SAM board

Shepparton Art Museum Limited is the entity responsible for the Shepparton Art Museum since it transitioned from being owned and operated by Greater Shepparton City Council.

Shepparton Art Museum Limited entered into lease, funding and custodian agreements with Council for the operations of SAM, and is responsible for managing the building and key stakeholder relationships with Kaiela Arts, the Visitor Centre, and commercial operations.

Shepparton Art Museum Limited is a registered company limited by guarantee (a company structure used for not-for-profit and charitable organisations that reinvest any profits towards the organisation's purposes).

The skills-based board comprises nine Company Directors with a range of backgrounds, expertise and experience.

The Company Directors are:

• Stephen Merrylees (Chair)
• Kimberley Moulton (Deputy Chair)
• Jeannie Furphy
• Jo Gartner
• Fiona Le Gassick (GSCC CEO)
• John Head (SAM Foundation)
• Chris Teitzel (GSCC Director Corporate Services)
• Drew Pettifer

Board members will serve for a minimum of two to three years, to a maximum term of nine years. The new SAM will operate as a not-for-profit, charitable organisation and the Board positions are voluntary.

Director’s Profiles

Jeannie Furphy

Jeannie Furphy is a former stockbroker who has lived in Shepparton since 2000. 

Jeannie was raised in rural western Victoria before studying and working in Melbourne prior to her move to Shepparton. Jeannie holds a Bachelor of Business and a postgraduate Accounting Degree and has experience in financial management and a strong understanding of its importance to any organisation. 

Jeannie has a deep understanding of the value of effective community-based activities and organisations through numerous volunteer roles and committee involvement.

Jo Gartner

Jo Gartner is Head of Marketing - Asset Services at Walker Corporation. Jo has more than 15 years’ experience working across the arts, destination marketing, national retail shopping centres and property developments in Melbourne and Sydney.

In her time at Dexus, Jo has led the marketing strategy for large-scale city retail dining precincts including Southgate Melbourne and the award-winning marketing launch strategy for Gateway Sydney in Circular Quay. Jo also worked on major event projects during her time at the City of Melbourne including the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition series with NGV International and Australian Centre for the Moving Image, while responsible for promoting city visitation.

Jo holds a Masters of Marketing from Melbourne Business School and Bachelor of Arts Management from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, and is originally from Murchison.

John Head

John Head has held many roles in the arts community in Shepparton including being a member of the new SAM Project Board, Artistic Director of the Shepparton Festival, Convener of the Shepparton Short Film Festival, playwright, actor and member of the Shepparton Theatre Arts Board.

John is a podiatrist in private practice in Shepparton since 1983. He has been a Fellow of the Australasian Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine since 1998 and completed a Masters by Research in 2002. John has presented regularly on Podiatric and sports medicine topics at Australian conferences since 1988.

John was also on the board of the Shepparton Festival between 1999 and 2015 with the role of Artistic Director from 2005 to 2014. He is a Board member of the Shepparton Theatre Arts Group and a regular actor and playwright.

Fiona Le Gassick

Fiona has led a rich career across a number of organisations, sectors and portfolios within Victoria and Tasmania.

Fiona has expertise, strengths and experience in strategic and business planning, government and stakeholder relations, industry and community engagement, business and workforce development, and cultural change. She also brings in-depth knowledge on strategic marketing and communications, customer service, people management, development and leadership, service model development, financial management and leading organisational and community transformation.

Prior to returning to Greater Shepparton City Council as CEO, Fiona has held director, management and leadership roles at Council, TasTAFE (Tasmania), GOTAFE, Berry Street and the former Victorian Department of Human Services, including stint as acting Chief Operating Officer at TasTAFE.

Fiona has qualifications in management, marketing, psychology, sociology and social work and is a graduate of the Australian Company Directors course.

Stephen Merrylees

Stephen Merrylees is SMR Legal’s Managing Director and has extensive experience as a senior political adviser and as a government lawyer with the federal government including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Having been a five-term Mayor and nationally accredited mediator, Stephen also has life experience operating a large family property, lecturing in law at Melbourne University Dookie Campus and as Executive Director of Goulburn Murray Community Leadership Program (Fairley Leadership).

Stephen has served on numerous local and state advisory boards and committees and has completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course. He is currently Chair of the GV Health Foundation Board and a member of the CFA Shepparton District Headquarters Brigade.

Kimberley Moulton

Kimberley Moulton is a Yorta Yorta woman and was born and raised in Shepparton. Kimberley is a curator and writer and Senior Curator South Eastern Aboriginal Collections at Museums Victoria (2016-present). 

Kimberley has worked in curatorial roles at Melbourne Museum for 10 years (Bunjilaka Project Officer and Curator 2008-2015) and has curated over 16 exhibitions with the Victorian Koorie community. In 2018 Kimberley was lead curator for Mandela: My Life, an exhibition on Nelson Mandela at Melbourne Museum in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

Kimberley is passionate about supporting First Peoples cultures, histories, futures and agency within cultural institutions and has researched historical First Peoples collections across the world, connecting history and people, considering what it means historically and for the future of cultural materials in institutions. Kimberley has written extensively for art and museum publications nationally and internationally and held research, curatorial and writing fellowships across Europe, UK, South Asia and America. Kimberley has been engaged with SAM for several years with her arts writing and lecturing and was a judge for the 2016 Indigenous Ceramic Art award.

Chris Teitzel

Chris Teitzel is a strategic, community focused individual with exceptional corporate governance, finance and operation planning skills. He has a strong interest in the Arts and over the course of his career has overseen the strategic direction and operations of 4 regional art galleries, 2 regional historical museums and 2 performing arts centres.

Chris has been with Greater Shepparton City Council as Director Corporate Services since 2014 and has almost 30 year’s local government and private sector experience in both Queensland and Victoria.

Chris has held many senior roles including CEO, Director Community and Environmental Services, Director Corporate Services and Manager Finance as well a position of Commercial Manager in the private sector. Chris is a Certified Practicing Accountant with a Degree in Business and a Graduate Certificate in Management.

SAM artistic & acquisitions committee

The board of the Shepparton Art Museum is supported by an Artistic & Acquisitions Committee that provides recommendations to the SAM Board on artwork acquisitions in line with SAM's Collection Policy.

• Kimberley Moulton (Chair)
• Dr Drew Pettifer
• Ann Fagan
• John McMaster
• Fran Smullen
• Serana Hunt-Hughes
• Tina Douglas