The Role of the Board

The primary role of the Board is to oversee the financial management of the College. The Board is provided with a financial report at each meeting, as well as details of future budgets and proposed capital development. The Board approves capital project development and funding and any extraordinary spending requirements during the year.

The St Brigid’s College Board is provided with information beyond purely financial matters. This information, intended to provide a wider context for Board Members, is generally given in the Principal’s report and includes school activities, personnel issues including staff movements, student issues and enrolments.

The Board is essentially responsible for setting policy for the long-term future, while the Principal is responsible for implementing that policy.

Expectations of Board Members

Role of Principal and Chairperson

The Principal and the Board Chairperson need to be able to work well as a team, and this requirement is especially important between the Principal and the Board Chairperson. The people in these two key roles work in close cooperation with one another and communicate frequently outside the Board meetings. At each meeting, the Principal gives a report – the Chairperson is typically aware of any major issues before the meeting.

Laws applied to the College

The St Brigid’s College Board is an advisory board to the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy with no legal powers in its own right. The Sisters of Mercy are the legal entity of the College. All land titles are in the name of the legal entity. The Common Seal is held by the Congregational Leader of the Sisters of Mercy in Western Australia. Any legal documentation must be passed on to the Congregational Leader. All decisions made by the Board are recommendations to the legal entity.

Insurance Policies are in place to protect the Principal, Senior Leadership Positions, Board Members and the Sisters of Mercy as comprehensively as possible under current insurance options.

College Financial Information

Monthly financial information is distributed to Board members with monthly meeting agendas. The figures are up to date to the end of the preceding month.

Profile of Board Members

Sister Mary O'Connor (Chairperson)

Sister Mary O’Connor has been a member of the Sisters of Mercy for many years and has been on the St Brigid’s Board for about ten. She represents the Congregation, as St Brigid’s College is owned by the Sisters of Mercy Perth Inc. She is a Primary School Teacher and was Foundation Principal of Whitford Catholic Primary School in 1978 and St Luke’s Primary School Woodvale in 1989. She has enjoyed her time as teacher and also as the Administrator of several Catholic schools in the Metropolitan area. She retired from full time work as a Principal three years ago. The last three years she has been Acting Principal at various schools. She now works for the Congregation and looks after maintenance for some of the houses and also manages the Seniors Units at Edgewater.

Sister Paula McAdam

Sister Paula McAdam is a Sister of Mercy. She has been associated with St Brigid’s College since 1975 until the present in a number of different capacities: superior, teacher in the secondary section, principal from 1984 until 1990 and board member for most of the time from 1975 until the present. Currently she manages Villa Maria independent living units for retirees and is a member of the Congregational Council. She is a foundation member of the Diversional Therapy Associational of Western Australia and is on the organising committee for the National Convention held in Fremantle in May 2005.

Rachel Lewis

Rachel joined the Board in August 2003. She is a former student and Head Girl of the College, attending from 1979 through to her graduation in 1990. Rachel holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Chemistry and has been employed by BP for ten years. Her most recent role with the company was as a Business Development Analyst, and she is currently on maternity leave. She has experience in the areas of project management, strategy development, financial analysis and environmental issues. Rachel is also a member of the Friend’s of St Brigid’s College Committee.

Michael West

Michael has lived in the hills for 35 years, having spent his primary school years at Mary's Mount Primary and secondary years at Mazenod College. Both his sister and his wife Sally attended St. Brigid's. Together with his wife, he has four children at the College and one child at Mazenod College. Michael has a Bachelor of Applied Science, Bachelor of Architecture and is a registered architect. He has experience in project procurement and management, planning, design, construction, contracts, and dealing with government and local authorities. In recent years he has been involved with Civic, Institutional, Health and Recreational buildings ranging in construction value from 20 to 80 million dollars.

Peter Cleaver (Bursar)

Peter is the Bursar of the college and has served in the role since 1980. As a staff member he attends meetings in an advisory capacity reporting on the financial and facilities of the college. He is a graduate of Curtin University holding an Associateship in accounting (1984) and has been a member of the Australian Society of Accountants for twenty one years. Peter is a member of ASBA (WA) – Association of School Bursars Australia and served on the executive committee as committee member, treasurer, secretary and vice president from 1983 to 1999. Peter spent three years in the Australian army with postings to Malaysia and Vietnam from 1969 to 1971.

Vicki Hansen

Vicki was educated in Catholic schools, including boarding, served as an army officer and for many years has practiced her business skills in various Catholic schools, including currently as Bursar of Mercy College. Her commitment to the Mercy ethos has seen her President of the Mercy Associates and on pilgrimage to Baggot Street, Dublin, where Catherine McAuley established the first ‘House of Mercy’. Vicki is highly regarded in her professional life, reflected by her appointment not only as the local President but also as the national President of the Bursars’ Association: the first Catholic woman to be honoured with such a position.

Amelia Toffoli (Principal)

Amelia Toffoli was appointed Principal of St Brigid's College in 2004, after 25 years of teaching and leadership positions in various Catholic schools in Western Australia. Having received both primary and secondary schooling with Mercy Sisters and later assuming leadership responsibilities at Mercy College, she has a strong conviction of the value of Mercy Education and is committed to continuing the Mercy vision into the future. She obtained her Masters of Educational Management in 1993, and is resuming her Doctoral studies following a temporarily deferment due to extended sick leave and her appointment at St Brigid's. In recent years she has been involved in nationally recognised projects designed to address careers and transition issues for all students’ years 7-12. This and her previous membership of the Managing Council of Midland TAFE have given her a broad perspective of the many learning opportunities made possible for schools when working in strong partnership with their communities.