Sarah Ansell

Sarah is a highly experienced executive with more than 30 years of marketing, media, communications and fundraising expertise, largely in the education sector. She is currently the Director of Advancement at Charles Sturt University (CSU) and CEO of the Charles Sturt Foundation Trust.

Sarah’s expertise includes leadership, strategic communications, brand development, integrated marketing, business and philanthropic development and relationship management with a particular focus on customer experience, equity and diversity, community engagement and regional participation.

Sarah is a certified CX Practitioner, a Justice of the Peace, a member of ADMA, AIDC and Women on Boards and sits on a number of committees and boards.

Blair Campbell

A Chartered Accountant and Director of Selby Watson & Co, Blair has over 25 years of experience in the accounting industry. He also holds a position on the board of directors at the Rules Club Wagga.

Blair’s main sporting involvement has been in Australian Rules Football, with a long history as a player, coach, and club administrator.

Aside from playing some social touch footy and golf, he is a keen follower of horse racing and cricket and enjoys supporting his daughters in their sporting endeavours.

Olivia Skellern

Olivia Skellern (nee Bunn) is a dual Olympian, two-time Australian world championship representative and a world cup finalist. Finishing in the top ten in the world on multiple occasions in her chosen sport of Equestrian – Three Day Eventing. Olivia is also an NCAS Level Two Equestrian Coach.

Olivia currently works for Greenvalley Properties focusing on wine grape, grain, wool and lamb production and has a Bachelor of Applied Science Viticulture from Charles Sturt University Wagga, and a Masters of Business Administration from Monash University Melbourne.

Lincoln Kennedy

Lincoln graduated from the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) and has been practising since 1996.

Lincoln heads the commercial arm of the firm with a particular interest in property, complex succession planning and business law. He acts for a variety of clients including developers, business owners and farmers and strives to provide an efficient, pragmatic, cost effective service whilst ensuring attention to detail.

Chief Executive Officer

Mark Calverley

Mark is a product of the formerly named Riverina Academy of Sport, who has over 19 years’ experience in a variety of complex sports industry roles, managing positions in both community and elite sports.

After working with two Super Rugby franchises managing Elite Teams, player development, player pathways, coaching and officials’ pathways; his professional experience is supported by relevant graduate qualifications in Education (Charles Sturt University), and professional development in the areas of Elite Coaching, Sports Administration, Senior Management and Sports Officiating.

Mark provides the Academy with an intimate knowledge of best practice athlete development, and a keen understanding of the talent development pathways that exist at a regional, state and national level.

Away from the Academy Mark enjoys staying active, gardening and the outdoors, watching all sports, and spending time with his wife and two young daughters.

Sport Programs Manager

Bridget Butterfield

Bridget is a motivated sports enthusiast that joins us from Christchurch, New Zealand. Having spent the last five years developing knowledge in various sporting industry roles in local and elite sporting organisations. Having spent time with international and local teams across a range of sports from cricket to netball, Bridget has found a passion in youth sport she hopes to bring to the academy environment.

Bridget has backed her love for sport with education by attending university in the small town of Lincoln, NZ, where she walked away with a Bachelor of Sport and Recreation Management – Major events management, Postgraduate Cert. Parks, Recreation and Tourism, Postgraduate Cert. Commerce and Master of Global Business Management and Marketing with Distinction.

When not with the academy, Bridget doesn’t discriminate against sports and will happily watch it all; otherwise, you will likely find her keeping fit or in the outdoors.

Office Manager

Cathy Breese

Cathy has been with the Academy for 25 years. Born and bred in Wagga, Cathy lived in Sydney for 4 years after school where she studied Computer Programming at college and then worked in the field for Credit Unions.

After returning to Wagga she worked part-time at the Wagga Wagga Education Centre for several years whilst raising 4 boys.

She has an interest in sport, supporting her children when they were young and now her husband as he races in his chosen sport of triathlon.  This has allowed them to see many places around the world as he competed in World Championship races, most notably The World Bog Snorkelling Championships.