College Board

Administration

Mr Wayne Bowen

Board Chair 2008 Whilst I felt very honoured to have been recommended and then approved as Chairman of the College Board following Leanne O’Dea’s remarkable term on the Board and as Board Chair for the last five years, my initial reaction was one of reluctance as I had seen Leanne’s commitment during my initial two years on the Board.

I needed to ensure that I could provide the commitment necessary to continue the work done and achievements previously made. After a series of discussions with Leanne and a meeting with Brother Kevin Ryan I made the decision to take on this role. It was not however because I felt I could commit the same time and effort Leanne had, as this was most certainly not possible, but rather it was my confidence in the Board as a whole. The Trinity community is very fortunate to have a Board which is strong across so many areas and who work so well together.

This year we were once again very fortunate to be able to add to the Board’s depth of expertise with the appointment of John Driscoll. John is a past student and father of a student at the College currently, with another starting in 2009. I look forward to John being a very valuable member of the Board for a number of years to come and I thank him for his commitment.

A full listing of Board members in addition to myself, and in no particular order, are:

Br Kevin Paull, John Bormolini, Mark Mony de Kerloy, Robyn Jennison, Joanna Brown, Bob Shields, John Driscoll, Chris Sutherland, Ivan Banks and Michael Burgess.

The collective vision we have for Trinity and the very strong support we have had from the various sub committees, a number of key members of which were seconded from the College community for their specific expertise, has ensured that we have continued to build on the success of previous years.

Whilst any one year is a combination of many parts, 2008 in particular has been a year of transition, planning, change and success.

Edmund Rice Education Australia

In October 2007, Trinity moved under the umbrella of EREA (Edmund Rice Education Australia). This transition has been challenging for both Trinity and EREA. We continue to work together toward developing a successful model which will ensure Trinity remains the vibrant community for students, teachers and families for which it is famous. Ivan Banks and Michael Burgess have been very busy with the significant extra demands created during this period and I feel their efforts and belief in Trinity have and will be vital to a successful completion of this transition.

East Perth Redevelopment Authority

The very detailed process of discussion, negotiation and planning for the redevelopment of our area in East Perth via EPRA (East Perth Redevelopment Authority) has continued to gather momentum with a number of key players releasing new or redesigned Master Plans. The impact of these Master Plans on Trinity is a process we are continually monitoring. We have engaged specialists, where necessary, to advise us on many parts of this redevelopment and we have at all times been proactive in the planning process of the area to ensure the redevelopment impacts positively on Trinity.

Cultural Centre

2008 has seen a final decision made on the development of a new building program which will change the physical face of Trinity and provide areas of learning, administration and entertainment so urgently needed on a campus bursting at the seams with vitality and people who have performed and achieved significant success with, at times, limited resources and space. I congratulate all those involved, both past and present, who have been involved in the planning of the ‘Cultural Centre’ and I am looking forward to seeing this development evolve over the next two years.

Sub Committees of the Board

The College Board operates with significant assistance from a number of sub committees which comprise volunteers from the Board, teaching staff and the general College community. The various sub committees are Building and Grounds, Marketing, Foundation and Finance.

These sub committees meet on a regular basis – generally monthly just prior to Board meetings, and more frequently if required when a particular project is in progress.

I would like to personally thank the efforts of all members of these sub committees and in particular thank those non Board members who have been asked to join these committees and lend their particular expertise when required for a specific project.

This year we have seen the Building & Grounds Committee continue their excellent work on maintenance and upgrade issues, master planning our playing fields at Waterford and overseeing the realisation of the Cultural Centre.

College Board

The Marketing Committee has continued to ensure the College community is being regularly updated in regard to items of major importance. This is essential to enable a more complete understanding of what is happening within the College and what is being planned for the future.

The Finance Committee has continued to deal with the difficult task of managing the College’s finances whilst being acutely aware of the impact fee increases have on students’ families. Many hours of planning and deliberation go into this process and at no stage are recommendations to the Board to increase fees in any area made easily or without consideration of their impact. It is a consequence of the solid financial footing that the College has continued to move toward that has now enabled us to commit to the Cultural Centre, the benefits of which will be seen within the next few years. The Foundation Committee is still very much in its infancy however this continues to be seen as a future source of revenue and further financial stability for the College. It is therefore imperative that the capital base which is required for the Foundation to become functional is well established and capable of delivering a revenue stream long into the future. As reported last year further developments will be reported as the Foundation evolves.

In finishing I would like to thank all Board members, sub committee members, staff and other community members who have supported the Board and the many other projects within the College during 2008. I look forward to further progress and commitment in 2009.

Mr Wayne Bowen

Board Chair

Safety fence is erected 26 November Cultural Centre groundwork begins 8 December Chapel renovations during the Christmas holidays Administration