Dianne Underwood has returned to the town she loves after 20 years to take up a new role as the Campus Administrator at Charles Darwin University (CDU) in Alice Springs.
Campus Administrators are also being appointed at Palmerston, Katherine and Nhulunbuy to ensure the smooth-running of the day to day, non-academic business of CDU.
Mrs Underwood has extensive business and management experience in Victoria and has strong links with the Alice Springs community, having been involved in a family business in the town.
Her experiences with small, medium and large businesses including Yakka and Telstra - bring a business focus to the new role, assisting staff as effective team members to provide a quality service while also creating a supportive environment for entrepreneurial activities.
“It’s my role to make campus life as comfortable as possible for students and staff and I see it as a challenge and an opportunity to make a difference, not only in the University but also in the community,” Mrs Underwood said.
She said she was inspired to return to Alice Springs and take up the new role because of the lifestyle and opportunities it offered.
The Pro Vice-Chancellor for Community and Access, Don Zoellner, welcomed Mrs Underwood’s appointment as an important component of the University’s expanding presence in Central Australia.
Mr Zoellner acknowledged the very important role played by Lyle Mellors, who has served as the CDU Alice Springs Campus Leader for the past two years.
“Mr Mellors will now draw on his extensive experience and skills in the vocational education and training sector in his new role overseeing CDU’s School to VET programs, including VET in Schools and School Based New Apprenticeships.
“He’ll also be developing the University’s partnership with the Northern Territory’s peak employer groups to open and operate the new Australian Technical College,” Mr Zoellner said.