Professor Lee Astheimer, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Deakin University

In March 2009 Professor Lee Astheimer commenced as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) of Deakin University. Professor Astheimer's portfolio includes responsibility for:

• Research Services Division
• Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (ITRI)
• Institute of Research Training

Professor Astheimer's role at Deakin is to provide academic leadership in respect of the advancement of research and research training and promoting, both nationally and internationally, Deakin University's distinctive contribution to research and research training.

Prior to joining Deakin Professor Astheimer was appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Wollongong in 2006 and also served as Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) between 2007 and 2008, managing research policy, development, commercialisation and training. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Smart Services CRC and Australia and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research & Teaching (ANZCCART).

Professor Astheimer received her BSc Hon. from Lakehead University, Ontario Canada and her PhD in Ecology from University California, Davis, USA (1984). She was awarded a National Institutes of Health–NIMH Postdoctoral Award (1988-1991) in comparative endocrinology and behaviour at the University of Washington, Seattle. Lee's research has focussed on comparative endocrinology and behaviour related to nutrition, reproduction and stress in vertebrates including humans. She has held academic positions at Rutger's University, New Jersey and the Universities of Tasmania and Wollongong.

In her position as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Astheimer chairs the Strategic Research Centre's (SRC) Meetings and the ITRI Board. Professor Astheimer is also a member of various external committees including Victorian Partnership for Advanced Computing Limited (VPAC) Board, Integrated Marine Observing System Advisory Board, Centre of Excellence for Design in Light Metals Advisory Board, Universities Australia Executive Women Board and Australian Research Council College of Experts.

Associate Professor Jeremy Buultjens, School of Business, Southern Cross University

Jeremy Buultjens is an Associate Professor with the School of Business at Southern Cross University. He is also the Managing Editor of the Journal of Economic and Social Policy. He has taught in a number of units ranging from Economics and Industrial Relations through to Tourism Planning and Indigenous Tourism.

Jeremy's research interests include Indigenous entrepreneurship, regional development and employment relations. His publications have appeared in Tourism Management, Journal of Industrial Relations, International Journal of Employment Studies, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Labour and Industry and the Australasian Journal of Business and Social Enquiry.

Jeremy has conducted numerous consultancies. His clients have included the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, the NSW Crown Solicitor’s Office, W.A. Department of Conservation and Land Management, and the Northern Rivers Area Consultative Committee.

Kate Charters, SEGRA Convenor and Director, Management Solutions (Qld) Pty Ltd

Kate has extensive experience in consultation and organizational reviews including:

• Facilitation of Great Barrier Reef Marine Parks Authority consultation on the Outlook Report
• School of Human Services Curriculum Review, Queensland University of Technology

With extensive experience at senior levels of government in both service delivery and policy development roles, Kate has a strong interest and understanding of the interaction of government, business, the non-government sector and the community in shaping and responding to public policy agendas.

Kate is the principal author of the annual SEGRA communiqué and is a guest joint editor of the Journal of Economic and Social Policy.

Janet Dore, CEO, Transport Accident Commission

Janet Dore was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission (TAC) in October 2008.

The TAC’s mission is to reduce road trauma and its impact on the community.  The focus is on road safety and accident compensation for road trauma victims and their families.

Janet migrated to Australia from England in 1973 and took up a career in local government as an urban planner working in several Melbourne councils.  In the late 1980s she was appointed to the Victorian Planning Appeals Tribunal whilst holding academic appointments at (then) RMIT and FIT.

She returned to local government in 1988 to take up management responsibilities and in 1994 was appointed the first CEO of the newly amalgamated City of Ballarat.  In 1999 she was appointed General Manager (CEO) of Newcastle City Council where she served until her appointment as Chief Claims Officer of the TAC in 2007.

During her time in Newcastle she was a Director of NIB Health Funds, which listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in 2007, and Newcastle Airport Ltd.  She is currently a Director of Ballarat Grammar School, G21 – Geelong Region Alliance; Committee for Geelong; and the Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR).

She holds an MBA from Deakin University and is a Fellow of both the Australian Institute of Management and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

 

 

 

 

Associate Professor Geoff Cockfield, Deputy Dean, Faculty of Business, University of Southern Queensland,
Founding Member of SEGRA

Geoff's most recent published work is, 2003, 'Reporting the drought: A study of news cycles', Australian Journalism Review, 25 (1), pp. 171-186, and his most recent research projects, conducted with other researchers, include 2003, A Pilot Study of Methods to Assess the 'Vital Signs' of Rural Communities and 2002, Pittsworth Shire Council and Department of Transport and Regional Services, Development in the Pittsworth Shire.

Geoff’s particular research interests include rural policy, agri-environment policy and land use change.

Dr Mike Hall, Principal Research Scientist, Australian Institute of Marine Scie

Mike Hall is a Principal Research Scientist at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) in Townsville within the Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity Program and leads a research team in tropical aquaculture on economically important marine organisms with a particular focus on technological developments for new and emerging aquaculture candidates and industry development.

His university years were spent in the USA (Florida Institute of Technology) and the UK where he obtained his BSc and PhD from the University of Wales. He has previously held research positions at the Max-Planck-Institute in Germany and research and teaching appointments at the University of Bristol in England. He joined AIMS in 1992 with his research focussed on wealth creation through the development of aquaculture particularly on domestication of species and more recently on hatchery technologies specifically for tropical rock lobsters for seafood and marine ornamentals for the marine aquarium trade. He has published extensively in the scientific literature, has lead several industry related research projects and has collaborations with research organisations in North America, Europe and Asia.

