and networking opportunity not to be missed. Over 80 speakers and thought leaders will deliver sessions over three days, plus pre-conference workshops and masterclasses on Monday 30 May.

A reminder to register by Thursday 31 March for early bird rates. 

We’d love to see you there!

A virtual start to 2022

by Claire Henkey, Director of Community Engagement, John Paul College, Daisy Hill

When Premier Anastasia Palecek announced the delay for the commencement of Term One and the restriction of large groups on campus, the John Paul College Community Engagement team sprang into action. We needed a new onboarding and orientation program to support more than 350 new students from Kindergarten to Year Twelve.

Our littlest learners were the easiest. Our Kindergarten to Year Three families commenced the year with Zoom meetings and the use of our SeeSaw platform (with an easy to follow user guide and videos) to support them in their first week of online continuous learning. They had a ball with storytelling, activities at home and preparing crafts to bring in for show and tell.

The challenge came with new students in Years Five to Twelve and our whole Year Four cohort who needed new laptops, so a drive-thru laptop collection depot was created. We also had a drive-thru support desk for many new local and international families to answer inquiries.

With teachers well-positioned to transition seamlessly to online continuous learning, the next challenge was Orientation and connecting new students, getting them to interact within their classes while building a solid foundation for when we returned to the classrooms for face-to-face learning.

The Community Engagement team created a Virtual Orientation Portal to accompany our existing New Family Welcome Portal to ensure our students were ready for day one of online continuous learning. With Teams meetings commencing the Friday before week one, our teachers and Admissions Managers called families to ensure everyone was set for a great start to Term One, albeit online. Here’s hoping this is the worst of the challenges our students have to face in 2022.