Australian Driver Trainers Association
Meet the ADTA Board
Board and Meetings
The hardworking ADTA Board are your Representatives. These are voluntary positions, elected by ADTA members each for 2 year terms. Board meetings are convened monthly, with lots of work going on behind the scenes between meetings. Every board meeting, your elected representatives review Association finances, admit new members, and develop and review strategic plans. They are passionate about supporting members and advancing Driver Training.
Five board positions become vacant each year, 4 are elected at the Annual General Meeting and 1 is appointed by the board to fill any skill gaps (e.g. accounting or legal).
If you would like to serve on the board, watch out for the call for nominations, usually a month before the scheduled AGM. The board elects a President, Vice President and Treasurer at the first board meeting of a new term. These positions have extra responsibilities, and require an additional commitment of time effort and energy.
If you would like to add an item to the agenda for the next board meeting, please email [email protected]. You will be contacted directly after the item has been raised and discussed by the board.
Meet the current ADTA Board
Vice President - Glen Patrick Till, (Brisbane QLD)
Director of RAISE Training, a NSW based RTO committed to facilitating industry licence and related courses. The organisation primarily works with independent instructors and training schools, administering a quality-assured approach to licensing and nationally recognised training courses.
Since the introduction of RTOs into the HVCBA Scheme, it has been beneficial for the ADTA to have an RTO representative on the board of directors. Glen has worked within the VET sector for over 15 years and his time on the board has been used to help facilitate a practical relationship between RMS, RTOs and driving instructors.
Treasurer - Nicole Thompson, (Central Coast NSW)
Nicole is the proud owner of Spotto Learner Driver on the Central Coast who has had her business for 4 year, offering both auto & manual driving lessons.
Prior to commencing my business I volunteered at the local Youth Oasis Centre offering driving lessons 1 day a week for 3 years to those with limited support, which was extremely rewarding.
Bringing confidence not only to the learners but the parents as well. To see a new learner do a reverse parallel park in the first lesson just gives them the confidence & also to believe in me.
In January 2021, Spotto was awarded The Rising Star Award through the ADTA, which was such an honour.
Previously been with Wyong Chamber of Commerce for over 5 years, being active & attending their Board Meetings.
Director - Heath Ward, (Townsville QLD)
Heath has over 20 years’ experience in management and has operated within all facets of the transport industry. He is currently Director of Graduate School of Motoring, based in Townsville, which employs 14 staff. Heath has a Master of Business Administration and holds current training and assessment qualifications, teaching all classes of vehicle including Multi Combination.
Heath is actively involved in raising the professional profile of the Driver Training industry through education and advocacy such as Road Safety and community Mentor Driver Programs. Heath was an original coach for the federally funded Keys2Drive program and was involved in training instructors in the initial roll-out of the program prior to the current online training accreditation model.
Director – Dion Changuion, (Brisbane QLD)
Dion has 15 years’ experience as a Company Director starting and running his own businesses. Dion's entrepreneurial nature led him to the Driving Industry in 2015 where he started Peak Driving School. Through training hundreds of students, meeting parents and talking to other driving instructors at the test centers, Dion discovered some of the challenges facing the learner driving industry, both as a driving school owner (with the lack of business systems to operate a driving school business), and for busy parents and students where the lack of transparency or ability to easily book driving lessons online, was very apparent, and so Dion founded the concept of Yloodrive in 2017.
YLOO - "You Live Only Once", resonates strongly with Dion's philosophy on life! Having experienced family loss through driver-distraction, Dion believes the time to make a difference in reducing road fatalities is now!
Director - Graham Jamieson, (North Coast NSW)
Graham has been working in the transport training industry since starting as the national safety and training officer for Chemtrans in the early 90's.
He began driver training in 1996 and became an assessor in 1997 in a system that was vastly different from today's. He brings a wealth of experience to the board and will endeavour to have the ADTA more involved in discussions with the Transport for NSW and other relevant stakeholders within the training and transport industry to create a better outcome for all concerned.
Director - Mick Humphries, (Gold Coast QLD)
Mick, having previously graced our board and notably served as the GM of the Association for five years, brings with him a wealth of knowledge accumulated over three decades in the industry.
He is the "Go To" for any industry related query. He deals heavily in the heavy vehicle space and works closely with RTO's in compliance and professional development for heavy vehicle instructors.
Mick's passion for many years has been all things transport. His presence on the board is to contribute to collectively achieving better industry outcomes for instructors statewide.
Director - Judith Keller (Augustine Heights)
Judith initially gained her accredited driver training qualification over 10 years ago, after driving cars in three countries and spending several years supervising her own children learning to drive in Queensland.
In 2023 Judith decided to pursue a wish to actively contribute to the delivery of quality driver training by establishing a driving school in Brisbane, where she currently combines her background in education with her driving knowledge and experience to support learners in developing the skills they need to drive competently and safely on the road. Previously, during 2022, Judith contributed to the creation of a driver first aid course developed by St John Ambulance Australia.
Judith holds a Master of Business Administration, Postgraduate Diploma in Management and several qualifications in the field of education. She has previously served as treasurer, executive committee member and mentor with several professional associations, and was a proud volunteer at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Director - Denis Gracie (Failford NSW)
Denis Gracie has served in the Transport Industry for 43 yrs as an instructor and is currently enlisted as a trainer/assessor with Holiday Coast Training Taree, as well as with Pearsons Tpt as a driver and Driver Trainer.
Now semi retired, Denis engages in some HV training as required, regular MC Assessments and Older Driver Assessments since the scheme started in late 2009.
Denis feels grateful to be in a position now to contribute back to the industry as an ADTA Board Member, particularly within the Older Drivers space.