The Board

Image: (L-R) Richard Munro, Christine Lohman, Kerry D. Watson, Judith Ferber, Naomi Middlebrook, Alan Hayes and Patrick Corrigan AM

 

Chairman 

Kerry D. Watson

Born and educated in Queensland, Kerry D. Watson began his career in stockbroking and merchant banking before returning to the Gold Coast to establish the Quality Inns Group with the Graham family. Kerry was involved in the commencement of Japanese and Asian tourists to Australia.

 

After the sale of the Quality Inns Group, Kerry commenced a consulting business through his company, Pacific Global Corporation with clients including Marriott International Australia and the Queensland Government through Events Queensland Gold Coast. Kerry is currently Chairman of Events Queensland Gold Coast (Gold Coast Marathon and Pan Pacific Masters Games) and Gold Coast Tropicarnival Ltd – Gold Coast Eisteddfod, as well as Executive Advisor – Japan for Tourism Australia and an Honorary Life Member of Gold Coast Tourism.

 

He has previously held positions as Deputy Chairman of the Queensland Tourist and Travel Corporation (now Tourism Queensland), Chairman of the Inbound Tourism Organisation of Australia (now Australian Tourism Export Council) and Director of the Gold Coast Tourism Bureau and Gold Coast TAFE.

 

Deputy Chair

Richard Munro  Bus. CPA MAICD
Richard became a member of The Arts Centre Gold Coast Board in 2008 and has been in Public Accounting Practice on the Gold Coast since 1994, including his position as partner at Munro Accountants Gold Coast.

 

Past roles have included committee positions on various business and sporting organisations including past President of CPA Australia Gold Coast Branch. Most recently Richard became a member of the Board for the Gold Coast Institute of TAFE and has completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors Diploma Course covering Corporate Governance.

 

His experience with working with many South East Queensland businesses and associations brings a background of financial and strategic management to the role of Deputy Chair on the Board of The Arts Centre Gold Coast.

 

While Richard’s specific interests have generally involved business and sports, his family have participated in a number of Summer Schools at The Arts Centre over the years so he has a strong appreciation for the benefits the arts bring to the community.

 

Director

Patrick Corrigan AM

Patrick Corrigan has been a Board Director with The Arts Centre Gold Coast since 1996. He began his career in the freight industry in the 60s and by the mid 70s was head of several freight companies which participated in the phenomenal expansion of the freighting industry in both Australia and overseas.

 

Pat began his love affair with collecting art, and art books in his 30s and his library is recognised as one of the finest private library collections of its type in Australia. Pat says the main thrill of collecting has always been the hunt for, and acquisition of, rare items, rather than possession of them once acquired.

 

Pat has been donating art to public galleries for many years. His involvement with the industry remains strong. He is a life member of the State Library of Queensland, The Art Gallery of New South Wales and the National Association of Visual Arts. In 2000 he was made a member of the Order of Australia for services to the arts and holds an honorary doctorate from Bond University. Pat is married to Barbara and they have a daughter and three sons.

 

Director

Judith Ferber

A Gold Coast resident since 1967 when she worked at the Gold Coast’s first radio station 4GG. She then worked in the entertainment department for the Chevron Group of Hotels. In 1982, together with business partner, the late Paul Sharratt, Judith ran the first Gold Coast Festival, Tropicarnival. 

 

The pair co-ordinated many other events and also produced Logie award winning shows for QTQ Channel Nine during the 1970’s.  Tropicarnival was a two-week celebration featuring over 200 events, and ran every October for 20 years. The Gold Coast Eisteddfod was part of the Festival and continues to this day - the biggest of its type in the country. Tropicarnival won a Queensland Tourism award for best Regional Event.

 

Judith has coordinated major events for the Gold Coast community including Christmas Carols, New Year’s Eve Celebrations and the Gold Coast City Council’s Australia Day activities. She won the major award in the Gold Coast Bulletin Honours in 2004 for Services to the Community.

 

Judith is General Manager of the Gold Coast Eisteddfod and a Board member of Gold Coast City Council’s Events Advisory Committee.  Judith has two daughters and two granddaughters and enjoys life with her partner, Bryan Durham.

 

Director

Alan Hayes B.Des.St, B.Arch.(Hons)
After graduating from the University of Queensland in 1979, Alan practised architecture on the Gold Coast for 18 months, specialising in fast-track documentation, before taking up the A.E. Brookes Travelling Scholarship which was awarded on graduation. This enabled a 12-month stay in Europe during which he worked with The Halpern Partnership in London.

 

On his return to the Gold Coast he joined Silver Goldberg Hamilton and gained further fast-track experience working on the Paradise Centre. At the time, this was the largest urban development project in Australia and required special enabling legislation passed by the State Government.

 

By completion of this project Alan had become an Associate and then Director of the company, which duly then changed the company name to Hamilton Hayes Henderson Architects. The firm celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2008 and continues to shape our built environment.

 

Alan strongly believes that good design shapes our attitudes, both individually and collectively, and that The Arts Centre has a pivotal role in increasing design awareness on the Gold Coast.

 

Director

Christine Lohman MBA FPRIA FAICD
Christine has an extensive background in corporate communication and strategic planning in both the private and public sectors and brings a high level of marketing expertise to the Board. Christine is managing director of Professional Public Relations Pty Ltd and has held previous board appointments for tertiary educational institutions and not for profit organisations.

 

Christine joined The Arts Centre Gold Coast Board in May 2010 and currently serves as a director on the boards of Workcover Queensland and St Vincent's Health Australia Community Advisory Council - Queensland.

 

Director

Naomi Middlebrook ATCL LTCL CSCA
Over the past 30 years Naomi has worked in all aspects of performance and communications. Her love of theatre started from an early age and she began working in community theatre on the Gold Coast in the mid 70s.

 

In 1980 she relocated to Sydney where she studied acting. After a number of years as an aspiring actor Naomi completed teaching qualifications and returned to the Gold Coast where she established one of the first private drama studios.

 

Naomi has taught extensively in the school system and currently works as a drama and communication specialist at All Saints Anglican School on the Gold Coast, a position she has held for almost two decades. In addition to this she regularly consults as an acting coach in the film and television industry and at a corporate level, and as a mentor teacher for new drama and communication teachers.

 

Naomi is passionate about the Gold Coast and embraces all the city has to offer, in particular the cultural and outdoor facets. She has been a long-term member of the Gold Coast Eisteddfod movement and is a motivated force behind youth in arts on the Gold Coast.