Sandy Verschoor


Sandra Maaike Jayne Verschoor is the Lord Mayor of Adelaide in South Australia since 12 November 2018. She also worked as Deputy Mayor and a council staff member in the past.

Early life and education

Verschoor is the second daughter of Dutch immigrants to Australia and grew up in Elizabeth. She has a Master of Arts, an MBA and a PhD in Business Administration from Kennedy Western University.

Career

Verschoor worked in broadcasting and marketing in the early 1990s, and became marketing manager of the Adelaide Festival of the Arts in 1996. She was CEO of the Adelaide Fringe from 2006 to 2010. She also worked on WOMADelaide and helped establish the Adelaide Film Festival. In 2011, she became the executive producer of the Festival of Ideas, before becoming CEO of the Windmill Theatre in 2015 and acting CEO of the Adelaide Festival in 2016.
Verschoor worked as general manager for the Adelaide City Council for three years from 2012, before being elected to council at a by-election in 2015. From June 2017 to November 2018, she served as Deputy Lord Mayor for 18 months.
After Martin Haese decided not to run in the 2018 election, he endorsed Verschoor, who had been planning to run against him. Verschoor was elected Lord Mayor in November 2018, defeating lawyer Mark Hamilton and bookshop owner Kate Treloar.

Personal life

Verschoor is married and has two daughters and a son.