Executive Leadership Team

Executive Director of Catholic Education Services is Dr Bill Sultmann. Personnel supporting Dr Sultmann in executive operations are Hugh O'Brien (Deputy Executive Director), John Mula (Assistant Executive Director Learning & Teaching), Paul McArthur (Assistant Executive Director Corporate Services), Des Fitz-Gerald (Assistant Executive Director Faith and Religious Education), Tim Devlin (Assistant Executive Director School Development), and Wendy Manners (Acting Assistant Executive Director School Development). Supporting ELT operations in a service capacity is Paul Daglish (Manager Administration & Professional Services).

DR WILLIAM (BILL) SULTMANN
DipT, B.EdSt, BA, MEdSt, Med(Lead), PhD, DipPsych, DipAppTheol, FACE, FAIM

Executive Director

A registered teacher and psychologist whose contribution to education spans 30 years including: teaching (primary, secondary and tertiary), guidance consultancy, and 18 years in executive leadership roles in Catholic and government system authorities inclusive of Executive Director, Catholic Education Office, Toowoomba, Executive Director, Edmund Rice Education and Executive Director, Catholic Education Services, Diocese of Cairns.

Served on Ministerial Advisory Councils (Special Education, Curriculum and Multi-Cultural) and a member of State wide Statutory Authorities in Senior Secondary School Studies and Teacher Registration.  Contributed to the wider educational discipline through a host of professional association memberships and authored individually and with colleagues, twenty significantly large works (texts and monographs) in areas such a Special Education, Language and Reading, Interpersonal Psychology, Curriculum, Consultancy, Organisational Renewal and Christian Leadership.

Degrees in Arts and Educational Studies, masters’ degrees in Educational Psychology and Christian Leadership, diplomas in Teaching, Psychology and Theology and a research doctorate in Educational Psychology.  President-Elect of the Queensland Branch Committee of the Australian College of Educators (ACE), A Fellow of the College and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management.

HUGH O'BRIEN
BA BEd MEd(Leadership) DipT MACE

Deputy Executive Director

Responsible for the diocese’s six secondary colleges, Hugh O’Brien has around 40 years of experience as an educator, including 18 years as Principal of St Mary’s Catholic College in Cairns. Hugh provides support to the work of schools and their principals in managing their increasingly complex workloads and involvements.





» St Monica’s College, Cairns
» St Augustine’s College, Cairns
» Mount St Bernard College, Herberton
» Good Counsel College, Innisfail
» St Stephen’s Catholic College, Mareeba
» St Andrew’s Catholic College, Redlynch Valley

JOHN MULA
BSc, Grad DipT, BEdSt, DipCL MEdL MACE

Assistant to Executive Director Learning & Teaching

A teacher and educational leader with 27 years of experience in a diverse range of educational settings including Preschool to Year 12 schools, day and boarding schools, city and country schools, post compulsory adult education, boys independent Catholic College, coeducational Catholic colleges and private schools, including 17 years in senior educational leadership in Rockhampton, Toowoomba and Brisbane Dioceses and in private training colleges and schools gaining valuable experience in the primary secondary and vocational education.

In recent years active participation in Education and Training Reforms for the Future (ETRF), a member of the Wide Bay Senior Schooling (ETRF) Management group and involvement in the QSA senior syllabus review and QCAR initiatives. Membership of a range of professional associations in areas of middle schooling, educational administration and curriculum studies publishing articles in middle schooling and transition year curriculum. 

Degrees in Science and Educational Studies from Griffith University and University of Queensland respectively, masters degrees in Educational Leadership from Australian Catholic University, graduate diploma in Teaching, diploma in Christian Leadership an active member of Australian College of Educators (ACE).

PAUL McARTHUR

CPA BBus(Acct)

Assistant to Executive Director Corporate Services


Born in Mossman, North Queensland and educated at St Augustine’s School, Mossman; St Teresa’s School, Ravenshoe; Gordonvale State High School, and Deakin University, Melbourne, Paul is a long term employee at Catholic Education Services. Following 18 months with the Far North Queensland Electricity Board (now Ergon), Paul’s initial role at CES was in Accounts, then as Accountant, and then Financial Controller.

Now, as Assistant to Executive Director Corporate Services, Paul is responsible for leading teams within Corporate Services including finance, human resources, IT System and admin, workplace health & safety and capital and QA. 

Paul provides support to Principals, Primary Administration Officers and College Business Managers in the areas of budgeting, medium and long term financial planning, and completion of accountability requirements. 

With the assistance of the Finance Program, the internal budget at Catholic Education Services is managed.  Paul acts as Executive Officer of the Finance Committee of the Education Board of Governance.

Paul holds a degree in Business (majoring in accounting) and is a member of CPA Australia.

DES FITZ-GERALD
HDipEd, MEd(RE), MEd(Admin), MACE          

Assistant to Executive Director Faith & Religious Education

 
Des Fitz-Gerald has over 25 years experience in Catholic Education both
in Australia and internationally. Experience has ranged from primary
right through to post graduate lecturing at masters level in Educational
Administration and Religious Education. Senior management experience has
been in the Catholic Independent school sector and in the Diocese of
Parramatta, Archdiocese of Canberra Goulburn and Diocese of Townsville.

Undergraduate qualifications in History Geography Greek and Roman
Classical Civilization Post Graduate qualifications in Educational
Leadership , Administration and Religious Education. Current studies
being undertaken in Doctoral programme in Religious Education.

TIM DEVLIN
MEd(Lead) GradDipEdSt(PastoralGuid) BEdSt DipT

Assistant to Executive Director School Development

A registered teacher and Principal in Catholic Parish Primary Schools in
the Brisbane Archdiocese for twenty five years.  Through those years
active in professional Principals' Association and as a representative
of Principals on the Council of the Queensland Independent Education
Union and in several rounds of Enterprise Bargaining.  

Degrees in Educational Studies from the University of Queensland, Masters Degree in Educational leadership from the Australian Catholic University, Post Graduate Diplomas in Educational Studies; Pastoral Guidance and Christian Leadership.

Responsible for the support of nine of the Cairns Diocesan primary
schools (listed below) and their Principals/Administration Teams and
staff, as they provide quality, inclusive Catholic Education within the
parish communities they serve.

» St Mary’s Catholic College, Woree
» St Michael’s School, Gordonvale
» St Joseph’s School, Atherton
» St Anthony’s School, Dimbulah
» Our lady help of Christians School, Earlville
» St Thomas’s School, Mareeba
» St Teresa’s School, Ravenshoe
» Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School, Thursday Island
» St Gerard Majella School, Woree

PAUL DAGLISH