GAWA Committee

Executive 2024

Peggy Bakalis
President
Peggy is the Geography specialist teacher at St Marks Anglican Community School. She has been on the GAWA Committee since 2013 having undertaken a variety of roles. She is passionate about developing professional learning for educators and in promoting the importance of Geography in our schools.
Laura Billington
Vice President
Laura has taught Geography and Humanities in Perth and the UK. She is currently a Geography specialist teacher at Chisholm Catholic College, and has been on the GAWA committee since 2017. Laura is passionate about developing a love for Geography within her students and creating and sharing up to date teaching resources with her colleagues.
Sarah Williams
Vice President
Sarah has taught at government and non-government schools in WA as well as in the UK. She is currently studying her ‘Masters of Education (Behaviour and Wellbeing)’ whilst working casual relief at All Saints’ College. Sarah is very passionate about teaching Geography and joined the GAWA Committee in 2022. She believes in helping students find the joy in studying geography by working to create engaging and relevant lessons.
Darryl Michie
Secretary
Danielle Pisconeri
Treasurer
Danielle has been a GAWA member since 2008 and a Committee Member since 2020. She has taught Senior Geography for 10 years and been actively involved in the writing of programs, development of fieldwork and creation of assessments for middle school geography. Danielle enthusiastically participated in the 2019 GAWA New York trip and presented at the 2022 GAWA Conference on integrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander curriculum in everyday teaching. She is passionate in the promotion of Geography in schools.
Leo Conti
Immediate Past-President
Leo Conti is currently the Head of Department at Ballajura Community College and is a Senior Lecturer at Notre Dame University. He has been on the GAWA committee since 1990 and has held various roles. Leo is actively involved in the development of professional learning, educational resources and curriculum in WA.
Alan May (ex officio)
Business Manager
Alan has devoted over fifty years of his professional life to the teaching of geography and geographical education. After a thirty-year academic career teaching at Edith Cowan and Melbourne Universities and a two-year research consultancy at Curtin University, Alan took on the role of GAWA Business Manager and has served the Association in that capacity for the past twenty years stewarding its commercial and financial interests.

GAWA Management Committee - 2024

President

Peggy Bakalis

St Mark's Anglican Community School

Vice – President

Laura Billington

Chisholm Catholic College

Vice – President

Sarah Williams

Post-graduate student at Edith Cowan University

Secretary

Darryl Michie

School Curriculum & Standards Authority

Treasurer

Danielle Pisconeri

St Norbert College

Immediate Past-President

Leo Conti

Ballajura Community College 

Committee Member

Rosemary Cawley

Perth College

Committee Member

Brittany Halpenny

Trinity College

Committee Member

Richard Kostecki

Aquinas College

Committee Member

Rachel Scott

Shenton College

Committee Member

Tracy Sterling

School of Isolated and Distance Education

Committee Member

Gigi Fear

Santa Maria College

Committee Member

Jessica Murphy

St.Andrew's Grammar School

Business Manager (ex-officio)

Alan May

GAWA Office