The Queensland Rugby Union (QRU) has confirmed two new Board members following the QRU’s Bi-Annual General Meeting, held at St.George Ballymore House today.
Business leader Jane Schmitt and Indigenous Education specialist Selwyn Button will both commence their Board appointments immediately.
The QRU members also elected former Queensland Reds and Wallabies representative David Clark a QRU life-member at today’s meeting.
QRU Chairman Jeff Miller said: “The QRU is delighted to gain the services of Jane Schmitt and Selwyn Button to complement the existing skills on our Board.
Jane has extensive professional and Board experience and Selwyn has been assisting the QRU’s excellent Indigenous Program as a senior member of our Indigenous Advisory Council for several years, so his appointment is a great fit for this organisation.
“I’m pleased that David Clark has been recognised for his lifelong service to Rugby in this state with QRU life-membership, the highest honour the organisation can bestow on a member of the Rugby community in Queensland.”
Jane Schmitt is a lawyer by profession with significant experience in executive management and has been CEO and Company Secretary of the Australian Medical Association Queensland (AMA Queensland) since 2009.
AMA Queensland is the state’s peak medical body representing the interests of more than 6,000 doctors.
Jane has strong governance background with exposure to and understanding of Board relationships and engagement; providing advice on strategy and policy development, advocacy and reporting. S
he is currently a Director and Chair of MND and Me Foundation, Director of Independent Schools Queensland, Australian Society of Association Executives (Ausae) and Executive Director of AMA Queensland Foundation.
Selwyn Button is the Assistant Director-General, State School – Indigenous Education Department of Education and Training Queensland Government.
He is also a current member of the Queensland Rugby Union’s Indigenous Advisory Council. Selwyn has undertaken senior executive roles throughout his career that have enabled him to support economic, health, education and social outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Queensland.
This commitment has translated to his long-term relationship with the Queensland Rugby Union Indigenous Program.
In his recent professional work, Selwyn has overseen the most significant improvements in educational outcomes for Indigenous students in Queensland state schools including Year 12 outcomes, NAPLAN performance and attendance rates.
Prior to this, from 2010 to 2014, Selwyn led the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC), the peak non-government health organisation for Aboriginal and Islander Community Controlled Health Services (AICCHS).
During that period, he oversaw reforms focussing on improving the quality of health care for Indigenous people, combined with improving overall governance and accountability processes for community organisations.
David Clark’s connection to Queensland Rugby Union stretches back over six decades.
As a prolific player, administrator and coach, David’s dedication to the code in Queensland helped to drive our Union to become the best provincial team in the world in the 1970s & ’80s, before assisting state and national success at the 1991 World Cup and beyond.
After hanging up his own boots, 1st Grade, Under-19, Sub-District, Schoolboys, Reds, Wallabies and Senior sides have all benefited from David’s knowledge and direction in his roles as assistant coach, head coach or coaching director.
Having played over 300 times for GPS and 20 representative matches for Queensland (QRU no 740), the former fullback and renowned coach’s nomination as Honorary Life Member was received from GPS President Michael Taylor, seconded by Wests’ President Graham Brown, Brothers’ President David Hyne and supported by fellow-QRU Life Member John ‘Rugby’ Ryan
