Clare Burton

A sports administrator with 20 years’ experience in National and State Sporting Organisations, working across Sport Development, Partnerships, Strategy, Participation, Member Services and Competitions & Events.
My Swimming Victoria role has allowed me to pursue real Sport for Impact initiatives that help our clubs create safe and welcoming environments for everyone to enjoy.

View Clare & Roman's Briefing Notes

 Barbara Doyle

Barbara Doyle has worked in many corporate roles over the course of her career. She acquired a physical disability 16 years ago. At the age of 51, as a result of a serious infection, Barb had to have amputations to both legs below the knee and most of the fingers on her right hand.
Within a year, Barb got used to walking with 2 prosthetic legs and returned to work. She also began volunteering as a Board Member for Solve Disability Solutions (now Freedom Solutions). She now volunteers for Limbs4Life and is on the Board of Directors for a private school. As a retiree, in 2021, Barb is an active member of the local disability advisory group.
Two years ago, after checking out the facilities at the Bellarine Aquatic and Sports Centre Barb decided to see if she could swim.

View Barbara and Kerry's Briefing Notes

 Em Fox

Em Fox (she/they) is an advocate based in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia. Em specialises in developing inclusive environments within the sports and active recreation industry with a focus on intersectionality and the LGBTIQA+ lived experience.

As an athlete Emily has been most active within Australian rules football, as a player, coach and committee member, and regularly consults within the sports industry regarding LGBTIQA+ inclusion.

View Em's Briefing Notes

 Jaye Hansford

Jaye has more than 11 years of expertise in the leisure and recreation industry, specializing in access, inclusion, and community engagement. 

She was one of the first Inclusion Coordinators for Belgravia Leisure, hosting the very first Community Network Forum.

Jaye is the Community Engagement and Inclusion Coordinator for MOVE Moonee Valley, fostering her passion in connecting people to community, and communities to sport and wellness.

In Belgravia Foundation, in aiding to establish pathways, developing mechanisms and innovative plans for implementation within existing structures, or developing new ones, so that no one misses out.

Jaye has developed lasting networks and connections to communities, groups, organizations and individuals that have never been achieved before, or sustained.

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 Chris Kerrisk

Chris is passionate about business and technologies that makes our world a better place. Chris is a co-founder of Cérge (short for concierge) which is a ground breaking software-as-a-service solution that is helping redefine how society perceives and serves customers with disability.
By leveraging simple companion technologies that ensure delivery of empathetic and compassionate customer service, Cérge is breaking down barriers, promoting greater confidence and participation, whilst changing lives along the way.

In 2023, Cérge won the AUSactive Industry Innovation of the Year with Belgravia Leisure & Belgravia Foundation.

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 Emma Lowe

Emma has over 11 years experience in the leisure and recreation sector, with a focus on the field of access, inclusion and community engagement. She’s passionate about creating pathways for all to participate in healthy activities, whether it’s for physical, social or mental benefits, and understands the importance of connecting with communities to learn of local needs, preferences and priorities to ensure all are welcomed, supported and included into our spaces, services, programs and employment.

View Emma's Briefing Notes here

 Adam Luscombe

Adam Luscombe, a proud South Australian leader with 30+ years of experience, has steered the South Australian Aquatic and Leisure Centre to unparalleled success. As General Manager, he excels in team-building, fosters a high-performance culture, and efficiently manages State Government assets. Adam, an advocate for community well-being and sporting excellence, holds an MBA, studied at Harvard, and has a background in elite sport, sport and recreation management, aquatic management and significant sporting events. His inclusive/holistic leadership and social acumen have led to the Centre's remarkable success and sustainability, international and national sporting prowess and award-winning outputs in social inclusion, environment, events, and athletics.

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 Bill Mallinson

Bill Mallinson is the Sport and Recreation Manager (Metro Melbourne) for Reclink Australia. He has Post Graduate qualifications in leadership and 30 years experience working in social and environmental advocacy, partnerships and community engagement through leadership roles in local government, state government and the not for profit sector. Bill is passionate about advocating for the needs of those who are missing out and is committed to improving accessibility in the sport and recreation sector.

View Lisa and Bill's Briefing Notes

 Rick Morris

Rick has worked in the recreation industry for the past 19 years in a range of roles across local government, not-for-profit and commercial sectors He has a Bachelor of Commence, majoring in Sports Management and Finance.

Rick currently works for the YMCA as the Area Manager for Casey. He has a wealth of leadership experience, excellent business acumen and a focus on creating innovative approaches to supporting community physical activity participation, with a focus on vulnerable community groups. 

Rick thrives on developing meaningful partnerships and worked closely with Jesuit Social Services and the Centre for Multicultural Youth to deliver the Change Makers Program.

View Rick and Brett's Briefing Notes

 Lisa Newman-Morris

Lisa Newman-Morris is the General Manager Business Improvement for Peninsula Leisure and has over 30 years experience in the leisure and recreation industry. Lisa specialises in delivering exceptional customer experiences for the community, creating a culture of continuous improvement across all teams, driving innovation and transformation, and steering implementation of major company projects. She has a passion for helping the recreation industry communicate the value and benefit it has to offer the community.

View Lisa and Bill's Briefing Notes

 Jerome Parot

Jerome joined ARV in 2021 after gaining valuable project management and operations experience with global retailer lululemon and consulting with local sporting clubs at Sports Community. Jerome’s start in the Victorian Aquatic & Recreation industry came as VICSWIM’s Program Coordinator and, most recently, has taken on the role of Manager, Strategic Operations after spearheading ARV’s COVID-19 response.

