About The Committee
The Women's Sport Advisory Committee brings together successful and influential representatives within the sports sector to work towards a shared vision for the future of Women's Sport.
The Committee was formed in 2007 when vicsport began working in the area of Women's Sport with funding support from Sport & Recreation Victoria.
The vision of the Committee is to identify issues, barriers and enablers to the advancement of Women in Sport and to gauge new opportunities that support planned actions. In doing so, the Committee seeks to enhance the profile and position of Women in Sport in the sport and active recreation sector.
The Committee is currently working hard to develop a strategic plan for Women's Sport 2011-13. Details relating to the plan will be released upon it's completion.
Committee Members
Gil Brewster
Executive Director, Victorian Olympic Council
Gill Brewster is Executive Director of the Victorian Olympic Council and has worked extensively in sports administration. She has also taught in the primary sector. For many years Gill was General Manager of Museums at the MCG, responsible for the development of the National Sports Museum. She is a member of the National Sports Museum Advisory and the Presentation College Windsor Board.
Gill is a mother of two daughters aged 16 and 14. She has an MBA, B.(A) and Diploma of Teaching Primary.
Leslie Burrows
General Manager, Spheres of Influence
Leslie's reputation as a leading sports administrator is gained through more than 10 years in senior management roles within the sport and recreation industry. Football Federation Victoria, the Sydney Olympic Organising Committee, Commonwealth Games Organising Committee and more recently the Melbourne Vixens have all benefitted from Leslie's extensive experience and comprehensive management skills to ensure efficient and successful outcomes.
A Director of OnSide Victoria, Leslie also has a strong understanding of the ‘diversity sector' and the role of participation in connecting communities. As General Manager of Spheres of Influence International Leslie's work spans the sport, community and business environments further reinforcing her position as an expert in strategic planning, organisational reviews and business development. Leslie's strong interpersonal and communication skills are widely acknowledged as is her enthusiasm and strong work ethic.
Tamatha Harding
Executive Manager - Community Tennis, Tennis Victoria
Tamatha Harding is the Executive Manager - Community Tennis at Tennis Victoria. She has been with Tennis Victoria since 1999 starting as the Membership Services Co-ordinator then began Managing the Membership program in 2001. In early 2006 as part of Tennis Victoria's restructure she was appointed to Executive Manager - Community Tennis which oversees the grassroots delivery of the sport in the areas of membership, participation, club and facility development and marketing.
Tamatha oversees a team of 16 staff members who help to ensure Tennis Victoria remains one of the premier sporting associations but more importantly continues to deliver quality and relevant programs and services to their 1000 affiliated bodies and 85,000 registered members. Prior to working at Tennis Victoria, Tamatha managed a racquet and fitness centre and was the membership and marketing co-ordinator at one of the YMCA's aquatic centres in Melbourne.
Francis Leach
Presenter "The Run Home" - 1116 SEN Radio
Francis Leach co-hosts The Run Home on Melbourne's 1116 SEN with former AFL great David "The Ox" Schwarz. He is also part of the station's AFL commentary team and hosts its coverage of the A-League and Socceroos matches.
Francis began his career at Triple J, where he spent the better part of a decade before tackling politicians and tough issues on the station's daily current affairs program, The Morning Show.
He was a member of the inaugural Fox Footy Channel team covering the AFL in 2002 and the following year joined ABC Radio National, hosting arts program The Deep End. Francis also created 774 ABC Melbourne's When Saturday Comes - a footy show where the only rule was that no footballers were allowed on the program. He is also well known for his column ‘Patience of a Saint' which ran in The Age for two years.
Sue McGill
Manager - Sport Programs Unit, Sport & Recreation Victoria
Sue McGill has worked at Sport and Recreation Victoria (SRV) since 2005. She is currently the manager of Sport Programs at SRV and prior to this managed the Community Access team. Sue's previous experience included managing sport, recreation and club development within local government.
