Chief Executive Officer P (07) 4620 0101 E ceo@condaminealliance.com.au
Phil currently undertakes the role of CEO and with his previous farming background and applying his experience in program management, community groups, government and private businesses gives him a strong passion for sustainable live able landscapes. Phil assumed his current role five years ago after a 21 year history in the Queensland public service. His career has included providing land management advice, program management and coordination, grant program administration and government liaison with regional natural resource management groups. Phil has a Bachelor of Arts (USQ) in Public Relations and Communications, Diploma of Business Administration, Associate Diploma of Rural Technologies (UQ, Gatton), Certificate IV in Training and Development, Member of the Australian Institute of Management (AIM) and the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and is a qualified Justice of the Peace. Phil volunteers with his local Landcare group and, in conjunction with his wife, Kay, manage a couple of motels.
Penny Hamilton
Program Delivery Manager P (07) 4620 0107 E penny.hamilton@condaminealliance.com.au
Penny has worked in agriculture for the past 30 years (with a small breeding break to produce 3 sons!!) across a plethora of areas. Her initial focus on the technical side predominantly in weed management and crop agronomy but in later years shifted to the social side of extension, engagement and training in the field of agriculture and related discipline. Penny has complemented formal skills with professional development in project management, leadership, team building, quality assurance and evaluation; with a Bachelor and Masters of Agricultural Science.
John Mundy
Corporate Services Manager P (07) 4620 0104 E john.mundy@condaminealliance.com.au
John started with the Alliance in January 2006. His basic discipline is mechanical engineering and he was for many years in senior management positions in several countries worldwide. In more recent years he has been involved in the Australian Government's Regional Development Funding Programs and has wide experience in facilitating government, business and community partnerships.
Alexandra Kennedy
Community Partnerships Officer P (07) 4620 0119 E alexandra.kennedy@condaminealliance.com.au
Alex commenced with Condamine Alliance in May 2010. Alex is passionate about promoting good environmental values in the community to protect and enhance the health of our environment, agricultural systems and human communities. Alex is an active member of her local Landcare Group, where she has organised many environmental and community projects. Her previous position was with Rangelands Australia at the University of Queensland. Alex has three young boys and is thankful that they are able to experience a childhood living with nature and understand where their food comes from. She has a Diploma in Applied Science (Horticulture), is an NRM Champion and has completed the National Organic Auditor Training Course.
Andrew McCartney
Sustainable Agriculture Systems Leader P (07) 4620 0133 E andrew.mccartney@condaminealliance.com.au
Andrew joined Condamine Alliance in October 2008 after eight years with the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (QDPI&F) specialising in Extension and Continuous Improvement & Innovation. Prior to joining QDPI&F, Andrew managed a beef cattle enterprise in Central Queensland for 17 years. Andrew has a Master of Rural Systems Management (UQ) and is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program.
Katie Ferguson
Marketing and Communications Leader P (07) 4620 0106 E katie.ferguson@condaminealliance.com.au
Prior to joining Condamine Alliance in 2008 Katie worked for the Ideas Festival and Arts Queensland in marketing and communications. She has a strong background in marketing, having worked in the industry for 10 years, primarily in tourism for Local Government throughout regional QLD and NSW. Katie has a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Communications and Public Relations from the Queensland University of Technology.
Ken Riddiford
Aboriginal Engagement Officer P (07) 4620 0131 E ken.riddiford@condaminealliance.com.au
Ken commenced working at the age of 13 on large cattle stations in the far west of Queensland until he was about 20 years old and then did various jobs, like truck driving and tractor operating until later going to University and working in the State Government for approximately 20 years. Ken started work in the Department of Education as a Teachers Aid threading needles for year ones through to the advisor for the Minister of Education on Aboriginal Education. Ken later was appointed as Regional Manager of the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy and Development in Townsville before commencing as a private consultant; in April 2010 Ken was appointed to Condamine Alliance.
