Introducing the HALT Association NSW Board - 2025

Emma Mansfield

President

Emma is currently the Executive Director, Strategy and Projects at the NSW Department of Education and proudly accredited at Lead Teacher. Since achieving her accreditation, Emma has held a number of school and system leadership positions where she demonstrates her unwavering commitment to ensuring high quality teaching across all schools in NSW. Emma has played a key role in the establishment of the HALT Association NSW and is returning to support the HALT Association NSW in her role as President. She continues to promote the work of HALTs through her continued advocacy and celebration of teaching expertise across NSW.

Jacqui Hood

Vice President

Jacqui is currently the Professional Experience Advisor for the NSW Department of Education and is proudly accredited as a Lead Teacher. Prior to this role, she served as a PDHPE teacher at Denison College of Secondary Education, where she held various leadership positions in the school and network. As a returning board member and lifelong learner, Jacqui is passionate about ensuring that every teacher is known, valued, and cared for. She believes every interaction matters and strives to create connections that empower individuals, enabling them to thrive both inside and outside the classroom.

Andrew Cornwall

Secretary

Andrew is currently a Manager in School Workforce, leading support for early career teachers at the NSW Department of Education. With over twenty years in education, he has held several roles in schools across sectors and in system leadership and is accredited as a Highly Accomplished teacher. Andrew is passionate about the importance of teachers working together to build their capacity in and outside the classroom. He has been a strong advocate of HALT accreditation and is excited to continue in his role on the board and and celebrate and advocate for teacher voice and agency.

Corey Bubb

Treasurer

Corey is an educational leader with the NSW Department of Education, based at Epping Boys High School Sydney. Before this, he spent well over a decade teaching in regional NSW as a classroom teacher, Head Teacher and instructional leader. He achieved Highly Accomplished Teacher accreditation in 2024 and is a NESA HALT assessor. Driven by a strong commitment to his own ongoing learning, he holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Management. As a teacher, mentor and coach, he works alongside colleagues through co-planning, modelling and structured reflection, supporting both early career and experienced teachers to strengthen their practice and improve learning outcomes for their students. Corey is passionate about strengthening students' confidence and enjoyment in mathematics, building teacher leaders and helping teachers have their expertise recognised through HALT accreditation.

Stefanie Thom

Board Member // Lead, Communications and Engagement

Stefanie Thom is the Learning and Development Partner at Catholic Schools Broken Bay, where she works with teachers and leaders across the system to strengthen professional practice, develop leadership capability and improve student outcomes. Accredited as a Highly Accomplished Teacher in 2020 and a Lead Teacher in 2024, Stefanie is passionate about supporting educators to engage in meaningful professional growth and to recognise the impact of their practice. A committed member of the NSW HALT Association since 2022, Stefanie currently serves as a Board Member and leads the Communications Team, overseeing the Association's newsletter and social media platforms. She is dedicated to creating connections across the HALT community, amplifying the voices of accomplished educators and promoting the value of teacher accreditation as a pathway for professional learning and leadership. Through both her system leadership role and her contribution to the Association, Stefanie is committed to fostering a culture of collaboration, professional excellence and continuous improvement, ensuring teachers are supported to thrive and make a lasting impact on the students and communities they serve.

Adam Russell

Board Member // Lead, Professional Learning

Bio coming.

Nerina Bridges

Board Member // Lead, Partnerships

Nerina is currently an Assistant Principal, Curriculum and Instruction at Samuel Terry Public School. She is passionate about building teacher expertise through evidence-based practices including explicit teaching and mastery learning. Accredited as an Highly Accomplished Teacher since 2021, Nerina is an advocate for HALT accreditation. She became an external assessor with NESA in 2023 and currently mentors aspirant HALTs across two networks in Western Sydney. Nerina is excited and honoured to continue promoting HALT accreditation and the positive impact that HALTs provide to NSW schools, teachers and students.

Jaclyn Byrne

Board Member // Lead, Conference and Events

Jaclyn has 16 years of experience as a primary school teacher and is accredited as both a Highly Accomplished Teacher and a NESA HALT Assessor. Alongside her classroom teaching, she mentors Aspirant HALTs at her school and across the Carlingford, Ryde and Hornsby networks, supporting teachers to navigate the accreditation process and strengthen their professional practice. As a member of her school’s School Excellence Plan team, Jaclyn contributes to a strategic direction focused on HALT development and accreditation, fostering a school-wide culture of professional growth, collaboration and continuous improvement. As a newly elected Board member of the NSW HALT Association, Jaclyn is committed to strengthening support for teachers pursuing Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher accreditation. She is passionate about building professional networks, sharing expertise and creating opportunities for teachers to collaborate, reflect and continually refine their teaching. Through her role on the Board, Jaclyn aims to contribute to a strong and sustainable culture of professional learning that recognises, develops and celebrates teaching excellence across NSW.

Melinda Haskett

PTC Member

Melinda’s career in public education spans 25 years, starting as a high school Social Science teacher in South West Sydney and achieving High Accomplished Teacher accreditation in 2015. She is currently a Director in the NSW Department of Education and outside of her role represents the profession on a number of national HALT panels and advisory groups. Melinda is a member of the PTC Board and this year was awarded a NSW Teachers Guild Honorary Fellowship. Melinda is a strong advocate for the recognition of HALTs and the role they can play in building the status of the teaching profession and improving teaching quality.

Sub-Committee Leadership and Members

Sub-Committees	Board Members	Members
Partnerships	Nerina Bridges	Kerryn Carter
Professional Learning	Adam Russell	TBC
Communications	Stef Thom	Denise Robens
HALT Conference and Event planning	Jaclyn Byrne	Amber Fuller