Dennis Cullen

Dennis was elected Chairman in May 2011. His journey in softball began as a club coach in 1975 and he went on to become one of softball's earliest male players, representing Queensland in the first national championship for men in 1983. He represented NSW for seven consecutive years, retiring from the Nationals in 1991. Dennis' coaching career spans 35 years, having coached the Queensland Patriots team in the John Reid Shield, the Redland Softball Association teams in the National Fastpitch League and at association and club levels. Dennis was elected President of Softball Queensland in September 1997 and retired in July 2009 when he became a member of the Softball Australia Board. He was awarded Life Membership of Softball Queensland in July 2008. Dennis' leadership skills extend from sport to business – he is currently General Manager for a large multi-national company.

John Hollingsworth

John joined the Softball Australia Board in April 2011. He is experienced in leading large, complex organisations during periods of significant growth whilst facing the pressure of a maturing and highly competitive market. John has been involved in baseball and softball in a playing, coaching and administrative capacity for the last 30 years. He has been involved on various Board positions in both sports including as the inaugural President of the Eastern Raiders Softball Club. John’s experience as both a player and administrator have influenced his view on the important role sport plays in building character and teaching valuable lessons that translate into all aspects of life. John brings a strong skill set to the Board of Softball Australia which includes a high level of commercial acumen and corporate governance expertise, coupled with high results orientation and a commitment to the delivery of quality outcomes. John is currently Chief Executive Officer of Stellar - a leading global customer care organisation employing 5,000+ people with a presence in five countries.

Peter Jon Hartshorne

Peter (known as PJ) was appointed to the Softball Australia Board in November 2012. He has worked largely in systems planning and commercialisation with corporations in Australia, Canada, UK and India. For the past 15 years, he has been a Managing Partner with Infinity, an Enterprise Customer Management and ICT Recruitment service offering consulting, recruitment, training, systems integration and support services. PJ is a Director of Kidney Health Australia Ltd, a non-profit charity organisation committed to substantially improving life for Australians suffering from kidney disease.

Annette Fidge

Annette was appointed to the Softball Australia Board on 5 May 2011 and elected to the Board in November 2012. As a Director with Deloitte’s Strategy and Operations Consulting practice, Annette brings 20 years experience in finance, financial modelling and business case development, strategic cost management, program management, risk management and organisational, structural and process improvement reviews. She has an Executive Masters in Business Administration from the Australian Graduate School of Management and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Institute of Chartered Accountants and Financial Services Institute of Australasia.  Annette’s involvement in softball spans 30 years, which includes 10 years’ experience at senior state level, as a selector for the Australian U19 women’s program, head coach for SA Starz Gilley’s Shield team  and various other high performance coaching roles. 

Helen Langenberg

Helen, who was elected as a Softball Australia Director on 19 November 2011, comes to the Board with many years’ experience across most facets of the sport. She was the inaugural Vice-President of the Werribee Softball Association and, on moving to Tasmania, became an active player, coach, umpire and scorer.  Off the diamond, Helen took on the roles of Treasurer, Vice President and President of the Tasmanian Softball Council (now Softball Tasmania), and President of the Burnie Softball Association.  In addition to her out-standing Softball credentials, Helen has an impressive track-record in sport management and policy. In her current position as Director Sector Development with Sport and Recreation Tasmania, Helen provides advice on key sport and recreation issues within and across government, building on her skills and knowledge in the planning, development and management of sport and recreation programs, services and facilities.

Michelle Nancarrow

Michelle has a strong connection to Softball in NSW both as a coach and administrator. She has been involved in high performance as a coach and has a strong interest in community and grassroots programs. Michelle has good commercial and business development (including sponsorship) credentials. As a result of her past employment at Sydney University Sport & Fitness, Michelle is well placed to assist us with building relationships in the university sector.

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Christine Heron

Christine was elected as a Softball Australia Director on 25 November 2012. She has played key roles in developing Softball NT, having been President from 2005-March 2012, Treasurer from 2000-2005 and Bookkeeper from 2007-June 2012. At State level, Christine has been involved in event management, in particular, coordinating and convening the U23 National Championships in Darwin and the Northern Territory. In conjunction with the NT Government and Softball Australia, Christine oversaw the development of the Northern Territory Softball Indigenous Program. She is currently working as a Project Manager in the insurance and banking fields in the Northern Territory and has expertise in administration and interpretation of legislation and policies, mediation and risk management.