The Hume Conservatorium (HumeCon) in Goulburn has announced the appointment of Jacqui Smith as chief executive officer following Paul Scott-Williams’s departure in early July 2021.
Ms Smith has worked at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music within the University of Sydney for the past seven years in strategic relations, international partnerships, marketing and communications.
She was responsible for developing the conservatorium’s engagement and international exchange program.
“Jacqui is very well connected and respected within the entire arts and music education sectors, and has run her own consultancy, providing editing, project management, marketing and promotion services to a broad range of clients across performing arts and publishing,” said HumeCon chair Ed Suttle.
Ms Smith will return to her regional roots with her partner, Todd.
The new CEO was born in Wagga Wagga and grew up in Lithgow and Bathurst before heading to Sydney to complete a Bachelor of Music (Performance) at the University of Sydney.
Ms Smith also grew up in the Mitchell Conservatorium musical family in Bathurst as a scholarship student on recorder and clarinet.
As a current board member of the Murray Conservatorium in Albury, Ms Smith brings knowledge and experience of the NSW Regional Conservatoriums structure, and its current challenges and opportunities.
The position at HumeCon became vacant when Mr Scott-Williams left his post of 11 years.
He left big shoes to fill, having lifted HumeCon to its impressive status within the region, with more than 35 staff and 1200 students providing music education to many schools in the NSW Southern Tablelands, and giving around 300 performances per year.
Mr Scott-Williams also oversaw the development of a state-of-the-art educational and performance space – known as the Creative Precinct – at HumeCon.
Mr Suttle said the Creative Precinct fits in perfectly with the development of Goulburn’s new Performing Arts Centre, which is due to open in 2022.
Ms Smith and her partner have already arranged local accommodation and will be relocating to Goulburn in the next few weeks.