Kerry Hunt (Deputy Chair)

Kerry Hunt is the Director Community Services at Wollongong City Council.  A graduate of the University of Wollongong with a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), and a Master of Policy (Social), Kerry started her career in neighbourhood-based youth work and went on to work across various community and corporate service roles for Wollongong City Council.  Kerry is passionate about the role local government can play in the revitalisation and transformation of cities and places through community and industry partnerships, enabling policy frameworks, service excellence and leadership. Kerry was appointed to the Director role in 2018 and has oversight of the revitalisation and activation of Wollongong’s City Centre, events and engagement, community and cultural development and services for the City. As part of her role, she works with others to secure commitment and investment in flagship global events for the city such as the 2022 UCI- Road World Championships and the upcoming World Triathlon Championships. Kerry has held various voluntary board positions over the past two decades and is a current member of the CatholicCare Advisory Council, an organisation delivering social services to the south coast, Illawarra and Macarthur regions.

Alicia Battestini

Alicia’s career spans two connected worlds: circus and physical theatre, and relationships counselling.  She is currently team leader of the Counselling and Parenting Orders Programs with Relationships Australia Illawarra.  Prior to this she was team leader of RANSW’s Ability Groupwork and Disability Counselling Program, to support people involved with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with a Disability. Before and throughout her ten years with Relationships Australia, Al has been a performer and director with several circus and physical theatre companies and collaborators.  She was a performer with, and Artistic Director of, Circus Monoxide.  Other performance credits include My Bicycle Loves You with Legs on the Wall at the Sydney and Perth Festivals, Dead Man Break, and The Man Who Dreamt the Stars with Merrigong Theatre Company, and early versions of Elsie with collaborator Vestri Mendum.  A first draft of the show Elsie for Vestri, with video artist Mic Gruchy, was a part of the MERRIGONGX 2022 program. Al is now particularly interested in exploring the intersections of these two major areas of her career – how her more recent deep experience of working with people in the relationships and mental health space can inform the development of new works of theatre that address and help with the healing of traumatic experiences. 

Suzanne Shepherd

Suzanne brings a wealth of experience in corporate arts sponsorship and government and industry relations to the Merrigong Board. With a strong background in supporting Australia’s leading arts organizations, she has successfully built strong partnerships making it possible for artistic initiatives to thrive. 

Suzanne is passionate about fostering creativity and accessibility in the arts, believing in the transformative power of theatre. Her strategic vision and commitment to building lasting relationships with sponsors will be instrumental in advancing the mission of Merrigong Theatre. 

In addition to her role on the board, Suzanne is an active theatregoer. You will regularly see her enjoying Merrigong productions.  

Suzanne is Director at Agency PPE Pty Ltd and lives locally.

Victoria Buchan

In a wide-ranging career across media, entertainment and not-for-profits, Victoria Buchan has developed deep expertise in the realms of risk and reputation, people and culture and legal and governance. Her experience as a company director includes positions on the board of ATYP, and she is currently Non-Executive Chair of Adopt Change and a Non-Executive Board member of the NIDA Foundation.

Victoria’s professional roots run deep in the Australian media, film and entertainment industries. She began her career as a journalist at News Ltd before moving into a public relations role at Network Ten, then moving in-house to continue as PR head for Hanna Barbera Australia.

As Head of Communications at Fox Studios Australia, Victoria was involved in the public and industry connections during the development of the professional studio complex at Moore Park in Sydney which transformed the local film and television production sector. This led to a Director of Communications role at the ABC.

Victoria’s most recent role was Director of Communications at Nine, a position that encompassed corporate communications, talent management and publicity.

She established one of the country’s most highly regarded PR agencies, The Lantern Group, in 2004. The Lantern Group provided communications consultancy services to productions such as The Great Gatsby and Sea Patrol as well as corporate communications for Screen Australia, AFTRS, Pixar and the ARIAs, among many others.