Matthew Whitbread elected as Chair of Athletics NSW

Athletics NSW is pleased to announce that Matthew Whitbread has been elected as the new Chair of Athletics NSW following the resignation of Dr Peter Higgins.
 
Dr Higgins has made a difficult decision to accept a full-time position in the United Kingdom for the next 12 months and as a result offered his resignation as Chair to the ANSW Board of Directors. Mr Whitbread received the unanimous support of the Board to succeed Dr Higgins as Chair.
 
Speaking of his decision to step down from the Chair following his move to the UK, Dr Higgins said:
 
"It is with a heavy heart that I step down as Chair of Athletics NSW, an organisation that I am passionate about and a sport that is part of my DNA. I am proud of what we have achieved during my term of leadership, initiating a time of change. I know this will be seen as a landmark time for our sport. I will, of course, continue to serve athletics in my ongoing role as Director where I will fully support our new Chair, Matthew Whitbread, as he receives the baton in the next leg of our race.”
 
At 29, Mr Whitbread will become the youngest Chair in the history of the organisation following his six years as a member of the Board of Directors. Commenting on his appointment, Mr Whitbread said:
 
"It is one of the great privileges of my life to have been entrusted with the leadership of Athletics NSW. It is a responsibility I take seriously and one made all the more important by the critical stage of transition and change our sport finds itself in. It is a time that presents our sport with an enormous opportunity for growth and development and I'm optimistic about our capacity to realise our ambitions.
 
I am also realistic about the challenges our sport faces and our capacity to do better. However, I am equally confident in our ability to meet those challenges if we all work constructively together in service to the greater good. All I can promise our members and partners is that I will do everything in my ability to further the cause of the sport we all love and the communities that comprise it.
 
On a personal level, my appointment is a privilege made all the more special by having the opportunity to succeed a dear friend and mentor in Peter Higgins in the role. While I'm very disappointed to be losing Peter from Australia for a period of time, I'm very pleased that he is able to pursue this professional opportunity and I wish Peter and his family the best for their time in the UK."

Mr Whitbread is a Senior Associate at one of Australia's largest law firms, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, specialising in corporate and commercial law with a focus on restructuring. During his time in athletics, Mr Whitbread has helped lead the transformation of Bankstown Sports Athletics Club into one of Australia's leading clubs, worked to establish the Albie Thomas Mile as the re-introduced Australian Mile Championships and introduced live streaming to NSW athletics events, as well as spending over six years as a director of Athletics NSW. 

 
Dr Higgins will remain a member of the Board of Directors until the 2020 Annual General Meeting. While Dr Higgins will remain a valued member of the Board of Directors, Athletics NSW would like to acknowledge his invaluable years of service to the sport in various volunteer capacities, including as a technical official, club administrator, office administrator, Director and Chair of Athletics NSW.