
Basketball Queensland is excited to announce a new chairman of the board, Nicola Ellis, as Allan Woodford steps down, taking a new position as the CEO of Northside Wizards Basketball Association.
Allan declared his resignation to be a ‘tough decision’ but is confident he made the right choice. He said that his decision to move was based on the opportunity to have a more direct involvement in the growth and development of Basketball and is excited to get more hands-on in his role. “Our sport is in a great space at present, and with new venues opening up in the North Brisbane and Moreton Bay catchment, we’ll have the facilities to accommodate a lot more activity. We keep saying this is ‘everyone’s game’ and it’s this type of growth & development that creates extra opportunities for everyone to be involved. This can be as a player, coach, official or volunteer, that’s what excites me”.
Our new Chairman of the board, Nicola Ellis, said: “I am extremely humbled to be elected to the position by my fellow Basketball Queensland Directors and also excited by the opportunity and challenge that the position presents”. Basketball Queensland is excited to see Nicola and Allan fulfilling a new role, whilst contributing in such a major way to the Basketball Queensland Community.
Nicola has been involved in the Basketball community in many ways throughout her career, representing Queensland and the ACT at Australian Championships; she represented the Brisbane Blazers in the WNBL and participated in the National Junior Development Program (now National Performance Program). Beyond her involvement in basketball as a player and administrator, Nicola also studied both Law and Arts at The University of Queensland and is now a partner at Moray & Agnew Lawyers. With a wealth of experience and a great deal of enthusiasm, Nicola is an outstanding choice as the new Chairman of Basketball Queensland.
When asked what her key goals are in her new role, Nicola said “I hope to ensure that Basketball Queensland maintains the strength and stability that it has been fortunate to experience over recent years under the guidance of my predecessors and through the efforts of Basketball Queensland staff. I would also like to see the organisation be progressive in our ideas and strategies, and responsive to change. We will continue to develop our sport, create opportunities for our players, coaches and referees, and support our growing member associations.”
Basketball Queensland would like to congratulate Nicola on her appointed position, and we are excited to see what she brings to the role.
We would also like to congratulate Allan on his new role at Northside Wizards. Allan’s major focus will be to work with the board and staff on financial, governance and strategic opportunities, also on the Zillmere Warehouse upgrade to a 5-court facility due to open at the end of 2019. We need to ensure that “the basketball message is clearly communicated, and to ensure the potential growth is coordinated”, he said.