Governance and Policies featured image

Governance and Policies

Governance

Santa Sabina College is an independent Catholic school which is owned by the Congregation of Dominican Sisters of Eastern Australia and the Solomon Islands.

It was incorporated in 1987 as a Company Limited by Guarantee, with the Sisters of the Leadership Team being the Members of the Company. The College is managed by a Board of Directors, who are appointed by the Members.

The Board of Directors has a strong commitment to preserving and fostering the Dominican ethos and values upon which the College was founded, and to promoting the Mission of the College as a Catholic school.

The Board is assisted in its work by a number of Sub-Committees which meet regularly. The Principal of the College is the Chief Executive Officer to whom the Board delegates responsibility for the day-to-day management of the College and its enterprises.

Santa Sabina College Board

Kitty Guerin – Board Chair
Kitty has had a long association with Santa Sabina College and the Dominican Sisters. She is a former Board member, teacher, and parent. Kitty had two daughters attend the school, Lucy graduating in 1995 and Yvette in 2000. She is pleased to be able to resume her association with the College.

Kitty is the former principal of two Catholic girls’ schools: St Clare’s College, Waverley and Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta and was Acting Principal at Lindisfarne Anglican College, Tweed Heads. Kitty was formerly the Chair of St Lucy’s School, Wahroonga and is currently the Chair of the Board of Brigidine College, St Ives. She is a Councillor of the Federation of RI and Ministerial PJP Catholic School Authorities in NSW and ACT and Chairs the Education Policy Committee of the Council.

Kitty is involved with the Leadership Centre of AISNSW in their Flagship Program for aspiring principals and is the Executive Officer of the Australasian Mercy Secondary Schools Association.

Damien Abdallah BCom CPA
Damien, an ex-student of Santa Maria Del Monte, is the father, brother and uncle of Santa Sabina educated women. He joined the Santa Sabina Property and Finance Committee in March 2020 and was appointed to the Board in June 2022. Damien has over 25 years of international operations and finance experience, working with diverse groups of people from different backgrounds from all over the world. He is a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree.

James Coyne LLB
James is the son, brother and parent of Santa Sabina educated women. He has been a member of the Risk and Finance Committees of the Board since 2016 and was appointed to the Board in in 2017. James’ professional career includes over 25 years as an in-house lawyer and governance professional with ASX listed entities in the infrastructure, construction and property sectors.

Jane Curran MA BA DipEd MACEL
Jane joined the College Board in 2020 bringing to it her experience of over 40 years in education culminating in her most recent tenure as principal and board secretary for a girls’ independent Catholic school in Sydney. Jane has worked in both the NSW and independent sectors and has represented Catholic independent schools most recently on the Education Policy Committee for the Federation of Religious Institute and Ministerial PJP Catholic School Authorities in NSW and ACT.

Sabina Donnolley BEc CA CTA JP GAIDC
Sabina is a Chartered Accountant and partner in accounting practice and has over 35 years’ experience in finance and taxation. Sabina was appointed to the Board in 2017 having previously Chaired the Future Funding Committee, a subcommittee of the Board. She is now Chair of the Foundation. Sabina is an ex-student and daughter of an ex-student.

Jonathan Kearns BEc(Hons) PhD
Jonathan is the father of four daughters educated at Santa. He has over 25 years’ experience working in economics and finance in Australia and internationally in the public and private sectors. He was appointed to the Board in 2023. He has a Bachelor of Economics (Honours in Economics and Econometrics) and a PhD in Economics.

Sr Jill Shirvington OP Grad Dip RE, MA (Catechetics), MTh
Jill is an ex-student of Santa Sabina, a former teacher at Del Monte and a Dominican Sister. She has been a teacher, Religious Education coordinator and school principal in NSW and Victoria. She moved into adult faith formation as a parish pastoral associate and then as a Diocesan Co-ordinator of Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults in both the Melbourne and Broken Bay Dioceses. She was also Academic Advisor for the Broken Bay Institute. Currently Jill supports staff across Santa Sabina College with the practice of meditation and coordinates the Prayer Companion Program with Sisters and Year 12 students. Jill has been a Board member since July 2018.

Dennis Vaccher BCom CA GAICD
Dennis is a retired Chartered Accountant with over 30 years experience in audit, accountancy, taxation,  governance and risk management, and was appointed to the Board in 2023. He has served on various Not for Profit Boards and Committees and is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Dennis has one daughter educated at Santa.

Policies

Please contact the Principal’s Office for further information about our Policies.

Below are some of our College policies: