Centre for Western Sydney experts offer election commentary
As polling for the NSW Election gets underway, experts from regional thinktank, the Centre for Western Sydney (opens in a new window) based at Western Sydney University, are available for media interviews.
Professor Andy Marks, Executive Director of the Centre for Western Sydney
Professor Marks, who co-authored the Western Sydney Votes report (opens in a new window), was appointed Director of the Centre for Western Sydney in late 2019. He is also the CEO of the NUW Alliance and Pro Vice-Chancellor, Strategy, Government and Alliances at Western Sydney University. He leads major strategic initiatives with government, industry, and the community. Andy has a PhD and first-class honours in political science and literature. He writes regular columns for the Sydney Morning Herald and the Daily Telegraph. He is also an occasional panellist on ABC Sydney’s ‘political forum’ and a regular on The Drum.
Andy is also Chair of the Western Sydney Community Forum and a Non-Executive Director with Wentworth Healthcare Ltd. He is the founder of the CatalystWest interactive policy forum, and cofounder of the Launch Pad start-up incubator. Prior to his current role, Andy was senior researcher with the St Vincent de Paul Society and the Smith Family, a Council member at the University of New England, and an ARIA nominated professional musician and composer with Crow, Lunarcide, the Vanilla Chainsaws and others.
Tom Nance, Centre for Western Sydney
Tom, who co-authored the Western Sydney Votes report (opens in a new window) and the Paying the Price: Gambling-related harm in Western Sydney report (opens in a new window), is the Manager, Strategy and Delivery with Western Sydney University. He is a leading contributor to the Centre for Western Sydney’s research, partnership and activation platforms, shaping regional narrative and conversation in a way that prioritises equity and opportunity. Tom has an extensive track record of cultivating partnerships and delivering results for government, business and community stakeholders in a way that addresses a range of complex social, economic and systemic issues.
He has been sought after to comment on a broad range of issues that affect the region, including gambling-related harm, urban planning and development, education and politics. Previously, Tom held senior leadership roles in the not-for-profit sector, where he co-authored a range of reports that have shaped policy development and service delivery in Western Sydney, including Communities of Change, Home in Western Sydney and The Culturally Responsive Framework to Address Gambling Related Harm.
For further information or to arrange interviews, please email media@westernsydney.edu.au.
ENDS
24 March 2023
Ali Sardyga, Senior Media Officer
Photo credit: Sally Tsoutas
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