Ice Hockey Australia Personnel Update

Ice Hockey Australia Personnel Update

Melbourne, Australia – Following a key period of activity and strategic planning, Ice Hockey Australia (IHA) announces changes to key roles as we continue to move forward and evolve.

Together with the appointment of key head roles; we also have recently farewelled Board Member Ms. Suzanne Garas who we thank for nearly three years of dedicated service and has sadly had to retire her position. Ms. Garas has assisted with many key events including the now adopted super National Championship tournament and together with her exceptional contribution and strong stakeholder relationships we acknowledge her commitment to the sport. And that commitment continues, with Ms. Garas continuing in the role of National Championships lead for 2026 and overseeing the delivery of the iconic event in July. As a result of strategic planning, dedicated Board portfolios will commence ongoing adjustments to better suit the current needs of the organisation and future growth goals. We wish to announce that Vice President, Ms. Veronica Ryan, will shortly take up a Business Operations Portfolio, and as such an EOI for a new Board position of Treasurer will be launched. Ms. Ryan with deep expertise in the Treasury and Finance space will continue as a mentor and ensure a smooth transition.

We also thank other long term contributors to ice hockey in Australia; Mr. Bill Siegloff and Mr. Mark Stephenson for their roles in our Para Program and National Coaching Director respectively. These roles have been critical to supporting our players and wider community and we thank them for their many years of effort.

We have welcomed Ms. Tamra Jones (Head of Women Player Development) and Ms. Lynda Holt (Head of Para Ice Hockey) who we are deeply thankful for coming on board to assist our program growth and congratulate them on their appointments.

Recently Ms. Michaela Fellowes after four successful years supporting our AW league has stepped down; we thank Michaela for her tireless efforts in pulling together a complex season and managing many moving elements. We will soon release an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the AWIHL Commissioner role.

As we continue to evolve and focus on both growth of the sport and sustainable governance - we thank our wider community for their support. Particularly thanks to those leaving us and acknowledgment of their efforts; as a sport largely powered by volunteers we are grateful.
Please reach out if you have any questions and look out for the Expressions of Interest if you or someone you know would like to be involved.

For more information on ice hockey in Australia, visit iha.org.au