PRESIDENT: ZAC PIESSE (SVC 2008-11)

Zac Piesse graduated from the College in the Centenary Year. Zac recently attained a Media and Communications Masters’ Graduate from the Swinburne University in Hawthorn. Prior to this degree, he had completed a Bachelor of Arts at the Australian National University in Canberra.

He moved from Melbourne back to Hobart at the beginning of 2021 to take a position as a Learning Support Officer at St Virgils College. With his background in media and journalism, he has also been employed by the College to complete a series of written articles about St Virgil’s College life and sport.

As an avid follower of sport, and a self proclaimed 'Armchair Sporting Analyst', Zac has a passion for watching and playing sport. He plays football (soccer) for University in the Southern Championship League.

He was for a time a manager at the Swan Hotel in Richmond - one of the more prominent watering holes that Old Boys in Melbourne might be familiar with.

VICE PRESIDENT : BRUCE WOODS (SVC 1955-60)

Bruce finished his student days at St Virgil’s upon the completion of Year 10 and entered the workforce with Small’s Camera Store in Hobart. In 1968 he began working at TVT6 in New Town as a telecine and videotape operator. He left the television station in 1972 after being approached by Wrest Point Casino to set up the lighting and audio system in its new Cabaret Room. A year later he returned to his old position at TVT6 and progressed to the position of Senior Technician. Bruce reconnected with the College in 2009 in the build up to the centenary celebrations, and has continued beyond that event.

He has been on the OVA committee since 2012 and last year he was awarded Life Membership. St Virgil’s benefits enormously from his extraordinary skill set and energy. He shares the College’s archival duties with Graeme Rainbow, and has an ongoing input into the College’s rowing and sailing programmes. (For Bruce’s full CV ref. Dec. 2021 OVAtion on the OVA website.)

SECRETARY: GRAEME RAINBOW B.Ed (SVC Student 1957-63; Staff 1971-82, 1985-2001, 2012- )

Graeme is in his 50th year of direct association with St Virgil’s College. He re-joined the OVA committee in 2018 after two previous terms. He, along with Bruce Woods, is charged with maintaining /developing the College’s archives. Graeme hailed from Rosebery and ‘did time’ as a boarder at Saints. In his final year he was a Prefect, a House Captain and captain of the Cross Country team. After a period of six years as a Christian Brother, he returned to Hobart and reconnected with his alma mater as a teacher. He chaired the Centenary History Committee 2009-2011. Graeme’s two sons, Matt and Luke, attended the College. Graeme has received several awards for his involvements with schools, St Vincent de Paul, and the environment. He was added to the St Virgil’s College Heritage Roll of Honour in 2011.

TREASURER: MICHAEL HARVEY B.Com,FCPA, FAICD (SVC 1983-88)

Michael attended St Peter’s School from 1980-82 and St Virgil’s College from 1983-88. He was a College Prefect in 1988 and represented St Virgil’s in 1st XVIII football, 1st XI cricket and athletics. Michael completed a Bachelor of Commerce at UTAS while working with Price Waterhouse, graduating in 1996. At this time, he moved into business, starting as a financial accountant with Select Managed Funds in Hobart. Six years later, Michael was appointed Chief Financial Officer and in 2005 was integral in Select’s successful IPO. A series of mergers and acquisitions followed and by the time Michael stepped down in 2009, the company was operating under the IOOF banner and valued at $1.5 billion.

After a short break, Michael was appointed General Manager (Corporate Services) for Cricket Tasmania where he worked for two years, eventually realising his goal of retiring from full-time work by the age of 40. Since then, he has volunteered much of his time helping not-for-profit organisations. He was a director of the National Heart Foundation, and Lady Gowrie Tasmania, a commissioner of the Tasmanian Catholic Education Commission for three years and Board Chair of Guilford Young College for five. Michael joined the OVA committee in 2016 was its President from 2018-20. These days, Michael works part-time for a Tasmanian businessman and philanthropist. He maintains his status as a Fellow of CPA Australia and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

COMMITTEE MEMBER: TONY RAINBOW (SVC 1957-63)

Tony is the younger brother of Michael and Graeme and, like them, was a boarder at Barrack Street. He matriculated in 1963.

After a short period working in Commonwealth Public Service, he joined the Commonwealth Bank at the North Hobart Branch in 1965. Comparatively rapid career progression followed in a variety of roles in the Bank’s Hobart branch and State Administration. In 1974, Tony accepted promotion to the International Division of the CBA’s Head Office in Sydney. He moved to Melbourne in 1981 where he further progressed in a variety of administrative roles to become a member of the State’s Executive team.

