Board Members 2009/2010

Patron:

His Excellency Mr Michael Bryce AM AE

Board appointed at the Annual General Meeting 8 September 2009

Board Members:

Contact the Board

Mr James Steele

James Steele is the Director of Interactive Multimedia Pty Ltd, a consultancy, development and production company specialising in new media. He is also a PhD candidate with Photography and Media Arts in the School of Art at the Australian National University. James has been active in photography, film, radio and video for over thirty years in government, university, industry and community media organisations, including working with the original founders of ArtSound to prepare and present the first licence application to the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal. Most recently, before starting the PhD program at the ANU, James was the Manager of IT and Media Services for the Division of Communication and Education at the University of Canberra.

Mr John Mitchell

John Mitchell retired in October 2006 after a career with CSIRO spanning over 50 years. For much of his career he was involved in human resources management, specialising in industrial relations, recruitment, performance evaluation, and the development, review and interpretation of human resources policy. He also spent some time as a laboratory manager. John was foundation secretary, later president of the Industrial Relations Society of the ACT, of which he was elected a Life Member. He has travelled widely throughout Australia in these roles. John joined ArtSound as an administration volunteer in July 2006, and has trained as a recordist. His other interests include photography (he holds a Certificate in Creative Photography), music, fine art and travel.

Dr Nick Seddon - Honorary consultant to the Board – Legal Advisor

Nick Seddon is a Special Counsel in the Canberra office of Blake Dawson Waldron, lawyers, having formerly spent some 25 years at the Australian National University Law Faculty.  Prior to that he taught at the University of Papua New Guinea.  He is a joint author of Seddon and Ellinghaus, Cheshire & Fifoot's Law of Contract (8th Aus ed 2002) and the author of Seddon, Government Contracts: Federal, State and Local (2nd ed 1999), as well as many articles and conference papers on the law of contract, government contracts, trade practices, property and torts.  He served as a part-time Commissioner on the Australian Law Reform Commission during the late 1980s and early 1990s and has provided advice to governments and the private sector on a range of issues.  In 2000 he was the legal panel member for the racks government's Audit Review of Government Contracts which reported to the Victorian government in May 2000.  He is a board member of CARE Inc Financial Counselling Service as well as ArtSound FM 92.7.   

Mr Eric Harrison

Eric Harrison came to Canberra from his long-term home city of Sydney in 1988. After leaving school he completed a Bachelor of Science Degree and worked in the food industry in Quality Assurance and Research before switching to Marketing and, ultimately, General Management. After completing a second degree and managing his own consultancy business, in a complete career re-direction he entered the Australian Public Service and moved to Canberra. For the last ten years of his Public Service life he worked with refugees, both Australia and overseas.

Eric has for many years been interested in food and wine and at various times has been a wine judge, wine educator and restaurant reviewer. He now devotes his time to working with Life Line Canberra and ArtSound. He has presented and coordinated Classical Music on ArtSound since 2003.

Eric is married and has two adult children, three grandchildren and three Russian Blue cats.

Dr Wendy Brazil

Wendy Brazil at present is the principal teacher of a Latin School which is under the aegis of the Australian National University and Narrabundah College. She has conducted courses in Latin, Classical Greek, Etruscan and Classical subjects for many years through the ANU’s Centre for Continuing Education and she teaches a course in Classical Greek every summer at Macquarie University, NSW. She was a Research Officer in Parliament House for fifteen years. Between 1980 and 1990, Wendy reviewed theatre for an ABC programme produced by Edith Thompson, and since 1990 has continued to review theatre, music and occasionally art exhibitions for ArtSound. In her spare time, she sings with a number of choirs, notably the University of Canberra Chorale and Camarata, and rings bells at St John’s Church, Reid. She has been a Fellow of University House, ANU, for twenty years, and an active Member of the House in organizing the Yule Tide function and sometimes hosting other official occasions in the absence of the Master of the House. She also liaises for the University of Canberra with schools which accept students to perform a teaching practicum as part of their Teacher Education course. She is responsible for a Latin course of her own devising in a set of unpublished materials entitled: Fabulous Latin (which are also used by ateacher of Latin in the University of the Third Age), and she is currently writing a book on the Etruscans.

George Cora

George Cora graduated with a Bachelor of Communications Engineering from Curtin University in the 80s. He spent 10 years in the RAAF as a Communications Engineer, and a further 6 years in the public service. Realising that neither of these careers suited him, he incorporated a company in the late 90s producing software for the Internet age, of which key clients now include NASA, Northrop Grumman and the US Marshals Service, with sales in countries stretching from Finland to Columbia and across to Singapore. George plays drums with, and is President of, In Full Swing - a community big band, as well as with Kooky Fandango. George also enjoys flying, drawing, surfing and listening to music.

