NAISDA Dance College is thrilled to announce the appointment of three new Board Directors to the NAISDA Ltd Board, with Deborah Cheetham AO, Dean Parkin and Mayrah Sonter all joining as Directors.
The trio join an experienced and passionate Board of Directors consisting of Chairperson Sean Gordon, Director and Board Secretary Robyn Heras and Directors Elizabeth Butcher AM and Sharon Burnett.
Chairperson Sean Gordon, welcomed the appointment of Ms Cheetham, Mr Parkin and Ms Sonter as the College continues to grow from strength to strength following a stellar 40th anniversary year in 2016.
“NAISDA is excited to be increasing its Board capacity as we welcome three new Directors, who each bring a wealth of experience and insight to their position as Director of NAISDA Ltd,” said Mr Gordon.
Deborah Cheetham AO is a Yorta Yorta woman, celebrated Soprano, composer and educator. She has been a leader and pioneer in the Australian arts landscape for more than 25 years.
“As the Founder of Short Black Opera, a national not-for-profit opera company devoted to the development of Indigenous singers, Deborah brings incredible insight and passion to her new role as Director of NAISDA Ltd and will no doubt play an influential role in creating even more artistic opportunities for NAISDA’s current and future Developing Artists,” continued Mr Walker.
An experienced Indigenous management consultant, Dean Parkin has worked across the public, corporate, not-for-profit and political sectors and has extensive experience in Indigenous affairs, most recently through his role as a consultant to the Referendum Council.
“I am confident that Dean will play a pivotal role in extending NAISDA’s national and international reach as we work hard to escalate NAISDA’s profile across Australia and the world,” added
Mr Walker.
As a Co-Founder of leading Media, Communications and Events company 33 Creative, proud Wiradjuri woman Mayrah Sonter is a communications specialist with more than a decade’s experience producing events and media for corporate and government organisations.
Ms Sonter also sits on the Board of the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) and the Aboriginal Housing Office.
“We are delighted to have such an influential figure in the Australian media and communications landscape join NAISDA’s Board of Directors. Not only will Mayrah’s strong business acumen prove invaluable to advancing the NAISDA vision, her perspective as a Central Coast local will assist us in further engaging members of the local community,” added Mr Gordon.
2017 has marked a significant period of growth and achievement for NAISDA Dance College. The organisation was a New South Wales Finalist in the Telstra Business Awards for the Charity division and has also extended its curriculum to introduce new courses in 2018.
Looking ahead, NAISDA has ambitions to build an International Cultural Learning Centre for Indigenous Creative Study, called Naya Wa Yugali, at its campus on the NSW Central Coast, which will aim to make the College accessible to even more young people around Australia and the world.
