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
- Members -Cris Massis, Gemma Houston, Nicolas Hart, & Peter Lyons
Nathan Reeves AES, AEP, GAICD
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.
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
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.
Peter Lyons LLB, LLM, MA & MBus
Peter is Special Counsel at FC Lawyers. Since his admission in 1986, he has gained extensive experience in the delivery of legal services as legal practitioner/partner in a law firm, in the public sector as an Executive Legal Officer at the Crime and Corruption Commission at the Queensland Law Society itself, including holding position of acting CEO for several months and in the community legal sector at both the Prisoners Legal Service and the Caxton Legal Centre. He has held statutory position of Public Interest Monitor. As a highly driven legal practitioner and executive manager with 30+ years of experience driving successful business operations and enhancing corporate productivity, he possesses a wide range of knowledge and experience that has allowed him to positively contribute towards the continuing development, success, and community confidence of several organisations. Within the not-for-profit environment Peter has been involved with several State and National peak bodies taking a particular interest in governance, risk and audit and community engagement. Peter graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from QUT and was admitted as a solicitor to the Supreme Count of Queensland in 1986. He also holds postgraduate qualifications in Master of Laws, Master of Arts (Justice Studies) and Master of Business. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Management and Leadership.
For more information about the Standards Council, please contact the ESSA Regulations Manager, Carly Ryan via [email protected]