Richard Stokes is the current Chief Executive Officer of ABSA.
He first worked in boarding in 1980 in Adelaide at Immanuel College as a full-time supervisor, and upon completing his BA and Dip Ed he moved to Brisbane in 1982. At St Peters Lutheran College he took on the role of Assistant Senior Boarding Master, and in subsequent years become co-ordinator of boarding at St Peters.
In 1996 he took on the new challenge of Dean of Residential Care at St Joseph’s Nudgee College, a boarding school of nearly 600 boys, and held that role until he retired from a direct boarding role at the end of 2005.
Richard has been involved in ABSA or its previous versions since 1985, holding positions including Treasurer, Secretary and President, and was appointed the first part-time Executive Director for the newly formed Australian Boarding Schools Association in 2007. The role became a full-time one in 2011.
Richard is happily married to Karen, and has two adult children who both enjoyed growing up in the boarding environment!
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Why training boarding staff is imperativeAll boarding staff should undergo regular training to ensure they have a theoretical base underpinning their experiential learning, as well as to comply with child protection legislation and mitigate risks. Duty of Care is a base-level course that contributes to the basic knowledge and skills necessary to perform boarding duties effectively.
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