Our People

Chief Executive & Board

Country Arts SA is one of South Australia’s largest arts organisations, providing arts services across regional South Australia. We deliver programs and initiatives, manage performing and visual arts venues, and provide funding which supports the creative endeavours of communities and individuals.

Anthony Peluso

Chief Executive / Executive Director

Anthony has overseen the organisations most ambitious changes, working with the many artists and communities, government funders, corporate and individual supporters who invested time, energy and resources into the impact of the organisation’s arts programs. Working in regional contexts has broadened his outlook and understanding of his place in community. He is dedicated to championing First Nations peoples’ rights and celebrating the diversity of regional communities. And is driven by the stories of regional South Australia to create experiences that can’t be made anywhere else in the world.

Anthony Peluso

Chief Executive / Executive Director

Michael Lennon

Chair

Michael is a leading figure in the Australian community housing, urban planning, and related sectors, with almost four decades experience in government, executive management, governance, government, and policy development, across both public and private sectors in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

Michael Lennon

Chair

Victoria MacKirdy GAICD

Board Member

Victoria is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the City of Victor Harbor. She has over 20 years experience in Local Government having worked with a number of Councils across the State, along with the Local Government Association of SA.

Victoria MacKirdy GAICD

Board Member

Christie Anthoney

Board Member

Born into a creative, academic family in Adelaide, South Australia Christie has spent her life involved with the arts and has built a reputation for strategy and a natural instinct for picking winners.

Christie Anthoney

Board Member

Stephanie Toole

Board Member

Owner, winemaker of Mount Horrocks Wines in the Clare Valley, Stephanie Toole is Country Arts SA’s Board member representing the Mid-North & Yorke Peninsula region.

Stephanie Toole

Board Member

Ella Winnall

Board Member

Ella Winnall is a community enabler and opportunity creator based in South Australia’s Riverland. Ella’s diverse portfolio of skills and experiences across community, tourism, local government, main streets, agriculture and innovation allows her to thread together the things that make communities tick to identify opportunities and deliver tangible outcomes.

Ella Winnall

Board Member

Ian McKay

Board Member

A leader in the education space, Ian has spent the last 30 years as a school principal in both government and non government across 3 states. He is currently the Regional Manager at UniSA in Mount Gambier and is actively involved in his local community through his position as District Governor of Rotary District 9780 in 2023 -24 and Board Members with the Australian Rotary Health and Mount Gambier Pioneers Basketball Club.

Ian McKay

Board Member

Staff

Leadership Team

Anthony Peluso
Chief Executive/Executive Director and RAP Champion
[email protected]

Sonya Peterson
Leadership Coordinator
[email protected]

Merilyn de Nys
Arts & Culture Leader
[email protected]

Sussan Baldwin
Arts Centres Leader
[email protected]

Vacant
Sustainability Leader

Jill Bolzon
Head of People
[email protected]

Kyra Herzfeld
Marketing Leader
[email protected]

Cassandra Barendregt
Development Director

Arts Programming

Mik Frawley
Arts Project and Program Manager
[email protected]

Gina Rings
Associate Producer

Tammy Hall
Creative Communities Programmer
[email protected]

Lauren Mustillo
Visual Arts Manager
[email protected]

Marika Davies
Tarnanthi Regional Curator

Seb Calabretto
Visual Arts Program Officer

Eliza Wuttke
Associate Producer – Touring

Cultural Programs

Josh Trevorrow
First Nations Arts & Cultural Manager
[email protected]

Dominic Guerrera
First Nations Producer
[email protected] 

Janet Carey
Grants Manager
[email protected]

Kayla Perry
Grants Program Administrator 
[email protected] 

Sonya Rankine
Arts and Cultural Facilitator
Country Arts SA (Yorke Peninsula Council)
[email protected]

Ali Eckermann
Arts and Cultural Facilitator
Country Arts SA (Regional Council of Goyder)
[email protected]

Mia Stocks
Arts and Cultural Facilitator
Country Arts SA (City of Victor Harbor)
[email protected]

Karen Tate
Arts and Cultural Facilitator
Country Arts SA (Loxton Waikerie Council)
[email protected] 

Gillian Steel
Arts and Cultural Facilitator
[email protected]

Middleback Arts Centre

Contact the team at the Middleback Arts Centre at [email protected] 

Vacant
Operations Manager

Vacant
Theatre Technician

Lisa Faulds
Administration Officer

Chelsea Berriman
Digital Projection Officer

Northern Festival Centre

Contact the team at the Northern Festival Centre at [email protected] 

Position vacant
Operations Manager

Bianca Roeters
Theatre Services Officer

Vacant
Administration Officer

Paul Schrader
Theatre Technician

Chaffey Theatre

Contact the team at the Chaffey Theatre at [email protected] 

Sharlene Martin
Chaffey Theatre Manager
[email protected]

Lara Vallelonga
Administration Officer

Sophie Cass
Administration Officer

Nicole John
Theatre Services Officer

Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre

Contact the team at the Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre at [email protected]

Frank Morello
Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre Manager
[email protected]

Jo Smith
Finance Administration Officer

Fay Cakebread
Theatre Technician

Hopgood Theatre

Lauren Grant
Administrative Officer

Vacant
Theatre Technician

Relationships

For any marketing enquiries please contact [email protected]  

Beth Wuttke
Head of Design

Jess Costello
Digital Strategist

Aden Shukla
Digital Marketing Assistant

Diana Maschio
Marketing and Publicity Officer

Paula Backstrom
Marketing and Community Relations Officer (Port Pirie)

Hélène Sobolewski
Corporate Marketing Publicity Coordinator

Finance

Please contact finance at [email protected] 

Vacant
Finance Manager

Keilah Reyes
Payroll and Accounting Officer

Susan Altamura
Finance Officer

Naomi Barrett
Finance Officer

First Nations Advisory Committee

Country Arts SA is committed to the continued development of its First Nations program and in 2011 established an Aboriginal Reference Group (ARG) to support the program. In June 2019 the ARG became an official committee of the Board and is was the Aboriginal Advisory Committee before developing into the First Nations Advisory Committee in 2021.

The First Nations Advisory Committee (FNAC) was established by the Board of Trustees (the Board) under Section 10 of The South Australian Country Arts Trust Act, 1992 to assist Country Arts SA in all aspects of decision making regarding First Nations arts, culture and people.

The purpose of the AAC is to provide advice, governance and leadership to Country Arts SA Board and staff on First Nations people and the arts.

First Nations Advisory Committee Members

Andrew Birtwistle-Smith – FNAC Chair and Country Ars SA Board Member
Boandik

Lee-Ann Buckskin
Narungga, Kaurna, Wirangu, Wotjobaluk
Lee-Ann Buckskin and Associates

Isaac Cohen Lindsay
Ngarrindjeri
Riverland artist and filmmaker

 Danielle Edwards
A South Sea Islander, Gubbi  Gubbi woman (Raised on Yuibera country)

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Country Arts SA recognises that we are living and creating on First Nations Lands and we are committed to working together to honour their living cultures.

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