ACECQA Board

The membership of the ACECQA Board was announced on 12 August 2011 and the Board’s first meeting was held on 31 August 2011.

Members were agreed to by all Commonwealth, state and territory ministers through the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs.

Led by Ms Rachel Hunter as Chair, the 13 member Board of ACECQA brings together children's education and care experts from each of the states and territories and the Commonwealth.

The Board membership comprises:

Rachel Hunter – Chair

Rachel Hunter is currently the chair of QCOMP and Legal Aid Queensland. She is also Deputy Chair of the Queensland Performing Arts Trust Board, a member of the Griffith University Council, and a member of the UQ College Board.

Rachel retired from the position of Director-General of the Department of Justice (including private and public sector industrial relations and workplace health and safety) in July 2010.

Rachel's previous roles as CEO included Director-General of the Department of Education, Training and the Arts, and Director-General of the Department of Justice and Attorney-General. She also served as Queensland's Public Service Commissioner. Rachel was Chair of TAFE Queensland, and as such was the lead executive and spokesperson for the TAFE system.

Rachel has an acute interest in the role education and the arts play in individual, community and economic development.

Professor Collette Tayler - Deputy Chair

Professor Collette Tayler holds the Chair in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) at The University of Melbourne. Collette is co-author of the OECD Report Starting Strong II, an international analysis of ECEC policy and provision. She directs the E4Kids (Effective Early Educational Experiences) longitudinal study and leads the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood) program at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education.

Tracey Bradley

Tracey Bradley has worked in the early years for over 27 years. She has worked with children, managed services, developed new programs and has mentored services in rural and remote areas. Tracey participated on a working group involved in the development of new child care legislation in Tasmania and has continued to support services to meet legislative requirements. Tracey has been a member of the Tasmanian Ministers Child Care Advisory Council since it was formed a decade ago and has held the position of Chairperson for the last several years.

Mark Brown

Mark Brown is the Director, Education and Training Regulation, Department of Education Services, in Western Australia. Mark has been involved in education in WA since 1974 as a primary school teacher, university lecturer, curriculum and assessment manager, and director for Kindergarten to Year 12 curriculum in WA. In recent years, he has managed the registration of non-government schools (Kindergarten to Year 12) before being appointed as director for education and training regulation in 2009.

Professor Alison Elliott

Professor Alison Elliott has extensive cross sectorial and cross jurisdiction experience in early education research, policy and management. She is widely recognised for her expertise in children's education and care, particularly in young children’s learning and wellbeing especially those in remote and economically vulnerable communities. Professor Elliott has held a range of academic and leadership positions in the university sector, has served on and/or held executive positions on a range of boards, committees and early childhood advisory and reference groups, published widely in the field of early education and care, and is a Fellow of the Australian College of Educators. She is the long time editor of the leading professional publication Every Child.

Gayle Ginnane

Gayle Ginnane is a former senior public servant with a background as a financial regulator. Gayle has worked in several Australian Government agencies and been involved with a number of voluntary organisations including at senior and board levels. She is now an independent director with a number of board appointments including at the former National Childcare Accreditation Council. Gayle has considerable experience in board governance and finance.

Tonia Godhard AM

Tonia Godhard AM has worked as an early childhood Director and academic and has held senior roles in a range of community based children's services including the position of CEO of SDN in New South Wales. She sits on a number of boards and committees and is committed to strong advocacy for young children and raising the quality of services for children and their families.

Professor Pauline Harris

Professor Pauline Harris is the Lillian de Lissa Chair, Early Childhood (Research) at the University of South Australia, in partnership with SA Department of Education and Children’s Services. Pauline’s previous academic appointment was at the University of Wollongong for 20 years, where she specialised in early childhood play, curriculum, language and literacy. She has authored numerous journal articles, book chapters and books, and is/has been lead investigator on three significant Australian Research Council Discovery projects.

Sue Lines

Sue Lines is Assistant National Secretary of United Voice, one of Australia’s largest unions, representing professionals in children's education and care. Under Sue's leadership, United Voice has advocated for the continued professionalisation and recognition of the children's education and care sector, including ensuring that professionals working at centres, and the families that rely on them, were represented during the insolvency of ABC learning. Sue has advocated for the creation of the National Quality Framework and is committed to issues that will have a lasting impact on the future of children's education and care in Australia.

Michael Manthorpe

Michael Manthorpe is a Deputy Secretary in the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. He has been with that department or its predecessors for over 20 years, working on workplace relations, labour market, employment and early childhood matters. In 2008-09 he led the Commonwealth Government’s response to the insolvency of ABC Learning for which he was awarded the Public Service Medal. He was the Deputy Secretary responsible for early childhood reforms from 2009 to early 2011 and is currently leading the Department’s Corporate and State Office Network functions.

June McLoughlin

June McLoughlin has expertise in policy and service development within children's education and care, disability parenting and family support fields. June has managed many state and national projects designed to refocus early years services to provide more integrated support for families with young children. June holds positions on a number of boards and committees and was the Chair of the former National Childcare Accreditation Council Board.

Amanda Morphett

Amanda Morphett is the Director of Jenny Wren Early Learning Centre and outside school hours care service. Amanda had a background in visual arts and a small business career before returning to a family operated, second generation independent centre in Canberra eight years ago. Her previous board roles include National President of Childcare Associations Australia and the State President of the ACT Children’s Services Association. Amanda is an active advocate for the quality agenda in her local early childhood community.

Anne Reddell

Anne Reddell is the Executive Director, Queensland Department of Education and Training. Anne has a proven track record in children's education and care and a strong commitment to improving outcomes for children and supporting families. She has dedicated 20 years to leading Queensland Government policy and service delivery, with a focus on early childhood development and education and care. Anne has held senior positions overseeing the regulation of early childhood services, funding for non government organisations, regional service delivery and regulation, policy development and most recently representing Queensland in national negotiations to improve the quality of early childhood services.