Board of Directors

Reverend Father Thomas Stevens
Reverend Father Thomas Stevens
Chair

Father Thomas is a Priest of the Sydney Archdiocese and former commercial lawyer. He is Parish Priest of St Patrick's, Mortlake as well as a Police Chaplain and Catholic Chaplain to the Australian Turf Club.

Glenn McLachlan
Glenn McLachlan
Non-Executive Director

Glenn is a Chartered Accountant and currently the Director of Finance and Property for Sydney Catholic Schools.

As the Director of Finance and Property, Glenn is responsible for Property, Planning and Facilities, Capital Programs, and Finance for 152 Schools and Central Office within the Sydney Archdiocese. Glenn has been with Sydney Catholic Schools since January 2017 and previously, Glenn has held roles with BSA, Tyco, Deloitte and James Hardie Australia.

Glenn currently sits as a Board member on the Advisory Board of Directors of the Catholic Development Fund, The Edmund Rice Centre and the Board of Directors of Sydney Catholic Early Childhood Services.

Greg Gleeson
Greg Gleeson
Non-Executive Director

Greg is a Childcare Development & Operations Specialist with over 30 years as an entrepreneur, marketing executive, real estate developer and childcare operator. Greg has built a variety of businesses including children's services. As a principal developer, he has delivered projects from $5-20M. Greg currently advises a number of not-for-profit education providers in the childcare sector. 

Mary Digges
Mary Digges
Non-Executive Director

Mary is an early childhood education consultant based in Sydney. She is the founder and director of MDR Education PL, a company specialising in educational projects, advisory, audit and registrations and developments for private and public sector clients. Mary joined the Board of SCECS in 2020.  

Mary is a qualified teacher, early childhood educator and manager, and has worked as a lecturer, trainer and assessor and consultant in Australia, China and Singapore serving on executive management teams while supporting and enhancing her global educational perspective. Mary has led early childhood study tours in Scandinavia, Canada, the US, and north Asia.

Mary has a particular interest in and passion for the bilingual and multilingual education of children, the pedagogy of nature in early childhood and the best early learning centre design for young children.

Mary brings to the SCECS Board a wealth of experience and expertise built up over 30 years in early childhood education.

Bishop Tony Percy
Bishop Tony Percy
Non-Executive Director

Bishop Tony completed an honours degree in Finance at the University of New South Wales, before entering St. Patrick’s College Manly, to study for the priesthood. He has completed a doctorate in sacred theology in Washington DC, specialising in the social teaching of the Church, focusing on the importance of private property and private initiative for the maintenance and promotion of the common good.

He has served as a Parish Priest of many regional NSW cities including Australia’s first inland city – Goulburn. He contributed significantly towards the restoration of the world’s only greenstone (a green diorite porphyrite) Cathedral – Saints Peter and Paul’s Old Cathedral.

In February 2025 he was named auxiliary Bishop of Sydney and titular Bishop of Appiaria and consecrated as a Bishop at St Mary’s Cathedral in May 2025.

Marina Papic
Marina Papic
Non-Executive Director

Marina Papic is Professor of Early Childhood Education and Mathematics Education at the Australian Catholic University. She has worked in the education sector for 40 years and has held various roles including: Head of School - Institute of Early Childhood, Macquarie University Sydney; Director of the Children and Families Research Centre, Macquarie University Sydney; Goodstart Early Learning NSW/ACT State Manager; Executive Officer Primary of an independent PreK-12 College; and Manager of Children’s Services, Blacktown City Council.

Marina has led large research projects focused on early childhood curriculum and practice, early numeracy, and professional development of teachers. She was a member of the ACECQA Ratings Review Panel for two terms and a member of the consortium of early childhood experts contracted to develop the first national Early Years Learning Framework. Marina sits on several NFP Boards and Advisory Committees including the NSW Department of Education, Early Childhood Education Advisory Group.

Cathy Young
Cathy Young
Non-Executive Director

Cathy is an educator and has worked in Catholic Education for 40 years, the last 15 of those as a Primary School Principal in Sydney Catholic Schools. Cathy has previously also held roles as Head: Gifted Education K-12 and Project Officer: Religious Education in SCS. 

Cathy holds qualifications in primary education, religious education, leadership and gifted education.  Her doctoral research focussed on the identification of gifted students in Catholic primary schools. Cathy has a particular interest in design principles for contemporary learning environments. 

Cathy currently sits as a Board member on the NSW ACU Chapter and is a member of the  SCS Sports Council.

Jennifer Orre
Jennifer Orre
Non-Executive Director

Jennifer Orre was appointed Director of the Safeguarding & Ministerial Integrity Office at the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney in September 2024. She holds a Bachelor of Education and a Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning, and brings extensive experience across teaching, child protection, and leadership roles within government and Church settings.

Before her appointment as Director, Jennifer served as Manager of Training & Compliance within the Archdiocese’s safeguarding portfolio and has also worked in frontline child protection with the Department of Communities and Justice and the Department of Home Affairs.

Jennifer has extensive experience in safeguarding practice and is responsible for driving organisational policy development, audit readiness, and community awareness across parishes, agencies, and chaplaincy communities in the Archdiocese. She regularly engages with national and international peer networks of professionals working in child protection and with vulnerable adults. Her appointment to the role underscores the organisation’s commitment to embedding robust governance, continuous improvement, and a culture of vigilance and care.

Peter Pannowitz
Peter Pannowitz
FCPA; SF SIA

Peter brings more than 40 years of experience in the Financial Services industry. He has held senior management roles in strategy, investment management, finance and risk management. He has worked for some of Australia’s leading financial services organisations including AMP, AMP Bank, CBA and Colonial First State Investments, leading both large teams and specialist projects. He brings to the Board sound planning, technical and analytical skills to assist in setting challenging yet realistic goals and oversight of the roadmap to achieve great outcomes through people and well managed risk processes.

Prior to joining the SCECS Board, Peter had spent a number of years on the Board Audit Committee for Sydney Catholic Schools, four as Chair. He also designed and developed the risk management strategy, framework, policies and processes now in place for the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, He is currently the Chair of the SCECS Board Audit Committee.