Board Members

Carissa Harris is the Associate Principal at MI Global Partners with more than 20 years’ experience delivering major events. Carissa was most recently employed by Cricket Australia for over 9 years leading the national event delivery team. Here she planned and delivered 60 days of Men’s and Women’s International Cricket in Australia annually, the largest being the Boxing Day Test. This was a multi-disciplinary operations team, supporting innovative and creative approaches to engage more fans. As part of this role, Carissa developed a strategic approach and critical path planning in conjunction with international venues across Australia. Prior to Cricket, Carissa was a core member of the Operational Readiness team for the London 2012 Olympic Games, delivering the departmental operational readiness program - integrating existing venue staff, venue teams, utility providers, contractors, key stakeholders and the Games C3 structure to ensure the effective implementation of LOCOG’s venues program. Carissa has also held various senior positions at several international sporting events including the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, 2006 Asian Games, Australian F1 Grand Prix, Red Bull Air Race and 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

Dan Poynton is the Deputy Chair of the Board at RSV. Dan has been a part of the community sport sector for over 20 years with qualifications in business, sports management, Not for Profit Governance and Executive Coaching. He has been working with GippSport for over ten years and their Executive Officer since 2018 – with a short hiatus working for Sport & Recreation Victoria from 2017-18. Dan is passionate about the role of community sport in Regional Victoria in its ability to drive social change and improve community wellbeing.

Having grown up in a small regional community and still living in regional Victoria, Rick Bell is passionate about the role sport plays in regional communities. Previously as Head of AFL Victoria he had primary responsibility for working with the AFL Victoria Board and growing the game across the state. Rick’s current role with Sports Facility Advisory firm, Waypoint, involves him working with a variety of sporting and government clients, advising on the planning and delivery of key sporting infrastructure. Whilst he has been fortunate to have worked professionally within the sports industry for more than 20 years, Rick has a range of volunteer experiences in local sport as a coach, committee member and various game day volunteer roles, providing a first-hand experience on the opportunities and challenges at that level.

Brendan Jones has participated in various community and representative sports since the 1980s and has provided formal leadership and coaching for over 35 years. Brendan has experience and qualifications in Organisational Development, Vocational Education and Training, Not-for-profit governance and Engineering. He is regionally employed in an executive role within the Circular Economy sector. In 2023, Brendan concluded over 12 years of participation on the South West Sport Board of Management and in his role with RSV, he plans to continue to support Regional Victorian sporting and active recreation organisations to provide modern, safe and inclusive activities that improve the social fabric and health outcomes in their communities.

Tom Mottram is the General Manager – Operations at the Australian Grand Prix Corporation and is responsible for the oversight and management of two of Australia’s biggest annual global sporting events, the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix and the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix in Phillip Island. Part of the Executive team, Tom oversees Operations, Enterprise Risk, Motorsport, Hospitality, Venue Operations, Customer Experience, Community Relations, Safety and Crisis/Emergency Management functions. Tom has also worked for sports and event agency TLA Worldwide as the Senior Account Manager for Cricket Australia, as well as working for the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) and the Australian Masters Golf. Tom lead’s a large and diverse team of permanent and event staff as well as a broad contractor and supplier workforce. He is passionate about people management and building a united and enjoyable culture for everyone. Tom is an executive member of the AGPC Board as well as the AGPC Audit, Finance & Risk Committee. Tom has also recently graduated from the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course. With over 13 years of experience in the sporting and major event sectors, Tom has seen first-hand the incredible impact that sport and sporting events, from grass roots to professional level, can have on local communities and the role it plays in impacting positive social change, active recreation, wellbeing and economic benefits.

Sallee Caldwell has worked in sport for over 25 years and has experience in many different areas. Currently working in Market Development for Netball Australia, Sallee works with Pacific nations to build staff capacity, develop good governance practices, and overall grow participation in netball. Previously, Sallee was with the Australian Sports Commission in the product design, participation, and physical literacy teams. She is also a committee member of the Australasian Society of Physical Activity (ASPA) Physical Literacy Special Interest Group. This interest group supports the collaboration of physical literacy throughout Asia-Pacific and focuses on sport, health, and education. Much of Sallee's experiences have been in national sports such as Netball Australia, Tennis Australia, and Table Tennis Australia. She believes this national perspective will help connect national resources and approaches to the practical application within regional sport. Born, bred, and currently living in regional Victoria, Sallee has participated in regional sports throughout her life, and she wishes to support others through her position on the board in benefiting from the lifelong skills that come from participating in community sport.

Mell Millgate is an accomplished entrepreneur, marketing strategist, and advocate for rural and regional communities. Mell is a Certified Practising Marketer (CPM AMI), a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (MCIM) and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD). She possesses a wealth of experience and expertise and has a career spanning over 30 years, holding key sales, marketing, management and consulting roles across various industries. These include global companies, not-for-profit organisations, and family businesses. Mell moved to Rutherglen, Victoria in 2000 after living in a number of regional cities. She is the Founder and Director of Starfish Marketing, and supports regional businesses through strategy development, marketing and consulting services. Having spent most of her life in rural and regional areas, Mell has an intimate understanding of the unique challenges faced by regional organisations. Mell strongly believes that we have a responsibility to make a difference in the world and she has contributed to her local communities through participation on various Boards and committees, including Women’s Centre for Health and Wellbeing Albury Wodonga, Albury Business Connect, Albury Wodonga Connected Communities, City2CityRunWalk, Business Women Albury Wodonga,and Border Relay For Life. Mell recognises that sport plays an integral role, not only in promoting community health and wellbeing, but also in fostering social and economic success. She brings a fresh perspective and diverse thinking, and is enthusiastic about supporting regional sport and recreation.