Classification Board
The Classification Board is made up of a director, a deputy director, other board members and temporary board members.
The Director of the Classification Board is responsible for the management and oversight of the Classification Board and its decision-making processes. The Director reports to the Australian Parliament on the activities of the Classification Board.
Under the Classification Act 1995, a person may be appointed as a temporary member of the Classification Board. A register of people suitable for temporary appointments is maintained and drawn on from time-to-time to provide short-term assistance in handling the workload of the Classification Board. Terms of appointment may be as short as one day and may extend to three months.
The Classification Board operates on a majority-based decision-making procedure. It is important that members can communicate their views clearly and appreciate and contemplate the views of others. Members are mindful of their statutory requirements to make decisions that are good in law.
Members
Fiona Jolly
Director
Appointed: 6 December 2021
Appointment Expires: 5 December 2024
Ms Fiona Jolly was Chief Executive Officer and Company Secretary of Ad Standards Australia for 15 years, following an extensive and diverse career with a number of Australian Commonwealth Government departments. She holds a Master of Laws from the University of Melbourne, a Bachelor of Arts and Laws from the Australian National University, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Ms Jolly formerly held the position of Convenor on the Classification Review Board from 2011 to 2019. She currently holds numerous Non-Executive Director and Advisory positions in the private and not-for-profit sectors including as Board Director of Choice (Australian Consumers Association).
Ms Jolly has four boys who are active in various sports around the ACT. She is extensively engaged with her local community including as Deputy Chair of Cricket ACT and as a member of the Daramalan College Board.
Tristan Sharp
Deputy Director
Appointed: 2 May 2022
Appointment Expires: 1 May 2025
Mr Tristan Sharp was the Director of the consultancy firm Kingfisher and Co for over three years. His previous roles have included senior leadership positions in the visual arts and finance sectors including Director, Programs and Engagement at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. He is currently a member of the Create NSW Museums and History Artform Board.
Mr Sharp's qualifications include a Master of Art Administration from the College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales, a Diploma of Education (Visual Art) with Merit, from the University of Newcastle, and a Bachelor of Arts (Fine Arts, Psychology, Film Studies and Production) from the University of Sydney and the University of California, Los Angeles.
Mr Sharp is married with two children and a cat named Rufus, is active in his community of Umina Beach as a volunteer under 10s soccer coach and primary school learning support parent and when time permits, enjoys riding his classic Vespa Scooter.
Ellenor Nixon
Board member
Appointed: 1 June 2016
Reappointed: 4 April 2019, 2 May 2022
Appointment Expires: 31 May 2023
Ms Ellenor Nixon holds a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science and a Graduate Certificate in Agriculture. She relocated from Merriwa, NSW, to take up her position with the Board.
Prior to her appointment, Ms Nixon was the assistant manager on her family's mixed farming property. She has been actively involved in the community through her work with the local rural fire brigade, land care events, agricultural shows and charities as well as competing in local sporting competitions.
Thomas Mann
Board member
Appointed: 1 June 2016
Reappointed: 4 April 2019, 4 April 2022
Appointment Expires: 31 May 2023
Mr Thomas Mann is a writer and teacher. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in English Literature, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Editing and Communications. Mr Mann relocated from Melbourne to take up his position with the Board.
He has a background in writing for a variety of publications and was an editor for an online music website prior to his appointment. Through his work and personal interests, Mr Mann had an extensive involvement with the online community.
His local community involvement included support to the migrant community in Footscray as a volunteer English tutor and work with Melbourne's student community as a volunteer with the youth focused radio station SYN FM. Mr Mann has three children.
Iain Humphrey
Board member
Appointed: 4 April 2022
Appointment Expires: 3 April 2025
Mr Iain Humphrey holds a Bachelor of Arts (French), from the University of Hull, UK. Mr Humphrey was a temporary Board member prior to being appointed as a full-time member. After graduation, he worked for a major brand consultancy as an operational specialist, before migrating to Australia in 2007.
In Australia, Mr Humphrey worked for Red Bee Media for 12 years, one of the leading providers of access services for blind and hearing‑impaired audiences. He has strong computer skills, with extensive experience of captioning and audio description software and has been a hobby console "gamer" since his undergraduate days.
Jennifer Marvello
Board member
Appointed: 4 April 2022
Appointment Expires: 3 April 2024
Ms Jennifer Marvello, is now retired from full‑time employment and lives in the south western suburbs of Sydney. Ms Marvello was a temporary Board member prior to being appointed as a part-time member. She holds a Certificate IV Training & Assessment and Certificate IV Government Administration and has trained Customs Officers in drug detection technologies, interpretation of x‑ray images, and identification of prohibited imports and exports, particularly films and publications which had been, or were likely to be, Refused Classification.
