ESSA Standards Council (SC)

The Standards Council (SC) is a council of Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA), and provides leadership, governance and oversight for all standards of the exercise and sports science professions and professionals. It also provides strategic advice to the Board on issues pertaining to professional standards for the exercise and sports science professions and professionals. 

 

SC Members

  • Chair – Nathan Reeves
  • Deputy Chair - Gemma Houston
  • Members -Cris Massis, Dr Nicolas Hart, & Jessica Bellamy

Mr Nathan Reeves (AES, AEP, GAICD) - Chair

Nathan is a practicing AEP and Lecturer and Program Director of the Bachelor of Exercise Science at Griffith University. He has been the Chair of the SC since 2019 and is also a past president of ESSA.

Ms Gemma Houston AES, AEP (Deputy Chair)

Gemma has been an AEP for over 15 years, and in that time has worked across sectors such as private practice, corporate health, community health, academia, and public health. This has been in a variety of clinical, education and governance roles. Having developed a passion for education and governance, she currently works within the Sydney Local Health District's COVID response team, supporting digital education on the ground for clinicians providing care in settings such as hospitals, community centres and special accommodation. She is a passionate advocate for ensuring systems, processes and clinical support are aligned to maximise clinicians' opportunities to deliver best practice client-centred care. 

Mr Cris Massis (BAppSc, GradDipSportBus, MBA, MAICD)

Cris is the Director of Saint George Consulting, a boutique advisory agency specialising in strategy, management, governance, membership and allied health. His career has focused on service-based organisations across a variety of sectors including healthcare, finance and professional sport.  He has in-depth leadership experience, knowledge and governance exposure of high-performing, effective and relevant service-based organisations with an Asia-Pacific footprint.

Cris has held senior positions at the Bob Jane Corporation, St Kilda Football Club, CPA Australia, Australian Physiotherapy Association and Advent Health.

His current Board portfolio includes: Chairman of BMS Risk Solutions (Affinity) Non-executive Director of Osteopathy Australia Non-executive Director of American Physical Therapy Association Clinical and Community Council – South East Melbourne Primary Health Network Member - Doctor of Physiotherapy Course Advisory Committee, University of Melbourne. In addition, he is the former Chairman of the Allied Health Professions Australia.

Cris has completed a Bachelor of Applied Science, Graduate Diploma in Sport Business, an MBA, the AICD Company Directors course, the Executive Program in International Management at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and delivering Value Through Digital program at the University of Oxford.

Gemma Houston (AES, AEP) - Deputy Chair

Gemma has been an AEP for over 15 years, and in that time has worked across sectors such as private practice, corporate health, community health, academia, and public health. This has been in a variety of clinical, education and governance roles. Having developed a passion for education and governance, she currently works within the Sydney Local Health District's COVID response team, supporting digital education on the ground for clinicians providing care in settings such as hospitals, community centres and special accommodation. She is a passionate advocate for ensuring systems, processes and clinical support are aligned to maximise clinicians' opportunities to deliver best practice client-centred care.   

Dr Nicolas Hart (PhD, AES, CSCS, ESSAF)

Dr Nicolas Hart is Deputy Lead of the Cancer Survivorship Program and a Matthew Flinders Senior Research Fellow at Flinders University. His cancer research focuses on improving outcomes for people living with advanced and metastatic disease, canvassing (1) survivorship and supportive care issues (including exercise, nutrition, psychosocial, and toxicity management), and (2) cancer outcomes (including disease biology, disease progression, and overall survival). He is also co-founder and co-lead (research) of the Western Australian Bone Research Collaboration (www.wabrc.com) and has over 16 years’ experience working with elite athletes, healthy populations, and clinical populations to deliver prophylactic, remedial or exercise medicine programs. He is a Fellow of ESSA, and has been actively involved in multiple ESSA committees over the prior 10 years.

Ms Jessica Bellamy AES, AEP 

Jessica is the principal Exercise Physiologist at Jessica Bellamy Exercise Physiology, providing individualised evidence-based education & exercise to people with persisting health conditions. She is currently enrolled in a PhD, also having a Masters in Research, which assists her to provide lifestyle interventions for people with intellectual disabilities. She specialises in working with patients with persisting MSK pain, in particular within the return to work space.

She is a Lecturer at the University of Wollongong with the School of Medical, Indigenous & Health Sciences. She uses her clinical experience as a practicing Accredited Exercise Physiologist to foster clinical Exercise Physiology skill development, critical thinking, and rationale within a clinical context. Jessica primarily coordinates and teaches into the Bachelor and Masters of Clinical Exercise Physiology in the areas of Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation & Workplace Injury Management.

 

For more information about the Standards Council, please contact the ESSA Regulations Manager, Carly Ryan via [email protected]