Catharine is an experienced board director and CEO with a strong career background in management, marketing, tourism and publishing. She has broad corporate governance and strategy experience on boards in the corporate, ASX, government and NFP sectors.

Catharine has been a senior marketer of some of Australia’s major events, including the Bicentennial celebrations, Sydney 2000 Olympic Bid, Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, etc. She was asked to become CEO of the iconic Driza-Bone company to ready it for private equity sale, successfully returning it to Australian ownership. Then, looking for fresh challenges, Catharine focused on establishing a book publishing company, Citrus Press, which has now edited and produced over 100 titles. On moving to the Central Coast in 2018, she launched COAST magazine which has grown into the largest quality magazine, showcasing the best of the region.

Catharine has been a member of the Central Coast Tourism Advisory Committee for the Central Coast Council and similarly for the Gosford-Erina Business Chamber. She is the author of nine published non-fiction books, as well as being a closet novel writer. Catharine’s interest in the Conservatorium was born from a strong family background in music. She is proud to be able to take a small stride in following both her maternal and paternal grandparents’ giant footsteps as founders, administrators and classical musicians in orchestras across the Netherlands, Russia and Vienna. Elected to the Board in 2023.

Elizabeth W. Scott is a global arts and culture strategist with over 25 years’ experience advising and producing content for cultural organisations across the USA, UK and Australia.

Her roles have included Executive Director of CREATE NSW, the State’s Arts and Screen funding and policy department of government; Chief Media and Digital Officer of New York City’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts; and co-owner of a consultancy that served performing arts, visual arts, and arts education organisations of all sizes around the globe. She has been honoured to be recognised with Emmy awards for her work live-producing concert and theatrical performance productions.

Prior to her arts sector executive work, she ran the business of Major League Baseball’s film and television production for over a decade, implementing many firsts for US sport that provide relevant learnings and insights for arts accessibility and audience development today.

She has also contributed as an international thought leader on media and technology’s impact on the cultural sector and has been a featured speaker at leading universities and peak body conferences for each performing arts form, across the globe.

Elizabeth currently serves as Board Member of the US’s largest artist peak body, Fractured Atlas, and as a Director of the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra. Her sector service has also included International Counsellor for the UK peak body, Creative Industries Federation.

An accomplished performing artist who has freelanced as a conductor with opera companies, choruses and festivals across New York, her recent work in Australia includes conducting the Orange Symphony Orchestra and the East Sydney Chamber Orchestra. She recently assumed the role of Music Director with the Central Coast’s VERVE Voices.

Elizabeth’s belief in the life-changing impact of strong music education has drawn her to service on the Central Coast Conservatorium’s Board. She credits inspirational arts educators in her youth as the most influential people in developing her intellectual curiosity, her leadership skills and a confidence in her own artistic voice.

Please note Elizabeth is currently on leave from June 13th – August 7th.

Emma has spent 25 years as a CEO and senior executive in the global nonprofit performing arts sector, where she has worked with more than 125 arts organisations and their Boards in the USA, UK and Australia.

Emma lived in New York City for 20 years, where she owned a large arts management consulting firm focussed on strategic planning, fundraising and executive search. She was recruited home in 2017 to serve as CEO of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Under her leadership, the SSO commissioned 50 new orchestral works from Australian composers, secured Simone Young AM as Chief Conductor, relocated to Sydney Town Hall while the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall was closed for renovations, and completed a successful 12-city tour to Europe. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Emma and her team restructured the business, renegotiated wages with multiple labour unions to preserve full employment, secured emergency government funding and delivered a record 42% increase in philanthropy.

Emma is now a senior executive in government, working with the Australian Electoral Commission, NSW Electoral Commission, and TAFE NSW.

She holds a Bachelor of Music Performance (Opera) from the Victorian College of the Arts and is a medal-winning a cappella vocalist, choir conductor and singer. She performs with the Con’s Adult Recorder Ensemble and volunteers with NSW National Park Service, the Gosford Sailing Club and Vision Australia Seeing Eye Dogs.

Elected to the Board in 2025.

Emma is currently on leave from June 13 – July 21.

Paul has more than 35 years of diversified experience in investment banking/financial services, consulting, and general management in Australia and overseas. He spent two decades as a director with several banks, including Citibank, focusing on corporate finance. Subsequently he was a partner/managing director in a global professional services firm for 15 years, and later a director and senior adviser in corporate development and advisory roles with JB Were Goldman Sachs. 

Paul also chaired and advised an independent corporate advisory firm. He has wide experience both as a non-executive chair and director and as an advisor to many boards in the public listed, private unlisted, and government sectors on strategy, governance, chair/director selection, board/CEO performance issues, and leadership assessment. Paul’s extensive not-for-profit (NFP) experience has included establishing,revitalizing, merging, and advisingmany NFP boards and CEOs on strategy, governance, mergers and leadership performance in many NFP sectors.

Currently, he serves on the Boards and committees of organisations involved in philanthropy, education, social enterprises and corporate governance. He recently retired as a non-executive director from the Australian String Quartet where he served for a 13-year term. Elected to the Board in 2022.

Penny is an experienced senior lawyer who works for the NSW government advising on issues relating to environmental law. She worked as a legal adviser to the British government in London for eight years and also as a lawyer for the United Nations in West Africa. Penny holds a Master of Laws, a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts. She has also taught law at university level. 

Penny plays the violin and has a strong belief in the importance of learning music for people of all ages and abilities. She believes that music inspires people to come together creatively in a magical way. Penny has been an active member of the Board since 2019.