Evol McLeod OAM

Evol McLeod has worked in arts management for over twenty years. During that time she has served as the Manager of Canberra Repertory, Executive Officer and Vice President of the Australian Performing Arts Centres Association, and Director of Tuggeranong Arts Centre. She has served on many boards, committees and advisory bodies, at both national and state level. Evol has lived in Canberra since 1982 and loves the lifestyle it offers.

Recognition of her work in the arts includes the Chief Minister’s International Women’s Day Award for contribution to the arts and community (ACT) the Centenary Medal for providing services to the Tuggeranong Community through the arts (Commonwealth) the Telstra Business Women’s Award – IBM Community and Government Award, ACT and, in 2008, the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the arts as an administrator and advocate and to the community of Canberra.

Evol’s interests include music, dance, theatre, visual arts, film, reading, politics and current affairs.

Brian Leonard

Brian entered community radio in 1984, originally with Canberra’s Radio for the Print-Handicapped, and subsequently with stations in Sydney and Queanbeyan before joining ArtSound in 2007. Brian is a graduate of the Australian Film Television & Radio School AFTRS, with certificates in Radio Presentation and Studio Skills. Brian has lived in Canberra since 1957; he is married to Sue and they have 3 children and 2 grand-children. Brian held several management and senior executive positions during a 38 years’ career with the Australian Public Service. He holds a Bachelor of Economics degree from the ANU. Brian is presently semi-retired, and works as a part-time consultant specialising in business planning, cash-flow, and financial modelling analysis.

Kathy Syrette

Kathy joined Canberra Stereo Public Radio in 1990 and, after doing a course with the station, began presenting during test broadcasts. She became hooked on radio and continued presenting, recording and interviewing for a range of programs. She was involved in ArtSound’s successful licence bid, was a member of the Board for a number of years, served on the Program Committee, was a program coordinator and a Volunteer coordinator. She is also a Life Member of ArtSound. She currently presents Disk Drive on alternative Mondays and on Fridays once a month. She is also an occasional presenter of Meridian, Classical Mood and Swingtime. Kathy has an eclectic taste in music and is particularly fond of Jazz, Ballads, World music and the Classics and everything in between. She manages to meld her love of music and the Arts with her devotion to the Brumbies and Carlton of which, like Colleen (Hills), she is an avid supporter.

Rod Frazer

Rod Frazer retired in 2009 after 13 years as Company Secretary of the Canberra Southern Cross Club although his association with that Club spans over 25 years having held various position on the Board of Directors including that of President for 3 years. He had a long career ( 39 years ) with the ANZ Bank mainly as Branch Manager at Fyshwick & Woden branches (18 years) followed by a brief stint in Real Estate of 5 years!

No longer able to play golf following an accident in 2003 Rod's interests mainly surround his spouse of 51 years their 4 children & 8 grand-children although during the winter months he attends every home game of the Raiders!

Luisa Pauletto

Luisa Pauletto has been a member of Artsound since 2005. She has hosted regular slots on Down in the Basement and World Vibe, and occasionally appeared on Meridian, Sounds Early and Disk Drive. She discovered Artsound one day while she was still at uni, when she went twiddling the dial in search of a gental, intellegent radio station to keep her company while she studied. Luisa has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the Australian National University, and a passion for understanding how participating in the arts effects individuals, communities and culture generally. Luisa has worked for the Tuggeranong Arts Centre, and now enjoys a career in the Broadcasting section of the Australian Government.

Ian Tidy

Ian Tidy is the Financial Controller at Cultural Facilities Corporation, an ACT Government agency that looks after the Canberra Theatre Centre, Canberra Museum and Galleries and Historic Places. Ian is a qualified Chartered Accountant who has held previous financial roles in retail with Discount Variety Group and in the audit team at BDO Kendalls in Brisbane, before moving to Canberra with his family in 2005. He has a strong interest in visual and performing arts.

Richard Scherer

Richard Scherer has been a media professional for most of his working life, beginning as a newspaper journalist before moving into public affairs and editorial work for a variety of government agencies. He moved into new media about 15 years ago, leading teams responsible for the development of major websites.

Since leaving the public service, Richard has worked in a voluntary and paid capacity for several arts organizations, including the former Canberra Arts Marketing, where he had responsibility for producing a 30-minute weekly program on ArtSound FM.

He produces and presents regularly on Artsound, and has been a Board member since 2008. He supplements this voluntary work with sub-editing at The Canberra Times.