Board
Jane McConville
For over 15 years Jane has worked in senior positions across large national NFPs, education and consulting firms in risk, industrial relations and HR roles. In 2023, she stepped into the role of Chairperson at Atwea College.
Jane grew her passion for problem solving while undertaking a Bachelor of Law/Environmental Science.
In 2017, Jane launched Newcastle-based Professional Services Firm, FiveSeven Consulting. With a passion for strategic thinking, Jane and the FiveSeven team work alongside some of the state’s largest employers.
Jane has consistently committed to developing and empowering others and is committed to offering opportunities that showcase the strengths and careers of those returning to, or starting out, in the workforce.
Gillian Malcolm
Gillian brings significant experience in risk management and business continuity from her roles working for Coal LSL, Westpac and Defence Housing Australia.
As General Manager Risk, Governance and Assurance for Coal LSL, she is passionate about embedding sound risk management practices in decision making and supporting the business achieve its strategic objectives.
Gillian holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Newcastle, is a Certified Internal Auditor, Certified Practicing Accountant, Professional Member of the Institute of Internal Auditors and holds a Master of Business Administration.
Gillian is passionate about helping people in the community as evident with her volunteer work with Meals on Wheels and she brings this passion and commitment to her role at Atwea.
Prof. Darrell Evans
Darrell is passionate about the transformative power of education and its promise for future generations. He is the founder of globalDARBE (Consulting and Training) and an academic by background. He brings to ATWEA College senior management experience leading education portfolios in universities as a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching). Darrell is currently an honorary professor at The University of Newcastle and Adjunct Professor at Monash University.
Kate Jensen
Kate Jensen is an accomplished executive leader across the higher education, not-for-profit, and public sectors. As General Manager at the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Medicine and Health, Kate leads a large, multidisciplinary team across strategic planning, operations, finance, infrastructure, compliance, and stakeholder engagement. She is known for driving organisational transformation and embedding high-performance cultures that align professional services with institutional priorities.
Kate brings deep expertise in delivering complex, enterprise-wide initiatives through collaborative leadership and customer-centric design. Her strengths lie in navigating ambiguity, fostering innovation, and delivering measurable outcomes across education, research, and clinical domains. She has successfully stewarded major change programs and built enduring partnerships with government, health providers, and research institutes.
A strategic thinker and skilled communicator, Kate holds an MBA, an Honours degree in Communications, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the INSEAD Leadership Program. Her leadership is marked by integrity, agility, and a commitment to equity and excellence.
John-Paul Costales
JP Costales is a technology and business leader with over 25 years of experience across software engineering, product management, and executive advisory roles in high growth startups and scaleups across Australia and Canada.
As Founder of Be Useful and former Partner and Managing Director of Lookahead, JP has partnered with some of Australia’s most iconic technology companies including Canva, Airtasker, SafetyCulture and 3P Learning, the team behind Mathletics and Reading Eggs, advising founders and executive teams on technology hiring, talent strategy, and building high performing engineering and product teams.
His commitment to community is reflected in his roles as Mentor and Workshop Facilitator with She Loves Data, a global community empowering women in data and technology, and the Macquarie University Incubator, where he supports early stage founders in building sustainable ventures and adopting AI in practical and responsible ways.
He holds the Governance Foundations for Not-for-Profit Directors qualification from the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Bachelor of Applied Science with Honours in Computer Engineering from Simon Fraser University.
A first generation Australian who arrived from Canada sixteen years ago, JP understands firsthand what it means to build a future without a roadmap. He is passionate about accessible learning and the role organisations like Atwea play in unlocking potential for people who don’t fit neatly into traditional pathways.
Michael Duff
With a 30-year career in infrastructure services within the private sector and across all levels of government in both Australia and New Zealand, Mike is a qualified engineer, senior executive and company director who brings a wealth of business experience and an analytical mindset to governance oversight, strategic planning and successful delivery of innovative and sustainable community outcomes.
Mike has a strong connection with Newcastle and the Hunter area and feels proud of his Māori ancestry. Inspired by a family of educators and teaching professionals, Mike’s passion for accessible and lifelong learning is grounded in perspective and empathy, enriched through his own life journey of experiences and continuous development as a champion for opportunity, diversity and inclusivity.
“A Māori proverb sums up my dedication to community and public service…What is the most important thing? He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata. It is the people, it is the people, it is the people.”
Claire Chidgey
Claire is an executive leader and non-executive director with deep experience in finance, governance, risk and assurance across purpose-led organisations. She is a former Chief Operating Officer and Company Secretary of the Hunter Medical Research Institute and has led audit, risk and finance functions in complex regulated environments, including at Hunter Water. Claire has served as a Non-Executive Director and Committee Chair in the NFP sector, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and Australian Institute of Internal Auditors.
Senior Management
Pru Killick
Pru Killick is a dynamic, hands-on strategic and operational people leader, with over 18yrs experience across; HR strategy, learning & development, service operations, compliance and Governance. Over the last 10yrs she has honed these skills working within a SaaS B2B B2C company Pegasus. This included, scale up experience, having been part of the Executive team for both Silicon Valley Series A funding and US based acquisition by Avetta. Currently Pru is the P&C Strategic Partnership Manager with the City of Newcastle supporting and enabling the HR and IR team within the council to deliver operational excellence.
Aisha Choudhari
Aisha Choudhari is a highly accomplished People and Culture professional with over 12 years of experience spanning customer service, operations, and human resource management. Renowned for her expertise in organisational development, employee relations, learning and development and employee engagement, Aisha has consistently demonstrated her ability to align people strategies with business objectives.
Since joining Atwea College in 2022 as the People and Culture Business Partner, Aisha has progressed to the role of People and Culture Manager. During her tenure, she has played a pivotal role in driving key HR functions, including successfully leading the onboarding of over 70 new hires, managing workplace relations, driving employee engagement and navigating organisational restructuring with resilience and professionalism.
Aisha’s holistic approach to HR, combined with her strong capabilities in policy interpretation, stakeholder engagement, and process improvement, make her an invaluable asset to the organisation.
Mark Rudd
Mark brings over 25 years of executive and principal leadership experience across diverse educational settings, including mainstream, specialist, and alternative education environments. Most recently, he served as Principal of Aspect Central Coast School, a multi-campus P-12 setting, and has led school communities across both rural and metropolitan contexts throughout his career.
Mark is recognised for his strong commitment to inclusive, student-centred education and wellbeing, high professional standards, and accountable leadership. His work has been characterised by a focus on improving learning outcomes, strengthening staff capability, and building respectful, collaborative partnerships with students, families, and communities. He is particularly passionate about supporting young people to engage meaningfully in education through learning pathways that recognise their individual strengths and needs.
As Principal of Alesco Secondary College, Mark provides overall strategic leadership and works closely with staff to continue delivering high-quality learning and wellbeing outcomes for students. He is known for creating environments where change is welcomed and celebrated, thinking innovatively while remaining commercially sound.
Andrew Baxter
Andrew has significant experience as a senior leader in the public sector, having held roles responsible for the oversight of public administration in Australia and oversees, the management of large portfolios within the local government sector and undertaking enforcement activities at Australia’s international border. He has also gained experience in the private sector as a management consultant, specialising in the provision of probity advice and undertaking workplace conduct investigations.
Andrew has tertiary qualifications in business administration and management, as well as professional qualifications in investigation management.
Andrew’s varied professional experiences will support Atwea in achieving its strategic goals in relation to risk, compliance & governance.
