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Council Members

 
OFFICERS
  

Patron

Dame Kate Harcourt

 

President

Ms Dianne Jones

 Christchurch

Vice President

Mrs Sherilyn Hellier

 Oamaru
Immediate Past President
Donna McKinley-Jones
 Hawkes Bay
Council Mrs Del Costello
 Palmerston North
  Mrs D Walker Auckland
 

Mrs C La Hood

 Dunedin
  Mrs Jill Walker
 Dunedin

Administrator

 Mrs Carol Millward Palmerston North
Postal Address PO Box 712 Palmerston North
Telephone/Fax 06 359 0559  
Email office@speechcomm.org.nz  

Council of the Association

Council is the Executive of the Association. The President and Council Members are elected by Association members at the Annual General Meeting. Each elected term of office is for two years. The Vice President is a Council member and is elected annually by the Council.

The Council holds monthly teleconferences and meets face-to-face twice a year.

Council is responsible for governance of the Association and employs an Administrator.

 

President

 

Dianne Jones
LTCL (S & D, Eff Comm), RTSCA
 Dianne Jones

A background in theatre and broadcasting has provided Dianne with an ideal blend of skills and experience on which to base her career in teaching Voice, Communication and Presentation/Performance Skills.

In addition to her private studio, she teaches at St Andrew’s College, tutors radio and television students at Christchurch Polytechnic Broadcasting School, and is an Associate Training Consultant at Champagne Consultants.
Dianne is currently in her third term as Branch President for SCA Canterbury. She retains her involvement in theatre with The Repertory Company and occasional work with COY for Canterbury Opera. Apart from tutoring students, Broadcasting connections are maintained through being a member of The Broadcasters Club, and working towards her Bachelor of Broadcasting Communications (Executive) Degree.

 

Vice President

Sherilyn Hellier
LTCL, RTSCA, Acred Adj
  

 

Sherilyn has a business background and turned to teaching full time eleven years ago, running a studio and teaching Drama at Secondary school.
Prior to this and through her involvement and passion for live theatre, she acted, directed and choreographed for the Operatic and Repertory Societies. Sherilyn has devised and tutored workshops and particularly enjoys directing plays performed by and for children.
Having recently moved from Southland to coastal North Otago, she has opened a new Performing Arts School – The Drama Co.
Sherilyn is teaching business studies at Aoraki Polytechnic and ESOL to migrant students at Waitaki Girls’ High School. She has joined the local Repertory Society and has become a member of Friends of Living History, which has allowed her to become involved in the rich Victorian Heritage activities Oamaru has to offer.

 

 Sherilyn Hellier

 

Council Members

 

Del Costello
BA, LTCL, ASB, CAT, Cert TESOL, RTSCA
Del Costello

A graduate of Otago University, Del has been teaching and performing for many years and most recently started Tall Poppies Drama School in Palmerston North which specializes in small group drama and communication classes.

She runs programmes at primary and intermediate schools in the region and is currently studying towards her LSB in Public Speaking. Del has a passion for NZ theatre and enjoys the opportunity to perform when time permits.

The inaugural recipient of a Deirdre Sneddon Trust Grant, Del has recently returned from Athens after attending the Hellenic International Drama in Education Conference.

 


Cheryl La Hood
MA, Cert TESOL, Dip Tchng, FTCL, RTSCA
 
  
 
Cheryl was born and educated in Dunedin. She attended Otago University where she completed a M.A. (hons). Cheryl has been a secondary school teacher for 35 years. During this time she worked with students of all abilities, wrote many work units which were included in publications and is the co-founder of the Otago Secondary Art Association.
 
Cheryl has coached and promoted public speaking, debating, drama and as directed a multitude of plays throughout her career.   She designed and delivered a Communication Certificate course which is still operating in the Dunedin area.
 
Cheryl has been an active member of the PPTA; was Regional Facilitator of NZQA and has assisted training teachers in implementing the new curriculum.
 
Cheryl is now retired from Secondary School teaching and is pursuing the teaching of drama and communication in the Otago region.
 
  

 

   
   

 

 

Donna McKinlay-Jones
LSB(Pub Spkg), LTCL(S&D), Acc Adj SCA, NZSB Examiner, RTSCA

 

A teacher of Communication at Lindisfarne College in Hastings. Head of the Speech Department incorporating public speaking, speech and drama and the oral assessment programme. She has also directed productions for Waipukurau Little Theatre and Lindisfarne College.  Donna is an examiner for Speech NZ and an SCA accredited adjudicator for Performing Arts Festivals.

 

 

   
   

 

 
Mrs Jill Walker
LTCL, Acc Adj SCA, NZSB Examiner, RTSCA
Jill Walker

Jill Walker has been involved in Speech Communication for some twenty-five years, and has been a member of her local branch of SCA for some twenty years. She has spent many years on the local committee and has held the roles of President and Secretary. As well as teaching a number of students in her home studio, she also teaches at Columba College in Dunedin. Adjudicating at Competitions is another area where she has been involved, and her interest in drama has led her into the New Zealand Theatre Federation. Jill has been an examiner for the New Zealand Speech Board for the last 12 years.

In her leisure time, she enjoys travel and spending time with family and friends. With a married daughter and two grandchildren in Australia, and a son in the film industry in Auckland Air New Zealand sees her fairly regularly. She also enjoys film and theatre.

 

Administrator

 

Carol Millward
Carol Millward

Carol has been the Administrator of the Association since the beginning of 2001. Her responsibility is to staff the National Office and execute the plans and policy decided upon by Council. She is the first point of contact for members and the public.