Our Mardi Gras Advisory Committees listen to different cross-sections of our vibrant communities.
Our LGBTQIA+ communities are wonderfully diverse, and Mardi Gras provides a platform for everyone within our communities.
We recognise the importance of listening to different cross-sections of our vibrant communities – so that our work, and the decisions we make, meet the goals and needs of the entire LGBTQIA+ community.
This is why we have committees. Committees play an important role in our organisation. They help guide our choices by giving greater insight and representation to those that need it in our community.
78ers Committee: Honoring the past as we march fearlessly into the future
Mardi Gras was built off the back of the many brave trailblazers who came before us. We wouldn’t be where we are today had it not been for the LGBTQIA+ advocates, activists and individuals who have stood up for who they are and who they want to be.
Our 78ers, those who marched in the first Mardi Gras parade and faced terrible violence and oppression, are the reason Mardi Gras is here today.
Our 78ers committee was formed in 2017 so that we never forget their sacrifice and that we continue to honor what they have given to us.
The committee is comprised of six representatives drawn from our current Mardi Gras 78ers Lifetime Membership who were active at Mardi Gras and other LGBTQIA+ rights events in 1978.
Helen Gollan
Karl Zlotkowski
Penny Gulliver
Rebbell Barnes
David Abello
78ers Committee Nomination Form 2025
78ers Committee Charter
People and Culture Committee (PCC)
Members:
Michael Rolik – Independent Member
Diana McManus – Board Member
Anthony Young – Independent Member
Michelle Donoghoe – Independent Member
Vlad Legotkin – Independent Member
Ian Flemington – Independent Member
Frank Howarth – Independent Member
Susan Jennings – Independent Member
Kathy Pavlich – Board Co-Chair, Director
Damien Nguyen – Director
People and Culture Committee Charter
Audit and Risk Committee (ARC)
Members:
Felix Feist – Independent ARC Chair
Peter Fu – Independent Member
Darwyn Jolly – Independent Member
Gemma Kyle – Independent Member
Henry Newton – Independent Member
Mits Delisle – Board Co-Chair, Director
Hall of Fame Committee
The Hall of Fame Subcommittee is a subcommittee of the Board of Directors of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras responsible for supporting the governance, operation and ongoing development of the Hall of Fame. The Subcommittee provides advice on inductions, supports the annual Mardi Gras Awards and Hall of Fame program, and contributes to legacy, archival and historical initiatives that preserve and celebrate the organisation’s history. The Subcommittee also plays an important role in strengthening member and community engagement, particularly in the lead-up to the 50th Anniversary of Mardi Gras in 2028.
Committee
Liz Dods, Jennifer Mann, Murray McLachlan, Lynne O’Brien, Nick Parker (Chair), Vicktor Petroff, Steph Sands, Kathy Sant and Paul Savage.