A career change followed in 1998 when he left the CBA and moved to the autoparts recycling industry. Tony became the Group General Manager of five companies operating from seven sites with a total of around 100 employees. In this role he was fortunate to travel both interstate and overseas to attend conferences and business operations. After gradually retiring from his business involvements, he returned to Hobart to live in 2013.

Tony has always been a strong supporter of the OVA and its activities. Prior to his move to Sydney, he was particularly involved with the Old Boys Football Club and served as the its President for a period.

COMMITTEE MEMBER: DAVID MAZENGARB BCom, FCA, FAICD, FGIA (SVC 1971-79)

The Old Virgilians Association welcomes David to its committee for 2022. The Mazengarb family has had a long association with the College and his younger brother Andrew has been the chair of the St Virgil’s College Advisory Council since 2014.

David is a Chartered Accountant (Fellow), has a Diploma of Financial Services (Financial Planning), a graduate diploma from the Australian Institution of Company Directors (Fellow), a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia and is a Registered Company Auditor. He has had 18 years experience in Australia and overseas with both Price Waterhouse and KPMG (Director) in the areas of corporate finance and strategic investing assignments. He has been involved in the private equity investment and financial services sector as a director and Board member in a range of strategic capacities since 1998 and has a detailed knowledge of this sector in Australia. He has acted as adviser to a number of private investors from both Australia and overseas.

He is currently Director of Corporate Services and Company Director for Possability Group Ltd - a leader in Australia's emerging independent disability business employing more than 1800 persons and he is a regular contributor to not-for-profit activities. David is the current Chairman of the Kingborough District Cricket Club, a Premier League Club of Cricket Tasmania.

He is married with five children (three daughters and two sons), now calls Tasmania home, although his activities cover all major cities of Australia.

COMMITTEE MEMBER: PAUL BOUTCHARD BSc.,Dip. Ed., M Ed. Stud.

(SVC Student 1967-75; Staff 1983-85 & 1987-91)

Paul is a welcome newcomer to the OVA committee. Paul’ father, uncle, brother and sons attended the St Virgil’s. Paul commenced as a Grade 3 student in 1967 and was a prefect in the final year of his nine year sojourn at the College.

Post school, Paul attended University of Tasmania gaining a Science degree and Education qualifications. His subsequent teaching career pathway took him to the following Catholic colleges around the state – Sacred Heart, St Patrick’s, St Virgil’s, St James, MacKillop and finally Mt Carmel. He commenced his retirement at the end of 2017.

He held numerous positions of responsibility whilst working in these schools. Acting Deputy Principal, Teacher Administrator, Director of Studies, Year level Coordinator to name a few as well as coaching numerous sporting teams. He also became actively involved in the TCEEA (Tasmanian Catholic Education Employees Association, now IEU) and was on the committee of management for ten years, three of which were as president.

Paul is pictured with his wife Michelle (nee Garnham) – the Garnham family has had a long association with SVC. They have three children Katie, Edward and Justin – both boys attended SVC and Katie SMC.

Paul has played hockey since junior school at SVC and is currently playing hockey with the Diamondbacks Hockey club (formally the Prince of Wales Wellington Hockey Club of which he is a life member). He and Michelle are actively involved in sailing and are members of the Derwent Sailing Squadron (DSS). They currently own a 11m racer/cruiser, Young Magic. Paul is on the DSS sailing committee and the combined clubs working group.

COMMITTEE MEMBER: COREY BYGRAVES (SVC 1984-89)

The Old Virgilians’ Association welcomes Corey to its 2022 committee.

Upon leaving St Virgil’s at the end of 1989, Corey joined the National Australia Bank (NAB) and he was to remain with it for the ensuing 31 years and 9 months. During that period he rose through the ranks to become its Senior Business Banking Manager in 2014.

Having gained a broad experience in all aspects of banking and finance he made the decision to take those skills to the private property sector last year. He is currently the General Manager Property and Finance at Kalis Property.

Corey is married with three children – a daughter and two sons. Both sons, Jacob and Isaac, attended the College.

Corey has had a long association with the St Virgil’s College Old Scholars Football Club and is a Life Member. He Has been a runner for the teams for a number of years.

OVAtions

The monthly e-newsletter of the Old Virgilians Association

May Edition · 16 May 2022

In this issue