Football Tasmania welcomed two new Board members in early 2023, to fill the vacancies left by Christie Cox-Haines and Ekaterina Skalidis last year.
Taylor Rand joined the board in February. Originally from Vermont in the United States, she moved to Tasmania in 2018. She has over 10 years’ experience in the energy industry, in both the private and public sectors, and specialises in strategic planning, program management and governance.
Taylor’s current role of Leader Transformation at TasNetworks includes overseeing several projects dedicated to corporate improvements. She has a long background as a football player, both in the United States and Australia, and most recently played for the Clarence Zebras in 2022 and is now assistant coaching the Zebra’s 2023 WSL team.
James Sugden joined the board in January 2023. His professional background is in engineering and project management. Since starting a career in mining in 1999, his career has spanned multiple roles across Australia in project management, consulting and design. In 2013, he co-founded Sugden & Gee, an engineering and project management consulting firm, where he continues to work as a director managing operations.
James is a long-term football player, having played with various teams throughout the State from the age of 18. Having retired due to injury last year, he is enthusiastic about how he might be able to contribute to the ongoing success of the sport in Tasmania.
Ekaterina joined the Board in 2015 and completed two terms before stepping down in March 2022. She made a huge contribution in her more than six years as a Director, including as Chair of the Board Remuneration & Governance Committee. She also provided strong advice and leadership across many areas of the organisation. and sport more broadly.
Christie was on the Board for two years from July 2020 to August 2022 and provided valuable perspectives and insights in her role on the Board Competitions Committee.
Football Tasmania Board Chair Bob Gordon said: “On behalf of the Board, I would like to warmly welcome Taylor and James to our Board and the expertise that they bring, as well as their passion for our game.
“I would also like to thank Ekaterina and Christie for the considerable time and effort they dedicated to these voluntary roles.
“We look forward to working with Taylor and James, as we boost the participation in - and profile of - football in Tasmania.”
View the new Board members' bios here: Board & Management | Football Tasmania (footballfedtas.com.au)