Our people

Elected officials and staff

Full-Time Officers

The President and Secretary are full-time elected officers who manage the day-to-day affairs of the Branch. They are assisted by a team of admin and organising staff. 

Branch Executive

The Branch Executive is responsible for the strategic and financial management of the Branch between annual Conferences. All positions are elected and apart from the President and Secretary, all members of the Executive typically serve in an honorary capacity.

The current make up of Executive (as of 12 March 2021) is:

• Branch President - Michelle Ayres, full-time officer
• Branch Secretary - Adam Lampe, full-time officer
• Vice-President (General) - Michael Pearson, Palmerston College
• Vice-President (TAFE) - Delean Holtze, Batchelor Institute
• Treasurer - Julie Danvers, Nightcliff Middle School
• Women's Officer - VACANT
• Indigenous Councillor - VACANT
• Alice Springs Regional Councillor - Gillian Furniss, Centralian Senior College
• Alice Springs Regional Councillor - Ken Guest, Acacia Hill School
• Arnhem Regional Councillor - Brian Gray, Yirrkala School
• Arnhem Regional Councillor - VACANT
• Barkly Regional Councillor - VACANT
• Darwin Regional Councillor - Deb Lamb, Nightcliff Middle School
• Darwin Regional Councillor - Melissa Rabar, Nemarluk School
• Darwin Regional Councillor - Nim Jayawardhana, Henbury Special School
• Darwin Regional Councillor - VACANT
• Katherine Regional Councillor - Sarah Colomb, Katherine High School
• Katherine Regional Councillor - VACANT
• Palmerston and Rural Regional Councillor - Rachael Metcalfe, Forrest Parade School
• Palmerston and Rural Regional Councillor - VACANT
• Palmerston and Rural Regional Councillor - VACANT

Staff

• Special Projects Officer - Mick McCarthy
• Administration Manager - Kelly Whitty
• Project Officer - Peter Cairns

Branch President
Jarvis Ryan

Jarvis has served as President since July 2014. Prior to that he worked at Yirrkala School in north-east Arnhem Land, after relocating from NSW in 2012, where he worked as a secondary teacher in Western Sydney. During his tenure Jarvis has focused on the benefits of a collaborative approach between the union and the Department of Education and the NT Government. This approach is underpinned by his belief that a strong union voice in the workplace and in education policy is essential to better outcomes for staff wellbeing and student learning alike. 

Vice-President (General)
Michael Pearson

Michael is a long-term Darwin resident passionate about improving his community. He finished his graduate certificate in teaching and learning at CDU in 2010. He has worked at Casuarina Senior College, Darwin Middle School and currently is at Palmerston College. He joined the union as he is passionate about teachers’ working conditions and work-life balance.