Ray Collins has been appointed as the Acting Executive Director of the National Catholic Education Commission following the resignation of Christian Zahra for family reasons on 18 January 2018.
Commencing on January 30, Mr Collins will serve in the position until a new Executive Director is appointed.
Mr Collins is the former Director of Schools for the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, serving in the role for nine years until his recent retirement in December 2016. He has a 44-year career in education, including 19 years in the Maitland- Newcastle Diocese.
In 1988, Mr Collins joined the Diocese of Bathurst Catholic Education Office as an education consultant before commencing at the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle Catholic Schools Office (CSO) in 1998, where he was later appointed as Director of Schools in September 2008.
He has displayed an integrity and dedication to his vocation as a Catholic educator, earning the respect of his colleagues and fellow directors. He provided steady guidance throughout his time at the CSO with a particular focus on Catholic identity and serving the marginalised in our community. He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of our current educational and political environment.
The Independent Education Union of Australia (IEUA) welcomed the appointment of Ray Collins to the National Catholic Education Commission.
“Mr Collins brings a wealth of experience to the interim position. His knowledge of matters educational, industrial and political is considerable,” IEUA Federal President John Quessy said.
“His long career in Catholic education will give him valuable insight into the day-to-day lives of our members. Mr Collins will prove a great advocate for Catholic education at this critical time.”
