Governance of Hunter Valley Grammar School is delegated to a School Board made up of seven volunteer members who each bring a diverse range of skills and expertise to the role. The Board is responsible for providing strategic direction to the School and setting priorities for long-term success.
Hunter Valley Grammar School Limited is a non-profit company committed to best practice governance principles.
Chairperson
Kristine Littlewood
Kristine has a long history with HVGS. She was one of the original investors and has been involved since foundation. Kristine was appointed to the Hunter Valley Grammar School Board in 2000 and elected Chairperson in 2005. She is a lawyer with Hallam & Littlewood Lawyers and is Chairperson of the HVGS Policy and Compliance Committee. She’s a past parent of the School and a current grandparent.
Deputy Chairperson
Dr Kenneth Dobler
Dr Kenneth Dobler was appointed to the Board in 2006. He has been serving as Deputy Chairperson since 2007. Dr Dobler is a general practitioner at Maitland Road Surgery in Cessnock and is also a member of the HVGS Asset Management Committee. Ken is a past parent.
Treasurer
Michelle McPherson
Michelle was appointed to the Board in 2012 and elected to Treasurer in 2014. She is Chief Financial Officer/ Deputy Chief Executive Officer for the nib Group and a Director of the nib Foundation. Michelle is a member of the Council of the University of Newcastle and serves on the advisory boards to the Hunter Research Foundation Centre and Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Newcastle. She is also Chairperson of the HVGS Finance Committee and is a current parent of the School.
Secretary
Heather Russell-McLaren, OAM
A foundation staff member now retired, Heather was appointed to the School Board in 2010 and elected Board Secretary in 2017. She is Chairperson of the HVGS Scholarship Committee. Heather’s sons were foundation students.
Early 2019, Heather was awarded Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to Maitland.
Board Members
Reverend Dr George Garnsey
A former principal at St John’s College at Morpeth, the Reverend Dr George Garnsey was appointed to the School Board in 1998. A long-time friend of HVGS, George often visits the School for a friendly hello and a chat with staff. His PhD is in Theology with special reference to Ethics.
Anthony Dockrill
Tony was appointed to the School Board in 2001 and is Chairperson of the HVGS Asset Management Committee. He is Director and Principal Engineer at IZZAT Consulting Engineers and is a current parent of the School.
Martin Heffron
Martin was appointed to the Board in 2014. He is the Managing Director at Heffron SMSF Solutions and is a member of the HVGS Finance Committee and HVGS Policy and Compliance Committee. He is a current parent of the School.
Jodi Stapleton
Jodi was appointed to our board in 2019. She is Head of Finance Transformation at Newcastle Permanent Building Society and has over 18 years experience in financial services and information technology in Canada and Australia. She is a member of the HVGS Policy and Compliance Committee.