Classification Board members
The members of the Classification Board are chosen to be broadly representative of the Australian community. This means that they are drawn from diverse areas, age groups and backgrounds. Board members are not required to hold any specific qualifications, but they must meet certain selection criteria which reflects the experience and qualities needed to effectively carry out their role.
All members of the Classification Board are based in Sydney, with some members moving from interstate to take up their role.
How are Classification Board members appointed?
Members of the Classification Board are appointed by the Governor-General, usually for a term of three years. No members of the Board can serve for a total of more than seven years.
To find information about the process of selecting Classification Board members, go to the Attorney-General's Department website.
Who are the current Classification Board members?
The Board is currently made up of a Director, a Deputy Director, a Senior Classifier and other Board members. A number of new Board members have recently been appointed effective from 31 January 2011.
- Donald McDonald AC
- Lesley O'Brien
- Greg Scott
- Georgina Dridan
- Amanda Apel
- Zahid Gamieldien
- Moya Glasson
- Marit Andersen
- Tennille Burdon
- Lance Butler
- Joe Guthrie
- Serena Jakob
Donald McDonald AC
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Director
Appointed: 1 May 2007
Appointment Expires: 30 September 2011
Reappointed: 1 October 2011
Appointment Expires: 31 December 2012
Donald McDonald joined the Classification Board as its Director on 1 May 2007. His previous positions include Chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 1996 to 2006, chief executive of The Australian Opera (now Opera Australia) from 1987 to 1996 and General Manager of the Sydney Theatre Company from 1980 to 1986.
He is Chairman of The Australiana Fund and Chairman of The Really Useful Company Asia Pacific Pty Ltd.
He has served on numerous boards, including as Director of the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG). He was Chairman of the Constitutional Centenary Foundation, a Fellow of the Senate of the University of Sydney, a member of the Australian Tourist Commission and a director of the University of NSW Foundation.
Donald McDonald was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1991, and made a Companion of the Order in 2006. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of NSW (1961) and was awarded an honorary doctorate of letters from that University in 2004. He was a Visiting Fellow of the University of Edinburgh in 1993.
He is married to Janet McDonald AO. They have two adult children and two grandchildren.
Lesley O’Brien
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Deputy Director
Appointed: 31 January 2011
Appointment Expires: 30 January 2014
Before taking up the position of Deputy Director of the Classification Board, Ms Lesley O’Brien, 44, worked for eight years as a Senior Executive at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, most recently as General Manager of ABC Publishing (Books, Magazines and Audio). She previously held various roles in lifestyle magazine publishing including editor of Australian Good Taste and as a writer and chief sub-editor on titles such as Elle and Cleo.
Commissioned to write a biography of Mary MacKillop, Lesley’s book Mary MacKillop Unveiled was first published in 1994 and re-published in 2008. Lesley has also worked in Public Affairs for the New South Wales Department of Health, and between 1985 and 1989 was General Reporter and State Political Reporter for ABC Radio News.
Lesley has a Bachelor of Economics from the University of New England. With over 25 years’ experience as a journalist and publishing manager in the media industry, she has been closely involved with the community, writing and reporting on news and events and commissioning magazine, book and audio content that resonates with people’s daily lives.
During her time at the ABC, Lesley was a regular volunteer at ABC events, and worked on a voluntary Senior Executive team-based project to further increase the ABC’s involvement and participation with local communities.
Lesley is married, lives in Sydney, New South Wales, and has a teenage daughter and young step-son. She is a keen participant at the local tennis club, and has been an avid supporter of her family’s extra-curricular activities including representative debating, sport, charity work and surf-lifesaving.
Greg Scott
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Board member
Appointed: 3 April 2006
Reappointed: 3 April 2009
Appointment Expires: 2 April 2013
Greg Scott, 32, was raised in Possum Brush, on the mid-north coast of New South Wales.
Greg joined the Royal Australian Navy on completion of his secondary education. He served nine years as a Combat Systems Operator and now remains a Leading Seaman Reservist.
During his time in the Royal Australian Navy, Greg had the opportunity to serve both locally and internationally, travelling throughout South East Asia and the Middle East. He served onboard HMAS Perth, a now decommissioned guided missile destroyer and more recently HMAS Melbourne, a guided missile frigate. During this time onboard HMAS Melbourne he was involved in two operational deployments to the Persian Gulf, where he acted as an Electronic Warfare Director, specialising in above water warfare and anti-ship missile defence.
