Basketball Ballarat appoint new CEO

Basketball Ballarat Board Chair Kim Holloway has announced the appointment of City of Ballarat Director Neville Ivey as the next Chief Executive Officer of the Association.

 

Mr Ivey will take over leadership of the region’s largest indoor sports organisation from retiring CEO Peter Eddy. In his role as Director, Community Development for the City of Ballarat Ivey has been responsible for management many of the City’s major facilities and for a broad range of community programs and services. He also has current responsibility for the City’s COVID 19 Response and Recovery planning.

 

His work at Council has also included strategic facility planning and development, and engagement with external bodies to attract and manage several major sports and community events for the city.

 

Mrs Holloway said that the advertised role had attracted a large, quality field of applicants and that after an exhaustive selection process by a Board subcommittee and a final presentation to the full Board Neville Ivey was the unanimous selection of the Board.

 

Holloway added “Ballarat Basketball is pleased to be able to ensure a smooth transition between CEO’s at this critical time for the organisation.

 

We are excited about having someone of Neville’s calibre and background to ensure continuity in the short term and to drive new perspectives and enhance the strategy in the medium to long term.

 

In accepting the position Mr Ivey said “I am really excited to be moving into a role with Ballarat Basketball, and feel my previous experiences working with the community with the City of Ballarat will hold me in good stead and see me hit the ground running.

 

Mr Ivey said “previous projects I have lead like the development of many of Ballarat’s major sporting facilities, including MARS Stadium and the Ballarat Regional Soccer Facility, as well as being in charge of the Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre give me good insight into some of the challenges the role will include”.

 

“I have seen how vital the link between sport and community is to the whole of Ballarat and the broader Western Region and am keen to ensure this continues at Ballarat Basketball.”

 

“My role as the City of Ballarat’s Director of Pandemic Resource and Recovery has also provided me with the expertise to feel confident in leading Basketball Ballarat through the current COVID-19 crisis and back out onto the courts as soon as we are allowed”.

 

“I would like to thank Basketball Ballarat for putting their trust and confidence in me, especially succeeding someone of the calibre of Peter Eddy, I am really looking forward to starting the role and connecting with all the stakeholders, the Ballarat basketball community.”

 

Ivey will take over the role in both very challenging and demanding times as Basketball Ballarat firstly navigates its way through the current COVID pandemic and then oversees the rebuild of its programs and services to pre COVID levels.

 

As Basketball Ballarat progresses to a new “COVID normal environment” the organisation will also continue its growth and development plans to deliver increased services into Western Victoria while also providing better indoor sports opportunities at the expanded Phoenix College community sports hub in Ballarat West when this development is ready in late 2021.

 

In addition to these future plans the work with Council and the State Government to complete Stage 2 works at the Ballarat Sports Events Centre is an immediate priority along with beginning Stage 1 of works at the Minerdome Sports Centre as it undertakes a major upgrade to become the regions home of Adaptive Sports Centre for all abilities sports.