View Jerome and Jaye's Briefing Notes

 Brett Phillips

Brett Phillips is a qualified secondary teacher, spending 4 years teaching years 10-12 in flexible learning centres in North Melbourne, Southport and Deception Bay. He has a diploma in Youth Work and provided disability support and youth work to clients aged 8-25 with Life Without Barriers on the Sunshine Coast for 6 years. For 20 years he worked with Victoria Police in a variety of roles including general duties, intelligence and proactive duties. Mostly he was a Youth/Schools Resource Officer in Wangaratta and Boroondara, where he delivered youth programs (anger management, personal development, Kokoda Challenge Youth Program) and collaborated with community agencies. Over the past 12 months he has been program manager with Jesuit Social Services delivering an early intervention small group work program to reduce adolescent male violence and build staff capacity to support at-risk-youth. 

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 Roman Ruzbacky

Roman is an experienced diversity, equity and inclusion leader and practitioner and analytical chemist, with over 20 years of knowledge, skills and experience in the design, development and implementation of DEI strategy and programs of work that create happy and productive workplaces.
Roman Ruzbacky & Associates consultancy was established in 2021. He was the President of the Equal Employment Opportunity Network between 2017 to 2022. He is a member of the AHRI and Swimming Victoria D&I Advisory Committees. He is also the Director of DEI at Cultural Infusion.
At the core of the work is the belief that people should be treated with dignity and respect, have equitable access to employment opportunities and outcomes and have the ability to participate in all aspects of work and public life.

View Clare and Roman's Briefing Notes

Matt Sandwell

Matt is a senior insights and strategy professional with over 20 years’ experience helping  clients better understand the culture, category and consumer to help them make confident decisions. Having worked in Australia and throughout Asia, with global giants to start-ups, he has significant experience across a wide range of sectors and audiences including sport and recreation, local government and those living with disability.This includes significant work with Disability Sports and Recreation, supporting brand positioning and proposition development, segmentation, and various program development and assessment activities.

Prior to Founding the Owl Insights, his most recent roles were as Managing Partner at Hall & Partners Australia, and Strategy Director at The Lab Strategy.Matt holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons.) at UWA. is a full member of the Australian Market and Social Research Society and in his spare time plays cricket, coaches junior cricket and basketball, and follows the West Coast Eagles, all with widely varying levels of success!

 Ross Sharer

I completed a Bachelor of Sport & Recreation Management in 2015 through the University of South Australia. Through my final year placement I moved straight into a casual role with Belgravia Leisure at The Gardens Recreation Centre. After 4 years I was transferred to The FARM Centre in Freeling SA which is where I took up the management role which included becoming the Inclusion Coordinator for the site. I had very little experience in the inclusion world, through Community Network Forums I was able to build on my knowledge.

View Ross' Briefing Notes here

 Liz Tesone

Liz brings over 20 years experience working in the ‘for purpose’ sector, (otherwise referred to ‘non for profit’) in particular in community recreation space and has worked at a local, state, national and international level.

Liz is currently CEO at Disability Sport and Recreation, and they have a clear vision for a Victoria where all people with disability have better choice and access to sport and recreation.

Liz is the mother of two amazing boys 14 and 12 years of age. Jordy, Liz’s 12 year old has a rare developmental disorder that impacts every part of his and the families' lives. When Jordy was diagnosed, he was one of only 400 cases in the world.

Sport and recreation is the pathway Liz’s family uses to connect with community, friends and family in addition to the health and social benefits it has for her son.

Liz is also a board member of Smith Magenis Syndrome Australia (the syndrome her son has). It’s a parent lead board that aims to support newly diagnosed families and raise funds for the bi-annual camp.

 Kerry Townsend

Kerry has lived experience of ABI and is a carer of a person with disability. Kerry has worked as a lawyer for over 3 decades with a focus on access to justice for those who experience less advantage. Kerry achieved their qualifications with the support of Veterans Affairs. After a significant period of unemployment due to their disability and caring responsibility Kerry has become a passionate advocate for inclusion and the value of occupation for all. Kerry has worked for several Community Legal Centres and Victoria Legal Aid. Kerry currently works at Victoria Legal Aid as Deputy Managing Lawyer at Legal Help. Kerry supports staff with workplace adjustments, flexible work arrangements, recruitment and training. Kerry has driven the establishment of a ‘d/Deaf Clinic’ and advocates for improved access to legal services people with disability.

Kerry loves swimming and hydrotherapy and swimming have been a major benefit in Kerry’s rehabilitation and health.

View Barbara and Kerry's Briefing Notes

 Dr Jeff Walkley

Dr Jeff Walkley is a passionate advocate for access and inclusion in leisure, sport, aquatics and fitness. He is currently CEO of Belgravia Foundation, and concurrently the National Disability and Diversity Manager for Belgravia Leisure. 

He has for over 30 years worked tirelessly to ensure each person has an opportunity to benefit from participation in physical activity, striving to ensure no one misses out on the multifaceted benefits that can occur through participation in community based physical activity . Through his initiative Belgravia Foundation was commenced in 2017. 

He established Belgravia Leisure’s award-winning access and inclusion program, and has won lifetime achievement awards from state and national disability, sport and recreational industry bodies. 

View Jeff's Briefing Notes