SSA Board

President, Graeme Jennings
Vice President, Paula Nielsen - South Australia

Paula Nielsen was appointed to the School Sport Australia Board in 2013 - 2015 and again in 2018 as the South Australian representative. Paula is the School Sport SA Team Leader overseeing the operations of the SA Department for Education's School Sport Team. She has been working for SA School Sport since 1997.
Paula was a representative on the ACARA National Consulation Forum on the H&PE Australian Curriculum - influential in ensuring that the movement and physical activity strand remained essential to this subject area. Further to this she has been a Sport SA Director advocating for the importance and value of sport in education.
She currently holds the position of School Sport Australia National Netball Advisor and has been involved since 1993. Prior to this Paula coached the SA 15 and Under Netball team from 1987 - 1992. Paula became a life member of School Sport Australia in 2014 and has been a life member of School Sport Australia Netball since 1999.

Treasure, Dr Keith Graham OAM - Queensland

Keith was appointed as Queensland School Sports Board Member of the SSA Board in 2019 and also serves as the SSA Sports Advisor for Touch Football, a position he has held since 2013. He is currently Chair of the Queensland School Sport Management Group which has oversight of an extensive program that covers all school students in Queensland, in addition to being Chair of Metropolitan East School Sport and Deputy Chair of Queensland Primary School Touch Football. Keith has been involved in school sport for over 30 years and in 2019 was awarded an Order of Australian Medal for his commitment and leadership to school sport, particularly Touch Football.

Keith is the Principal of Rochedale State School, a primary school of over 1000 students on the southern outskirts of Brisbane, and one of only two Queensland state schools which deliver the International Baccalaureate program. Keith believes sport is a vital part of the school curriculum as it can develop not only sporting ability, but also attitudes and values which become so important in adult life. Keith has a Diploma of Sports Psychology, a Masters of Education, a Masters of Applied Linguistics, and has completed his Doctorate of Education with a focus on leadership.
Christopher Nunn OAM - Australian Capital Territory

Chris Nunn is motivated by getting the best out of people. As an athlete he represented Australia at the Commonwealth Games before becoming one of the world’s most successful Paralympic Coaches. He led the Australian Athletics Team to be the best in the world at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games and was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for his services to people with a disability.

Trained as a physical educator Chris quickly moved into the world of coaching and was the first fulltime coach in the world employed to coach athletes with disabilities, working at the Australian Institute of Sport between 1991 and 2004. Chris now travels throughout the Pacific Islands and the Caribbean mentoring emerging coaches on a variety of sports who are preparing for international competition and is Internationally recognised for his leadership qualities and strategic thinking.

Chris’ dedication to whatever he does is highly regarded and he has received the Order of Australia Medal (2002), the Dawn Fraser Coach Award (2000), Paralympic Coach of the Year award (1998) and the Rotary International Paul Harris Fellowship in recognition of the work he has done during his time as a coach. He was inducted into the ACT Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.

Chris considers the critical factor in leadership is for the individual to understand themselves before attempting to lead others and has seen firsthand the difference this approach makes to the participants. Organisations which invest in their people will achieve a higher level of performance. His philosophy to leadership is “Build a better person, get a better result”
Ben Thomas, New South Wales

To be appointed
Jane Slater, - Northern Territory

Jane Slater arrived in Australia in July 2003 and in Darwin in 2004. Jane’s School Sport NT journey began three weeks later with an inter-state hockey coaching appointment and has continued ever since in a variety of roles.

Jane trained as a Physical Education teacher and has taught in England, The USA, Belgium and Botswana before arriving in Australia. She joined the Department of Education in the Northern Territory in 2006 as the Senior School Sport Coordinator. She is currently the Assistant Principal for the School of Sport Education NT.

Jane is an School Sport Australia ten year Service Award recipient having coached 12 years girls’ football (soccer) 12 years and 16 years girls’ hockey and managed 12 years girls and boys cricket teams. She believes strongly in the great value sport adds to the education of our young people.
Tasmania

To be appointed

Victoria

To be appointed
Peter Smith - Western Australia

Peter Smith was appointed to the SSA Board in 2013 as the Western Australian representative.

He is employed by the Education Department of WA and is the Manager of School Sport Unit overseeing the operations of School Sport WA and has been in this role since 2006.

Peter Smith was appointed to the SSA Board in 2013 as the Western Australian representative.

He is employed by the Education Department of WA and is the Manager of School Sport Unit overseeing the operations of School Sport WA and has been in this role since 2006.

Peter trained as a Physical Education, Mathematics and Information Technology teacher and taught for 25 years in WA Secondary schools. He currently holds the position of School Sport Australia Cricket National Secretary and has been involved with School Sport Australia since the early 1990’s, attending his first SSA National Championship in 1993.

Outside school sport Peter’s sporting interests include Cricket, AFL and Softball.

Special responsibilities: National Programs Advisory Group Chair