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New English Australia board leadership and change to constitution

October 31, 2025

AGM 2025 Update

English Australia successfully held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday 28 October 2025.

The Chair and CEO gave reports to the members on the organisation’s performance during the 2024-25 financial year, including reporting on the audited annual financial reports. The Chair acknowledged the difficult times facing members and thanked members for their support. The Chair also thanked the Board and Secretariat for their hard work, specifically thanking those Board Directors whose terms ended during the financial year: Aparna Jacob, Julian Wilson, Tim Eckenfels, Olivier Charpenay, and John Paxton.

The Chair also welcomed the incoming Board Directors whose terms began at the close of the AGM. Special welcome to the newest Board Director and new State Delegate for Western Australia, Leanne Howarth, Director of Studies at Edith Cowan College.

At the AGM, members unanimously voted to pass a resolution to repeal the company constitution and replace it with a new Constitution. The new constitution presents a more modern, efficient approach and clarifies the organisation’s governance structure, and will enable it to register its not-for-profit status with the ACNC.

More information on the new constitution is available on the English Australia website.

View New Constitution

English Australia Board:

Chair and Deputy Chairs Appointed

Following the AGM, the English Australia Board held its annual post-AGM meeting to appoint the Chair and Deputy Chairs.

The Board is very pleased to announce that it has appointed as Chair, Lucas Chiusoli, Vice President of ILSC Australia. Lucas has been a Director of the Board of English Australia since he was first elected in 2018 to the role of State Delegate for NSW. He was then elected as a General Appointee and has, for the last two years, served as Deputy Chair and Convenor of the Board’s Nominations Committee and member of the Executive Committee.

The Board also appointed its two Deputy Chairs: Kerry Sutcliffe, Director of Griffith English Language Institute and Joanna Kelly, CEO of Discover English.

The Board extends its heartfelt thanks to Kerry Sutcliffe for her incredible contribution to English Australia, its work, its members, and the ELICOS sector through her role as Chair of the English Australia Board. Kerry has served on the Board for more than 15 years and was Chair of the Board for the last 4 years. Kerry’s strong, calm, and supportive leadership has been invaluable over what have arguably been the toughest years the organisation and its members have faced. Kerry made the decision to step down from the role of Chair this year and to support a new Chair.