Prior to his naval service, Greg was an indoor cricket umpire in junior competitions which allowed him to become closely involved with children and their families.
His interests include cricket, rugby league, fish-keeping, reading and drawing. He currently resides in Sydney with his wife and young children.
Georgina Dridan
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Board member
Appointed: 3 April 2006
Reappointed: 3 April 2009
Appointment Expires: 2 April 2013
Georgina Dridan, 40, comes from Victoria where she trained for several years in television production and broadcasting and worked extensively as a local producer and researcher with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC TV) in Melbourne and internationally, with CanWest Media and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in the eastern Canadian provinces of Ontario, Nova Scotia and Quebec. Upon her return to Australia, Georgina continued her work with the ABC as Deputy Programmer and Acquisitions Manager with the ABC’s digital networks.
Georgina has travelled extensively throughout Europe and North America and prior to her Board appointment, worked in advisory positions for State Government regional employment, training and cultural programs. She presently resides in regional New South Wales and enjoys a continued interest in production and distribution of film and television content, as a participant in film and television markets and festivals and via her local involvement in regional community arts festivals and recreational programs.
Amanda Apel
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Board member
Appointed: 3 April 2009
Appointment Expires: 2 April 2012
Amanda Apel, 48, was raised in Sydney and has since lived and worked in a number of Australian states and territories as well as abroad. Her working life has encompassed the fields of advertising, photography, business and sports administration, tourism and primary industry. Amanda’s diverse professional experience, study and extensive travel have allowed her insight into a variety of cultures and social issues.
Prior to taking up her appointment to the Classification Board in 2009, Amanda held the position of Executive Officer for Swimming Northern Territory in Darwin, a position that relied on close ties to youth sports and the community at large.
Amanda now lives on the northern beaches of Sydney with her partner and three sons. Away from the office her time is dedicated to the activities of her school aged children, enjoying the locale with friends, family and the local community and maintaining her interest in art photography, writing and films.
Zahid Gamieldien
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Board member
Appointed: 18 May 2009
Appointment Expires: 17 May 2012
Zahid Gamieldien, 26, was born in Cape Town, South Africa and migrated to Australia with his parents at the age of three. He grew up in south-western Sydney and currently resides with his spouse in the inner-city.
Zahid holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Writing and Cultural Studies) and a Bachelor of Law from the University of Technology, Sydney. During his time at university, he contributed to the university newspaper and was published in the UTS Writers’ Anthology.
His previous employment in a migration law firm deepened his understanding of the legal issues and personal hardships of migrants and their families. He has also worked as a writer, with his stories and reviews appearing in various professional, academic and community publications. Prior to his appointment to the Classification Board, he practised as a solicitor for a subscription television company.
Zahid’s diverse education and employment background contributes broad cultural experience and community awareness to the Board. He has a strong interest in literature, football and films.
Moya Glasson
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Board member
Appointed: 6 April 2009
Appointment Expires: 5 April 2012
Moya Glasson, 56, holds a Bachelor of Education degree and relocated from Western Australia to take up her position with the Board.
Moya taught in a number of metropolitan-area, regional and remote public schools across Western Australia. After teaching for more than three years on the Cocos Islands, Moya received a scholarship from the Department of Education and Training in Western Australia to complete a semester of language and cultural studies at the Gajah Mada University, Yogyakarta, as part of a Graduate Diploma in Asian Studies. Moya has taught migrant and refugee students in Intensive English Centres in Perth as well as in schools, colleges and universities in Indonesia, Vietnam and South Korea.
Moya has worked in programs to improve educational outcomes for Aboriginal and migrant students as well as the inter-department initiatives to support refugees and ethnic communities.
Moya, whose main interests are travel and languages, comes from a large extended family and has connections to a range of educational institutions, sporting clubs and other interest groups across Western Australia in areas as diverse as dance, Aus-Kick and volunteer radio.
Marit Andersen
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Board member
Appointed: 31 January 2011
Appointment Expires: 30 January 2014
Ms Marit Andersen, is 42, married with young children and lives in Lane Cove NSW. She has a Graduate Certificate in Multicultural Journalism from the University of Wollongong.
