Our
Board

Airlie has been in management leadership roles in the private, public, philanthropic and not-for-profit sectors for over 25 years. Across her career, Airlie has worked for some well-known Australian organisations including Clayton Utz, Minter Ellison, Outward Bound, the Grains Research and Development Corporation, Kowalski Recruitment and Hynes Lawyers. Airlie is currently a Director of Home of the Arts, Australian Certified Organic, Arcadia College and the Thyne Reid Foundation. She has an MBA and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Airlie looks forward to continuing her support of Storyfest, in her role as Chair, overseeing the Board of Directors.

Alex is a strategic advisor, certified Advisory Board Chair, proven operating CEO and Executive Chairman with deep Asia Pacific experience and earlier global capital markets and investment banking leadership expertise. Most recently, Alex was Chairman of a South East Asian Energy and Power venture. Prior to this he was a member of the investment banking management committee and a Managing Director at Merrill Lynch based in Hong Kong. Alex has lived and worked in London, Chicago, New York, Sydney, Tokyo, Hong Kong and is now based on the Gold Coast in Queensland, from where he advises businesses and charities locally and in Asia. Alex has taken on the role of Deputy Chair of Somerset Storyfest and has a passion for the development of children's literacy.

As both an alumnus and parent of Somerset College, Michael has experienced firsthand, the impact of the writer’s festival with his family. Michael has a passion to build the connection between the development of children’s literacy programmes and local businesses. As company principal of Arnold Development Consultants, which is a local entity with a 50-year history on the Gold Coast, Michael is an essential member of the Storyfest Board.

Craig was educated at Cavendish Road State High School (1975); Griffith University, Bachelor of Arts (1979) and Master of Arts (1997); and the University of Queensland, Bachelor of Educational Studies (1984). Craig is the third Headmaster of Somerset College and joined the College from Whitsunday Anglican School at Mackay where he was Principal. Before this he was Deputy Principal of Trinity Anglican School in Cairns and Director of Admissions and Master of McKinley House at The Southport School. He has taught at The Hotchkiss School, Connecticut, USA and St Anne's School, Windermere, UK. He has taught Senior English, Literature and Media Studies for many years. As Headmaster, Craig is the chief executive of the College. He is appointed by the College Board and is responsible to the Board for the proper conduct, management and discipline of the College.

Megan, an accomplished educator, librarian, and published author, firmly believes in the transformative power of arts and language for young people. Her accolades include being named the ASLA Australian Teacher Librarian of the Year 2023 and the SLAQ Queensland Teacher Librarian of the Year. Megan’s extensive involvement with local and national literary organisations, including her recent role as the curator of the Children’s and Youth Program for the Brisbane Writers Festival in 2023, showcases her commitment to fostering creativity and literacy. Additionally, she serves as an ambassador for the Pyjama Foundation. We are honored to welcome Megan to the Storyfest Board of Directors, where her guidance will shape the festival’s future.

Dr Caroline Graham is an award-winning investigative journalist who specialises in narrative non-fiction storytelling across both traditional and new media formats, including podcasting, data-driven reporting and longform creative non-fiction. Caroline is the co-author of the Australian bestseller Larrimah (Allen & Unwin, 2021), which was shortlisted for an Indie Book Award and has been optioned by NBC Universal and Matchbox Pictures for potential development into a scripted TV series. Caroline is also the co-author and co-producer of the investigative true crime podcast series Lost in Larrimah (The Australian, 2018), which won a Walkley Award, an NT Media Award and was a finalist in the Quills Awards and the Australian Podcasting Awards.

Terry has been involved with the writer’s festival since 1998. As the owner of a nationally recognised book store chain, Terry brought a wealth of experience to develop the Festival own bookstore, which still is an integral part of the festival to this day. Terry continues to support the festival as a dedicated member of the Storyfest Board. Terry’s leadership and service to Storyfest significant and unique.

Sara possesses extensive familiarity with Storyfest, having participated as a student, sponsor, donor, volunteer, and parent. Her background in media, communication, and arts access fuels her passion for providing children with opportunities to explore their creativity and build connections through storytelling. Sara actively engages with stakeholders, fostering lasting relationships that support long-term giving. As a former valued member of the Foundation board at Arts Centre Melbourne, Sara contributes a wealth of knowledge to the Storyfest Board.