Ann Gorey – take a bow!

It may surprise a few members to learn, that the wonderful, indefatigable Ann Gorey has decided not to continue on the SA Chapter Committee this year!

This ends a period of almost 30 years that she has played a direct role in the organisation and program of LEA, previously CEFPI and earlier LETA conferences.

Stemming from a successful and dynamic time in the Education Department’s Facilities Group in the 1980s and early 90s, which for a time was headed by the equally dynamic Dr John Mayfield,  Ann’s interest in excellence and innovation in schools and all types of educational facilities drove her to establish an amazing  worldwide personal network of likeminded people well before the development of the internet and email. Who knows, perhaps it was her childhood in remote NT and familiarity with the School of the Air that led her into a career in education not limited by walls or boundaries of any kind?

Her personal network included a strong relationship with the OECD Program for Educational Buildings (based in Paris) and links to CEFPI in North America. These links resulted in the successful series of international LETA conferences in Adelaide held biannually from 1994 to 2000.

Thanks to Ann’s encouragement, John Mayfield and I and two other Australians, attended a joint CEFPI and OECD conference in Baltimore in 1999 which resulted in an undertaking to form a CEFPI Chapter in Australia.

Thanks once again to Ann’s enthusiasm and members of her Australian network, many of whom had been repeat attendees of LETA Conferences, the CEFPI Australian Chapter was born in Adelaide in 2000.

Fast forward to 2019 and LEA Australasia now has over 900 members, hosted 67 events across Australasia in a year and has had one member serve a term as Chair of the international organisation.  Just last week, we learned of the prospect of the international organisation being restructured along the lines of the Australasian model to energise it on the global scale.

Being a person who never sought leadership roles either at work, or in pursuit of her own personal passion for education and design, but worked alongside so many of us who have taken such roles from time to time, she has exemplified the role of “Guide on the Side” throughout her career.

Ann is overseas at the moment; no doubt using her unflagging talents to meet new people of all ages and make new friends.

We thank Ann for her quiet and dogged enthusiasm for our shared interest in education and design which in no small way had brought us together today.

Andrew Gehling

on behalf of the SA Chapter Committee