Sue is a board member of the YMCA Victoria and has a keen interest in ensuring sport and recreation opportunities are available to all members of the community. Sue is committed to working towards strengthening the leadership role that women can play within all levels of sport through engaging decision makers, influencing policy and devising proactive strategy.
Cameron McLeod
Manager - Physical Activity, VicHealth
Cameron McLeod is the Manager, Physical Activity at the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth). One of the many initiatives that he oversees includes VicHealth's new State Sporting Associations Participation Program 2011-2013 which aims to create sporting environments that are safe, accessible, inclusive and equitable for women, indigenous Australians, people with a disability and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
Prior to his work with VicHealth, Cameron worked for Sport and Recreation Victoria where he held various senior management positions leading large scale community facility development initiatives and building the capacity of State Sporting Associations through strategic planning, policy development and sound governance practices. He holds a Masters of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Recreation Management. He is married with two sons.
Karen Pearce
Manager - Strategic Operations, Basketball Victoria
Karen enjoys a long time love of basketball actively participating over many years as a player, coach and volunteer administrator and, due to this, was asked to temporarily fill in a vacant position at Basketball Victoria just on eleven years ago. This part-time role soon extended in to a full-time position with Karen now currently employed in a Senior Management role as the Manager Strategic Operations. Karen was instrumental in the establishment of the PICSAR (disability) program and its subsequent development. She currently oversees the Basketball Victoria Strategic Plan and continues to collaborate and build continued relationships and programs with key stakeholders throughout the State.
Prior to full-time employment, Karen considers herself privileged to be a stay-at-home Mum to her four children, volunteering her time on the Committee at the local basketball Association including time as President. She still juggles her time around work, her adult children, her two grandchildren, travel, various hobbies and playing catch-up with extended family and friends.
Mark Rendell
CEO, Football Federation Victoria
Mark commenced his professional career in sports administration at Bowls Australia, where he held the position of CEO during his 10 years with the organisation.
He is currently the CEO of Football Federation Victoria (FFV) and has extensive experience in governance and strategic planning which has enabled the instrumental reshaping of football with the development and implementation of the sports 2008 - 2011 Strategic Plan.
Mark holds a Bachelor of Sports Management and was a Director of the Australia New Zealand Sports Law Association (ANZSLA) for 2 years. In 2010 Mark was awarded the Vicsport Sports Leadership Award for his outstanding work in sports administration in Victoria.
Emma Sherry
Senior Lecturer, LaTrobe University
Emma Sherry is a senior lecturer with the La Trobe University Centre for Sport and Social Impact, specialising in the area of sport development. Emma has completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne and a Masters of Business (Sport Management) and PhD at Deakin University. Emma's PhD studies investigated conflict of interest in the Australian Football League, and her current research interests include community development through sport activities, such as the Homeless World Cup and street soccer programs. Other recent research has included the role of sport in correctional facilities, sport and social capital, sport and recreation for at-risk and marginalised communities, community benefit of sport facilities and barriers to female sport participation.
Emma has published and presented her work at many international conferences and academic journals such as the Journal of Sport Management and Sport Management Review. Outside of her academic career, Emma has worked in roles in the area of sport facility and event management and recreation management within the local government and university sport sectors. Emma is also the secretary of the Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand, board member of OnSide Victoria.
Bronwen Young
Joint CEO, Golf Victoria
Bronwen has over 30 year's business experience in a number of industries and roles. After completing a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Anthropology and History, Bronwen's career commenced in the advertising industry in the mid to late 80's. Working in a number of smaller independent advertising agencies Bronwen rose to the position of group account director - servicing a number of key clients. In 1990 she returned to university to complete post graduate Marketing qualifications whilst working full-time as Marketing Manager in the B2B environment.
On completion of her marketing studies in 1993, Bronwen joined Coles Supermarkets as National Communications Manager and was then promoted to National Marketing Manager. From 1998 through to 2006 Bronwen worked contract and project roles whilst her children were pre-school, returning to a full-time role in April 2007 with her appointment of CEO to Women's Golf Victoria.