Update on the Sancta Sophia College Council
After nine years of dedicated service, Cathleen Crossley (FR 1979) has stepped down as Chair of the Sancta Sophia College Council. During her tenure, Cathleen led the Council and the College through the seminal Broderick Review Process, championed a culture of continuous improvement, navigated the unknown during the COVID-19 pandemic, and built on the work of her predecessors to bed down Graduate House, all the while consolidating Sancta’s financial health and security. Cathleen leaves behind a legacy that the entire Sancta community can be proud of.
For those who don’t know Cathleen well, she resided at Sancta from 1979 to 1984 while studying Science and Economics at the University of Sydney and then undertaking her Master of Economics at Macquarie University. Whilst at College, she was the Senior Representative and Honorary Treasurer for some years on the House Committee. Cathleen joined the Council in 1993 and, in those early years, played a key role in the financial management of the College. She is a Chartered Accountant and a Principal at Pitcher Partners in Sydney. We are sorry to lose Cathleen from the role as Chair, and grateful that she has agreed to continue as a Councillor and member of the Finance Committee for at least another year.
It is with great pleasure that we introduce Beth Boustead (FR 2010) as the new Chair of Council. Beth has been unanimously elected by the Council into the role, having served as a Councillor since 2021. She holds Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts (Theatre Studies) degrees from the University of Notre Dame Australia, a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice from the Australian National University and is currently studying a Master of Business Administration at the Australian Graduate School of Management, UNSW. Beth is admitted as a Lawyer of the Supreme Court of NSW and is a Senior Manager at Coras providing commercial advisory services to government, specialising in Defence maritime. During her time at Sancta, she served as the Fresher Representative and later, in her Senior year, as the Honorary Secretary on the House Committee.
College Principal Fiona Hastings thanked Cathleen for her dedicated service and warmly welcomed Beth to her new role on the Council:
“I have enjoyed working with Cath these past seven years. Cath is a quiet achiever, and it is hard to convey how much she has done for Sancta. She has always been a source of support to me, and I will not forget her insights and wisdom. While sad that Cath is leaving the role, I am excited at the prospect of working with Beth in this new capacity. Beth’s impressive professional experience, strategic insights, and leadership will assist us greatly as we move through our centenary and into Sancta’s next chapter.”
In addition, Sarah Walters (FR 1984) and Clare Schnelle (FR 2010) have been appointed as Co-Deputy Chairs of Council. Sarah is a former lawyer, administrator and educator and has served on the Council since 2015. Clare, who joined in 2019, is a senior administrator working in health policy and program delivery.
Reflecting on their appointments, Fiona added:
“I’m so excited that Sarah and Clare are teaming up as Deputy Chairs and joining Beth in a new leadership trio. The range of experiences they bring, their shared love of Sancta and their commitment to Sancta’s future mean great things for us. Sancta is blessed to be served by such great women!”
Current Sancta Sophia College Councillors are:
Beth Boustead (Chair)
Clare Schnelle (Co-Deputy Chair)
Sarah Walters (Co-Deputy Chair)
Cathleen Crossley
Fr Paul Ghanem OFM
Morgan Kelly
Simon Lillis
Prof John Shields
Luke Stevens
Fr Thomas Stevens
Debra Taylor
Catherine Willis
Prof Eliza Wu
Learn more about Governance at Sancta.
News post published Friday 17 April 2025.