Ms Marvello has previously been active in her community as a long term fundraiser at Kingsgrove Public School and the Kingsgrove Junior Cricket Club. She has also worked with students in a one-on-one remedial reading initiative, in a voluntary capacity.
Paul Tenison
Board member
Appointed: 4 April 2022
Appointment Expires: 3 April 2024
Mr Paul Tenison resides in the northern districts of Sydney and is retired from full-time employment. Mr Tenison was a temporary Board member prior to being appointed as a part-time member. He has also previously worked with the Classification Branch at the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development, Transport and Communications in training of industry assessors and financial and policy management of the classification scheme.
Mr Tenison is married with 2 adult children and has 3 grandchildren. He is active socially in his immediate community and through his grandchildren's schooling and sporting activities.
Temporary Board Members
Denise Alexander
Denise Alexander lives in Sydney and has a background in digital health and broadcasting, with her most recent position being Chief People Officer at Healthdirect Australia, a government telehealth organisation that provided public leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ms Alexander has worked as a consultant in the creative industries, and she spent over 10 years at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, including working in the early ABC Online and Innovation divisions. She has also worked as a captioner for a non-profit accessibility provider for blind and hearing impaired television audiences.
Ms Alexander has a Master of Business in Management and she is an accredited coach. She currently volunteers as a corporate mentor for organisations that support new migrants to Australia. Ms Alexander loves live music and dance and getting out with her family to explore the hidden delights of the NSW Coast.
Trent Bartfeld
Mr Bartfeld is an Educator and Freelance Writer/Content maker for varied corporate, public, community, educational, and film industry producers and entities. He has tertiary-level Arts and Education qualifications. He has taught primary and secondary schooling, and has lectured across tertiary and open programs in technical and creative filmmaking and screenwriting. Trent is active in the amateur tennis community, and passionate about Australia’s origins, regularly working as a history guide for international visitors. He also has two young daughters, who share his love of storytelling and history.
Maria Cosmidis
Ms Cosmidis is based in NSW and is currently an Independent Decision Maker for the National Redress Scheme. Ms Cosmidis sits on the NSW Board of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, and the Medical Council of NSW as a community representative.
Ms Cosmidis is from a non-English speaking background and previously served on the SBS Community Advisory Committee and the Advertising Standards Board. Ms Cosmidis holds a Masters of Management from the University of Technology Sydney, and a Bachelor of Social Work and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney.
Felix Hubble
Mr Felix Hubble splits his time between the inner west of Sydney and Melbourne's inner north. He has a Bachelor of Arts (Film Studies) (Digital Cultures) (Hons). Mr Hubble is a film programmer, avid gamer, and former editor of an online film journal.
Dominique Irlinger
Mr Irlinger is the former CEO and Operations Manager of IMAX Sydney, and former National Programming Manager of Dendy Cinemas. He has also worked in the cinema industry as a General Manager and is a volunteer film programmer of foreign films for Hunar. He studied in France for his Masters of International Relations and Bachelor of Arts in History and Literature, and has taught French in a Chinese University.
Tamara Markus
Ms Markus is a paralegal at a theatre production company and is in the final year of a law degree at the University of NSW. She has previously worked in broadcast television and documentary film making, in sales, commissioning and development, and has experience in content analysis.
Lora Pechovska
Ms Lora Pechovska lives in the north western suburbs of Sydney. She has a Bachelor of Education (Secondary: Humanities) (Hons), a Bachelor of Arts (English Hons) and a Diploma in Digital and Interactive Games (Art).
Her community involvement includes working in educational environments such as teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), tutoring refugees and teaching English overseas. She currently works as a private English tutor and a retail assistant and visual merchandiser for a fashion retailer.
Gayle Peres da Costa
Ms Peres da Costa migrated to Australia from India and has a diverse cultural background and strong involvement in her local community. She has legal qualifications and has practiced as a lawyer for over 20 years.
Hellen Perko
Ms Perko is a Fine Art and Heritage Specialist and Valuer, with broad career experience in the Arts sector including leadership positions at auction houses and art galleries. She has degrees in Fine Arts and Arts Administration. She is a fluent Serbo‑Croatian speaker and brings a culturally diverse awareness and connection to non‑English speaking communities.
Raphael Richards
Mr Richards is based in Melbourne and has a background in primary school teaching. Mr Richards holds a Graduate Diploma of Education (Primary) from RMIT, a Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary) from Melbourne University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies from LaTrobe University. Mr Richards has previous experience working on the Board.
Asma Wang
Ms Wang has a diverse cultural background and is involved in local community groups which have strong cultural and linguistically diverse participants. She has worked across a range of not-for-profit and government organisations in research assistant, project management, community development and liaison roles, and is currently working as a teacher at TAFE NSW.