Our people
CSNSW is the representative voice of NSW Catholic education and their owners at the state and national level. Our role is to ensure the interests of Catholic schools are protected and promoted in forums where education policy is formed and resource allocation is determined.
Board of Directors
Mark Dorney
Chairman
Mark is an independent investment banker. His previous professional roles include Head of Corporate Finance & Capital Markets for Australasia for CITIC CLSA Capital Markets (Asia’s then largest locally-headquartered investment bank). Prior to that he was CEO of ASX-listed Southern Cross Austereo (then known as Macquarie Media Group) and an Executive Director of Macquarie Group. Mark was previous Chair of the Asset Management Review Committee and Director of House With No Steps and past Vice Chairman of the Australia Taiwan Business Council. He is a past group Director of PRP Diagnostic Imaging, of the University of NSW Foundation and previous Investment Committee member of Little Company of Mary (Calvary Healthcare). Mark is a current Director of Hunter Ferdinand Property Group, Greenwich Capital Partners and Chevalier Capital. He is a Knight of the Sovereign Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta.
Most Reverend Bishop Daniel (Danny) Meagher
Bishop Daniel is an auxiliary bishop of Sydney. He was ordained a priest on 22 July 1995 at St Mary’s Cathedral and studied for two years at the Gregorian Pontifical University in Rome, obtaining a Licentiate in Fundamental Theology. Bishop Daniel was appointed Director of Catechesis for World Youth Day from 2006-2008. He has also served as Director of Mission for Catholic Care and as Director of Formation in the Permanent Diaconate program. Bishop Daniel was as Administrator of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Broken Hill in the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes from 2012-2014. He took up an appointment as Rector of the Seminary of the Good Shepherd from 2015-2020 and in 2021, and served as Administrator of All Hallows in Five Dock. On 18 November 2021, Pope Francis appointed him a bishop as Titular Bishop of Pocofelto and an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Sydney.
Toni Downes
Emeritus Professor Toni Downes has worked with universities, educational systems and schools, for nearly 40 years. Through effective leadership and sustained scholarship, she has improved educational outcomes in universities and schools in the effective use of digital technologies, in gender and technology, and in teacher education policy and practice, Her work has included numerous research and professional projects, over 70 publications, international and national professional presentations and workshops and over $1 million in grants and consultancies. She is a highly experienced senior educational leader, having had senior roles at two universities. In 2018 she retired from the role of DVC Academic at Charles Sturt University. She currently serves as a non-executive director on a number of Boards, as a member of academic boards and advisory committees, and as an external reviewer of educational programs and organisational units.
Vince Graham AM
A civil engineer, Vince is on the board of the Australian Rail Track Corporation, NSW Public Service Commission & the Safety Committee of University of Sydney Senate. For more than 20 years, he led several large government-owned enterprises undergoing substantial change management including Essential Energy, Endeavour Energy, Ausgrid and State Rail Authority. He has also served on the boards of many Catholic organisations. Vince is a Knight Commander of the Order of St Gregory and a Member of the Order of Australia. Vince is Chair of the Capital Projects Evaluation Panel and member of the Compliance & Resourcing Committee and the Education Effectiveness Committee.
Michael Lee
A qualified engineer, Michael is a director of Sydney Airport and chairman of industry body Communications Alliance. During a 17-year career as a Federal MP, he was Minister for Communications and shadow minister for education. Michael has previously chaired the NSW TAFE Commission board and Central Coast Campuses of University of Newcastle. He is Chair of Calvary Ministries and Communications Alliance Ltd, and a Director of the National Film & Sound Archive. Michael is a member of the Audit & Risk Committee and the Governance, HR & Remuneration Committee.
David Robinson
A chartered accountant for more than 40 years, David is currently a Partner with ESV Accounting and Business Advisors. His expertise is in advising SMEs, trade unions and not-for-profit organisations. He is an experienced public company non-executive director and since 2009, a Trustee of Mary Aikenhead Ministries – the responsible entity for the health, education and social care ministries formerly under the stewardship of the Sisters of Charity of Australia. David is Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee, and a member of the Capital Projects Evaluation Panel and the Compliance & Resourcing Committee.
Julian Widdup
Julian is a company director with board experience in the investment, finance, infrastructure, government, agriculture, healthcare, education and defence industries. He brings strong board and executive skills in strategy, risk management, corporate finance, governance, audit and compliance. Julian holds a Bachelor of Economics and a Master of Business Administration from the Australian National University. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Julian is currently a director of Rural Funds Management Ltd and the Australian Catholic University.
Gráinne McCormack
Gráinne is a Senior Executive with more than ten years' C-Suite level Operations experience in both the public and private sectors and is the Chief Operating Officer at engineering company Taylor Thomson Whitting (TTW). Dual-qualified as an engineer and a lawyer, Gráinne has worked in construction and development in engineering and legal capacities for over 30 years. Prior to joining TTW, Gráinne was the Executive Director responsible for Corporate Services at Sydney Olympic Park for 18 months and Chief Operating Officer of Steensen Varming for six years. She was a non-executive director on the board of St Augustine's College, Sydney, and Chair of the Building Committee, undertaking significant building works together with oversight of the Masterplan for the College.
Jenny Allen
Jenny Allen was the Executive Director of Schools in the Diocese of Bathurst between 2012 and 2020. Before this, Jenny was the foundation Principal of Corpus Christi Catholic High School, Oak Flats, in the Wollongong diocese, following her principalship at Mercy Catholic College in Chatswood and Special Projects Officer in the CSO, Broken Bay. Jenny has over 40 years of experience in Catholic education in various educational settings across seven dioceses in NSW. Most recently, Jenny was the Acting Director of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Lismore for 2022. Jenny is the current Chair of the Catholic Education Council in the Diocese of Wagga Wagga, Deputy Chair of the St Stanislaus College Bathurst Board, and a member of the Education Committee of the St Ignatius College Riverview Board.
Anna Dickinson
Anna has served Catholic education for 42 years. For the past ten years Anna has been Principal and CEO of Loreto Kirribilli Limited and prior to that, Principal of two other Catholic Schools, Bethlehem College Ashfield and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College Kensington. Anna’s previous roles include Regional Consultant for the Archdiocese of Sydney and Director of System Performance for the Diocese of Parramatta. Anna has previously also served on a range of boards and committees including the Sydney Archdiocesan Catholic Schools Board, the Dunlea Centre Engadine Board, the Independent Girls' School Association (IGSA) Board, Chair of the Nirimba Education Precinct and AISNSW Independent Schools Teacher Accreditation Authority. Some of Anna’s committee work included membership of the Independent Schools (AISNSW) Advisory Council, and NESA Quality Teaching Committee.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Dallas McInerney
Dallas McInerney is the Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Schools NSW Ltd, the System Authority for the State’s 550 Catholic Schools. He is a cabinet appointee to the Board of the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA). Dallas previously held senior roles in financial services (Insurance Australia Group and National Australia Bank) and the corporate regulator, ASIC. In 2007, Dallas was invited to join DFAT’s Young Leaders Programme with delegations through Asia; prior to this, he interned for the H.E Kofi Annan Secretary–General of the United Nations. Dallas holds Masters degrees from Sydney and Oxford Universities.