Originally from Norway, Marit migrated to Australia in 1990. Since 2007 Ms Andersen has worked from time to time as a temporary Member of the Classification Board. Prior to this she worked as a Journalist, Executive Producer, translator and subtitler with SBS radio and television.
Marit maintains a close ongoing relationship with the Norwegian speaking community in Australia. She has three young children and continues to have close ties with her local community through her children’s school activities and their sporting and musical interests.
She has particularly strong involvement in the administration of basketball, including managing several teams and serving as a tribunal member with the national association. Marit also volunteers at the local primary school assisting with school reading programs.
Her interests include photography, media, art, music and basketball.
Tennille Burdon
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Board member
Appointed: 31 January 2011
Appointment Expires: 30 January 2014
Tennille Burdon is 32 and comes from Tasmania. Tennille holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and is completing a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology. She has worked as a professional psychologist in various settings since 2002 including as a School Psychologist with the Department of Education in Tasmania. This employment has brought her into contact with a particularly broad range of families in different regions and from a very wide range of socio-economic backgrounds.
Raised in New Norfolk in southern Tasmania, Tennille has also taught ballet and contemporary dance since 1999, instructing both children and adults. She is interested in live theatre, dance and is also a lover of art.
Lance Butler
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Board member
Appointed: 31 January 2011
Appointment Expires: 30 January 2014
Lance Butler, 39, comes from Springvale in Victoria. With Diplomas in Business Management and Human Resources, Lance has worked as a team leader and trainer for Woolworths Logistics in the Melbourne National Distribution Centre for the past 10 years. Prior to this he worked in a variety of roles in the warehousing industry and as a stable foreman for a racehorse trainer.
He grew up in the inner city suburb of Collingwood and has been closely involved with a not-for-profit community organisation, the Collingwood Children’s Farm, for over 25 years. The farm encourages city children to participate in an outdoor lifestyle by learning about plants, animals and the cycles of nature. His involvement began as a child visiting the farm and extended to employment as a staff member and more recently contributing to its development as an elected member of the management committee with particular involvement in its fundraising efforts.
Lance has travelled extensively internationally and enjoys learning about different cultures. He has a passion for hiking, exploring our national parks and enjoying the outdoors. He also has a keen interest in environmental issues and a sustainable future.
Joe Guthrie
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Board member
Appointed: 31 January 2011
Appointment Expires: 30 January 2014
Joe Guthrie is 28 and prior to his appointment lived in Spring Hill, Queensland. Joe was born in Sheffield, England and has lived in both Papua New Guinea and Cairns before relocating to Brisbane to attend University.
Joe holds a Bachelor of Law from the University of Queensland and a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice. He is admitted as a legal practitioner of the Supreme Court of Queensland and the High Court of Australia.
Before being appointed to the Classification Board, Joe was a Senior Legal Services Officer at Centrelink and represented various Commonwealth Government Departments at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. He has also worked at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship where he undertook roles in character assessment and community liaison.
He has been involved in community broadcasting as a volunteer, hosting a weekly youth program on community radio, and has also been closely involved in community theatre. Joe has sat on a number of social and charitable committees.
Joe’s interests include travel, music and acting and he has featured in several national and international television commercials.
Serena Jakob
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Board member
Appointed: 31 January 2011
Appointment Expires: 30 January 2014
Serena Jakob is 39 and, prior to joining the Classification Board, lived in Adelaide in South Australia. She grew up in small community on the Eyre Peninsula and has a background in Education and Anthropology. Serena has worked in metropolitan, rural and remote communities throughout Australia.
Serena has specialised in program development and ethnographic research for education projects based throughout remote indigenous communities. From 2000, she has worked for the Department of Education and Children’s Services as part of Wiltja, a program that offers Aboriginal adolescents from the remote communities within the Pitjantjatjara Lands the opportunity to access mainstream secondary education in an urban setting.
Serena has been a volunteer and committee member with the Southern Districts Junior Soccer Association since 2002, where she was involved in organising soccer carnivals and coaching clinics for primary aged children. She is a volunteer with the Adelaide Film Festival and has participated in numerous community arts events particularly indigenous art and cultural festivals. Serena has also worked with the UK-based interactive digital artists, Blast Theory.
Serena enjoys learning about other cultures and has travelled extensively throughout Australia, North and Central America, Indonesia and Eastern Europe.
Her interests include electronic music, time-lapse photography, tennis, art, culture and travel.