BOARD CHAIR
Mary Gearin is an award-winning journalist and storyteller of more than 30 years’ experience. As ABC News presenter across national and state TV and radio programmes, Europe Correspondent and National Sport Correspondent, she led the national broadcaster's coverage of some of the biggest stories in the world and Australia, including terrorist attacks in Paris, the Europe migrant crisis and Victoria’s deadly 2019-20 bushfires.  Mary is also an accomplished MC and moderator.  She now does work with Save the Children Australia, Scanlon Foundation Research Institute and is excited to be Chair of Mountain Festival.

DEPUTY CHAIR
Rob is a Commercial Lawyer and Business Owner with experience and expertise in Governance, Law, Information Technology, Tourism, Strategic Planning and Not for Profits. Also over thirty years experience in the management and development of social purpose and sustainable businesses.

BOARD MEMBER
Agi Lesnicki is a qualified Chartered Accountant with 15 years of accounting experience across a number of service and retail businesses. She is currently the financial controller at Total Tools and has previously held senior finance roles at Healthscope, Sportsbet and GE Capital. Agi was previously on the board of Urban Myth Theatre of Youth in Adelaide. She joins Mountain Festival with a love for the Macedon ranges spending most weekends enjoying the area with her extended family.

BOARD MEMBER
Dr Billy Griffiths is a writer and historian who lives in the Macedon Ranges. He lectures in Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies at Deakin University and is a Senior Research Fellow at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation. His latest book, Deep Time Dreaming: Uncovering Ancient Australia (Black Inc., 2018), won the Ernest Scott Prize, the Felicia A. Holton Book Award, the John Mulvaney Book Award, the Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction and the 2019 Book of the Year at the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards.

BOARD MEMBER
Felicity Jacobson combines her legal acumen with a rich background in media and entertainment. Before transitioning into law, she held pivotal roles at the Weather Channel, XYZnetworks (now FOXTEL), and ABC Commercial. Felicity has nearly lived long enough in Macedon to be considered a local and is deeply committed to her community.

BOARD MEMBER
Macedon resident Kate Crawshaw is a learning designer, facilitator and founder of Serious Woo, a learning and development organisation that employs actors and arts-based techniques to improve workplace communication and innovation skills. Kate has a Bachelor of Arts, postgraduate qualifications in Public Relations, certifications in Experiential Learning and Visual Design. Kate is driven by building strong inclusive communities and loves a bush dance.

BOARD MEMBER
Sonia Orchard, is a freelance writer, creative writing teacher and an award-winning author of three books: a memoir Something More Wonderful, and the novels The Virtuoso and Into the Fire. She has a background in classical piano, environmental science and a PhD in creative writing. She is passionate about helping to promote the Macedon Ranges as a thriving community for the arts. Sonia lives in Macedon with her husband, three kids and many pets.

Founder and Festival Director

Sonia Orchard, is a freelance writer, creative writing teacher and an award-winning author of three books: a memoir Something More Wonderful, and the novels The Virtuoso and Into the Fire. She has a background in classical piano, environmental science and a PhD in creative writing. She is passionate about helping to promote the Macedon Ranges as a thriving community for the arts. Sonia lives in Macedon with her husband, three kids and many pets.

Program Director and Event Manager

Emily Westmoreland is the Program Director for Willy Lit Fest. She runs Dinner Party Press, is the publisher of PENinsula, and is part of the team behind the Desperate Literature Prize for short fiction. She works as a bookseller by day. In 2023, she is the Penguin Random House Young Bookseller of the Year. 

Ash Wednesday Play Producer and Communications Lead

Macedon resident Kate Crawshaw is a learning designer, facilitator and founder of Serious Woo, a learning and development organisation that employs actors and arts-based techniques to improve workplace communication and innovation skills. Kate has a Bachelor of Arts, postgraduate qualifications in Public Relations, certifications in Experiential Learning and Visual Design. Kate is driven by building strong inclusive communities and loves a bush dance.

Operations Manager

Leonie Williams is a passionate Macedon Ranges community member and a dedicated volunteer who we’re incredibly grateful to have on board. With over 20 years of experience in commercial, sales, marketing, retail, and admin, she brings invaluable operational know-how to everything she does. Leonie has a natural way of connecting with people and is a true team builder. Her knack for organisation, planning, and leadership keeps everything running smoothly, and we can’t thank her enough for sharing her skills with us!

Marketing Strategy
Erina Reddan

Social Media
Emily Rogers
Katrina Buttigieg

Media and PR
Brigid Donovan
Erina Reddan
Joanna Beard

Volunteer Management
Sarah Redmond