Senator Barnaby Joyce, Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Water

Barnaby is one of a family of eight from a cattle and sheep business in southern New England. After graduating with a degree in accountancy, Barnaby spent three years with a chartered accountancy firm then a short period with an American multinational in cost accounting before completing five years with a major regional bank.

 With a choice between a senior role in banking or starting his own business Barnaby chose the latter and owned and operated Barnaby Joyce and Co for ten years. His role in the National Party had concurrently taken him to Acting Treasurer of the Queensland Nationals. In 2004 he was elected to head of the National Senate team and won back the previously lost Senate seat.

Barnaby believed in a more classic role of the Senate as an independent house of review than the executive. His so-called “crossing the floor’ made him both hero and villain, but overwhelmingly respected by his constituency as a conviction politician.

In the Senate he was a voting member of the Senate Economics Committee and was author of “The Birdsville Amendment” to protect small business. Barnaby is unashamedly pro small business and is derided by many because of his pro small business views.

Barnaby was elected to the role of Nationals Leader in the Senate in September, 2008. In 2009 he was appointed Shadow Finance Minster and was more in the spotlight with his attack on Labor’s debt. The Coalition polling on economic management rose well above Labor in conjunction with his appointment.
He is now the Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Water.

Barnaby is a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary, former serving member of the Australian Defense Force Reserves and long term member of St Vincent De Paul. He represented central North NSW in Rugby, has twice been the subject for the Archibald Prize and most importantly is married to Natalie with four daughters, no son and is a great shot.

 

Mark Keil, Chief Information Officer, City of Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA

Mark Keil is the Chief Information Officer for the City of Chattanooga. Chattanooga, Tennessee was recently recognized as one of the world's seven smartest cities in 2011 by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), an economic and social development think tank that studies 21st Century growth within the global community.

Praised for leveraging some of the latest information and communications technology to spark job creation, Chattanooga joined six of the world's most innovative cities to top 14 others considered for the accolade. During ICF’s international summit in New York City, Mark Keil won the “coolest” app award for his presentation for Chattanooga’s region wide use of broadband and wireless technology.

Under Mark Keil’s direction and technical guidance, Chattanooga has been cited for their tremendous strides in air quality control, its transformative downtown revitalization, its improved standards for secondary education with integrated career training and its fully-accessible 1,000 megabit-per-second residential Internet service as the primary reasons its was selected as a Top Seven city.

Mark Keil has served as a key technological leader in Tennessee and the Southeast United States driving technological advancements and solutions for government and business for more than 30 years

 

 

Michael Knight, Senior Consultant, Pracsys

Michael Knight is senior consultant with urban economists and econometricians Pracsys.

Michael has more than 25 years professional experience in both the private and public sectors as a business and economic analyst and consultant. His client base includes numerous state government agencies and departments related to planning, land development, tourism, agriculture, regional development, culture and the arts, heritage, infrastructure and treasury and finance throughout Australia. He has also worked extensively with many local government authorities and regional development agencies in the areas of infrastructure analysis and development  His private sector client base includes major resource companies and property developers including Rio Tinto, BHP-Billiton, OPR,  Landcorp, Mirvac, Australand and Stockland.

 

 

Cr Rod Macdonald, Portfolio for Economic Development and Planning, City of Greater Geelong

Rod has been a councillor at the City of Greater Geelong since December 2004. In that time he has served on numerous committees and held the Portfolios for Infrastructure Parks and Gardens, Planning. Rod now holds the Portfolio for Economic Development.

Rod served in the RAAF for over 12 years and later worked in several manufacturing management roles. He is currently self-employed and serves on several boards. He holds a Bachelor of Business from D.D.I.A.E. (now USQ).

Rod has been heavily involved in the strategic direction of planning and economic development within the City of Greater Geelong and is vitally interested in the transition of the city’s economy and the development of new industry. In particular, developing ‘liveable’ cities for the future and understanding and meeting the challenges of a low carbon emission environment.

The Hon. Dr Denis Napthine MLA, Minister for Major Projects, Minister for Regional Cities and Minister for Racing

Denis Napthine became the Victorian Minister for Ports, Racing, Major Projects and Regional Cities in December 2010.

Dr Napthine was first elected to the Victorian Parliament in 1988 and has served as the Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Minister for Youth and Community Services and Leader of the Liberal Party. 

Prior to entering Parliament, Dr Napthine worked as a veterinarian in regional Victoria and remains a strong and passionate advocate for regional interests.  He is particularly interested in meeting local infrastructure, education, health, roads and tourism needs.
 
Dr Napthine holds a Bachelor of Veterinary Science, a Master of Veterinary Science (Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine) and a Master of Business Administration.

Dr Napthine is the Member for South-West Coast.

Claire Penniceard, Owner, The Pig Pen Pty Ltd

Claire Penniceard has been farming for over two decades and is the owner and sole Director of The Pig Pen Pty Ltd, a significant, multi award winning pig production business which grows out pigs in North East Victoria on contract to service specialist export markets. The challenges of obtaining approval from her
Shire council to set up an intensive enterprise exposed her to the serious issues of how a variety of high quality, high value, intensive agricultural enterprises, can be established and operated with environmental, social and commercial security.

She created and led an Industry Reference Group to develop a planning and zoning strategy, and a Planning Panel has approved the process. Claire believes the Precinct strategy has the potential to change how we utilize our land for sustainable agricultural production nationally against the challenges of food security.
She is committed to speaking with various national bodies and agencies about the benefits of the Precinct strategy.