During her career, Kate has held a number of challenging management positions. Kate is currently a Director of Management Solutions (Qld) a professional development and training company with particular focus on public policy issues and their implementation.

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.

Simon is currently the Chief Executive Officer for Cherry Growers Australia.

Simon has worked and had an involvement in community and regional development since 1981. Simon also has a strong interest in environmental issues and has an active involvement in Land care. Simon was the National President of Greening Australia from 2000 to 2003.
Simon in 2010 ran his own consulting company specialising in local , community and regional development projects.
Simon was the Senior Adviser to the Minister for Primary Industries and Water in Tasmania. From 2004-2009 he was the Regional Director of Area Consultative Committee Tasmania.
Previous employment includes:

• Manager of  the Promotion, Communication, Marketing Implementation and Community Partnerships area of Tasmania Together, a community vision and plan for Tasmania out to 2020.
• Environment Adviser to two Ministers
• State Landcare Coordinator; and
• National Landcare Program Coordinator

Simon holds a BA in Geography and Psychology, a Graduate Diploma of Recreation Planning in Natural Resources Management and Graduate Diploma with Honours in Antarctic and Southern Ocean Studies and is currently and Honorary Associate at University of Tasmania.

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.

Geoff has a long involvement in rural industry and with regional economic development issues. He has written on agricultural and rural industry restructuring issues, natural resources management and presented many papers on regional development.

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.

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.

Cassandra has lived and worked in Cranbrook for the past 3 ½ years as the Manager of business development for the Shire.  She has a diverse background, coming from industry into local government.  She is passionate about the growth of rural communities and their regional centres and is on the state committee of Economic Development Australia, the national SEGRA steering committee and the board of the Tambellup Cranbrook Community Bank.

Peter Waterman is an environmental planner with over 37 years professional experience working for governmental and private sector clients. Professional work has encompassed:

• strategic and statutory planning
• intergovernmental relations
• environmental research (physical, biological, social, economic and cultural); public and environmental health, and
• natural resource and environmental management

Peter’s formal professional qualifications are in geography, social science, urban planning and environmental management.

Commencing work as an environmental planning consultant in 1970, Peter has carried out a large number of land use planning and environmental impact and risk assessments in all Australian States and Territories as well as overseas. Through this work Peter has become an acknowledged leader in developing integrated and holistic approaches to the environmental management of natural systems, industrial facilities and built infrastructure with a geographic focus on the coastal zone.