School Board

The day to day operations of RJC is overseen by the Redfern Jarjum College Board – whose role is to govern the school on behalf of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits).

Redfern Jarjum College’s mission is to educate, empower and support urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and provide expert guidance to support their educational, social, spiritual, emotional, behavioural and health needs. In doing this, we prioritise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and partnership.

As the Uluru Statement from the Heart reflected in 2017, “we seek constitutional reforms to empower our people and take a rightful place in our own country. When we have power over our destiny our children will flourish. They will walk in two worlds and their culture will be a gift to their country”. Our young people deserve a future based on justice and self-determination.

Accordingly, Jarjum supports the recognition of our first peoples in the Australian Constitution.

Redfern Jarjum College Board

John Allen - Chair
John Allen - Chair
John is a trained accountant who has a management consulting practice based in Financial Services, Government and Mining clients. John is an alumnus of Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview. For over 20 years he has been, a member of the Riverview OIU Executive Committee. John has been the key to many of the outreach activities of the OIU, including initiating the Indigenous Mentor Program in 2006, founding the Just Leadership Breakfast series in conjunction with Jesuit Social Services (JSS). This series has the purpose to hear from people who are challenged with issues of justice and conscience in their positions of leadership. He engaged the OIU with Cana Communities, arranging various direct support activities for the people of the Cana Communities.
College Board Members
Mr Peter Best
Mr Peter Best
Peter is currently the Head of Insurance, Asia for Lendlease. He has extensive Real Estate, Infrastructure, Financial Services and Energy Markets industry experience gained both domestically and overseas including more than 20 years in Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) roles. Peter’s qualifications in law and economics have enabled him to develop a high level of business acumen and commercial skill in communicating, negotiating and problem solving. Peter welcomes and embraces the richness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and partnership. He has been involved as a mentor of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in the St Ignatius’ College Riverview Indigenous Program since 2008 and is actively committed to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students achieve to their highest potential.
Fr Ross Jones SJ
Fr Ross Jones SJ
Fr Ross, joined the Jesuits in 1984. In 1991, he began the task of establishing what is now known as Loyola Senior High School Mount Druitt. With a significant indigenous student population there, he introduced Aboriginal Studies into the curriculum. In 1993 the School opened and he was Principal until 1997 when he appointed Socius (Assistant) to the Provincial for the following six years. He was then appointed Rector at St. Aloysius’ College (SAC), Milson’s Point, during which time he was instrumental in establishing Redfern Jarjum College. Subsequently, he was appointed Rector at Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview in 2011 and has this year (2018) returned as Rector at SAC.
Mrs Tracey Malloy
Mrs Tracey Malloy
Tracey has extensive experience in primary, secondary and tertiary education. She has lived and worked in both rural and urban centers of NSW as a primary teacher, academic support teacher to Indigenous students, years 5 to 8 and as a sessional academic in a national university. Tracey has a Masters of Education in Learning Support and Indigenous Support and is passionate in delivering better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
Mark Heiss
Mark Heiss
Mark is Wirajudri man, born and raised in Gadigal land in Sydney. Mark has 17 years’ experience working in education as a teacher, Year Coordinator, Curriculum Coordinator and Director of Teaching and Learning. He holds an undergraduate degree in Human Movement and Health Education and a Master’s in Educational Leadership.
Mark is passionate about education and physical activity for young people. Mark is strong on giving the pastoral care and support needed to engage young people in their education and their culture.
Mark continues to be an active member of his community, notably through Surf Life Saving, Touch Football and Athletics. Mark strives to support GO students in continuing to raise their aspirations in school and life.
Mark is Chair of the National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy and is also a director of the Aurora Education Foundation.
Chloe Wighton
Chloe Wighton
Chloe is a Wiradjuri (Galari) woman from Gilgandra, New South Wales. She is currently the Director of First Nations Cultural Engagement at Lendlease. Chloe has worked across Indigenous Strategy in higher education, media and for the national campaign calling for constitutional reform. Her heritage consultancy, Bila Group provides expert advice underpinned by Indigenous Knowledges. She also works alongside her family in running Chemrose, supplying the first Indigenous GECA approved cleaning range. Chloe is a Director on the board of the National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy and Redfern Jarjum College. She is passionate about the continuation of Wiradjuri culture, particularly the preservation of cultural materials and knowledge. She studied a Bachelor of Arts (Archaeology) and a Masters in Museum & Heritage Studies. Chloe has been recognised for her strong advocacy in the community being awarded the Sister Alison Bush Medal University of Sydney’s Alumni. Chloe is currently participating in the 2022 Indigenous Marathon Project and recently completed the New York Marathon.
Nickki Patton
Nickki Patton
Nicki is the Executive Director of Jesuit Education Australia and has substantial crosssector experience in not-for-profit, education, legal and corporate environments. Her career has included private legal practice and governance roles with World Vision Australia, RMIT University and the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy Australia and Papua New Guinea. Nicki is a qualified lawyer and company director. She has completed postgraduate qualifications in governance and is a fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia. She completed her secondary education at Loreto Normanhurst, and tertiary education at the Universities of Sydney and Melbourne.

Officers of the Board

Katherine Zerounian
Katherine ZerounianPrincipal
Redfern Jarjum’s Principal Katherine Zerounian commenced in 2023. Katherine holds a Bachelor of Community Welfare (International Social Development), a Bachelor of Teaching (HSIE) and a Masters in Educational Leadership.

Katherine’s previous roles in leadership and education include leading the Religious Education faculty and Faith in Service program at Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview. She has built many partnerships with Aboriginal communities through the Faith in Service immersion program and has a deep personal commitment to Aboriginal communities and the work of reconciliation.

Prior to her work in education, Katherine was a founding member and Program Director of the Matesabroad Foundation, an organisation created to support the education of children living in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Erica Blythe
Erica Blythe
A qualified FCPA and GAICD, Erica has consistently delivered strong financial results throughout her career with some of Sydney’s most prominent venues, including Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, Novotel Darling Harbour and ICC Sydney.

Passionate about innovation and financial education, Erica is a highly accomplished leader who brings with her more than 15 years of finance and administration experience to her role as Director of Business Operations at St Aloysius’ College.

Erica joined St Aloysius’ College in 2020 following her position as Director of Finance at ICC Sydney, where she was part of the new Executive Team on the $1.5 billon redevelopment of the Sydney Convention Centre and successfully operated the new venue, ICC Sydney for 5.5 years. ICC Sydney achieved its’ annual KPI’s consistently as well as helped contribute over $850m in economic benefit to NSW.

Erica was a member of the NSW CPA Divisional Council from 2018 to 2020 and was appointed President of the NSW Divisional Council for CPA Australia for the 2020 year. Erica is regularly involved in speaking engagements, panels and presentations on behalf of CPA. Erica currently serves as the Company Secretary for the St Aloysius’ College Ltd Board and the Redfern Jarjum College Ltd Board.