Kevin Graham
River Rescue Coordinator P 0418 411 351 E kevin.graham@condaminealliance.com.au
My 40 years expericence with a national provider of extension services linked to production inputs and outputs for land managers (livestock, broad-acre cropping/pasture, viticulture, horticulture, irrigation farming and government/community bodies)has been of great benefit for me when I joined the Condamine Alliance River Rescue Program. I enjoy interacting with land managers to help them plan and carry-out on-ground works that will benefit their natural resources and at the same time help them achieve long last sustainability. River Rescue Projects takes me to many parts of the Condamine catchment and as a result when I am at home I treasure my time with my family members including our six (grandchildren. Interests away from work and my family includes breeding beef cattle, sport and being aware of what our elected parliamentary representatives are doing and saying.
Jayne Thorpe
Biodiversity Leader P (07) 4620 0137 E jayne.thorpe@condaminealliance.com.au
Jayne Thorpe’s passion, both professionally and personally, is functioning landscapes. Since early 2008, she has taken on the role of Biodiversity Leader with Condamine Alliance. Jayne has a strong natural resource management (NRM) background and prior to this role worked with 3 NRM bodies on a project recording the Traditional Ecological Knowledge across South-West NRM, SEQ Catchments and Condamine Alliance regions. She is also an active partner in Notomys Seeds, an environmental consultancy which specialises in revegetation action throughout the Darling Downs. Jayne has a Bachelor of Science majoring in plant biology and a Graduate Diploma of Science which focussed on ethnobotany
Lisa Russell
Financial Officer P (07) 4620 0103 E lisa.russell@condaminealliance.com.au
Lisa joined Condamine Alliance in late January 2010 in a part time capacity as their Finance Officer. She completed her Diploma of Accounting in 2009 and was awarded Most Outstanding Achievement by her teachers. Lisa also has her own Bookkeeping business which fills in the rest of her time.
Lois Allan
Executive Administration Office Leader P (07) 4620 0132 E lois.allan@condaminealliance.com.au
Lois joined Condamine Alliance in May 2009. Lois is experienced in the provision of quality executive administration and operational, staff management, communication and project development. Lois started working in rural Australia, moving from North Queensland to the Northern Territory and across to the Kimberly in Western Australia. She then commenced her career in the political environment working in most states and the ACT. Lois has over a long period of time worked for a state member, various parliamentary members and Ministers in the Australian government in electoral and ministerial office environments. Her career experience includes radio broadcasting with ABC, communications and executive administration with the AWB Queensland office, operational management with Queensland Health and project development in the not for profit sector. Lois has studied a number of disciplines during her employment in the areas of journalism, financial and systems management, workplace management, human resources and travel.
Lucy Richardson
Science Leader P (07) 4620 0115 E lucy.richardson@condaminealliance.com.au
Lucy is the Science Leader for Condamine Alliance; managing research projects, providing advice to Condamine Alliance programs and partners based on current scientific information and coordinating the monitoring, evaluation, reporting and program improvement of the Alliance’s investment programs. Lucy is an environmental engineer with over 10 years experience in a broad range of natural resource management areas and is currently undertaking PhD research into the monitoring and evaluation practices and options for Australia’s regional NRM bodies.
Michelle Everingham
Spatial Information Officer P (07) 4620 0105 E michelle.everingham@condaminealliance.com.au
Michelle is currently studying a Bachelor of Social Science (Sustainable Environments & GIS) at the University of Southern Queensland. She started with Condamine Alliance in September 2005 as Business Implementation Officer with Corporate Operations. She has now spent over 2 years with Program Delivery team as Information Management Officer. Her primary responsibilities include: geographic information systems, MERI (monitoring, evaluation, reporting and improvement) and supporting the Science Leader in program delivery.
Robyn Ivey
Senior Administration Officer P (07) 4620 0118 E robyn.ivey@condaminealliance.com.au
Robyn joined Condamine Alliance in May 2010 as a part-time Administration Officer. Prior to this she spent 12 years at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, working mainly in the areas of governance, policy and committees. Robyn returned to Toowoomba with her family at the beginning of 2009 and enjoys the slightly calmer lifestyle of a regional city. She has a rural background and enjoys visiting her family’s farming properties, most of which are located in the Condamine catchment area.
Grace Brosnan
IT & Contracts Administration Officer
P (07) 4620 0135
E grace.brosnan@condaminealliance.com.au Grace joined Condamine Alliance as the Administration Trainee in February 2011. She has successfully completed a 12 month traineeship in Certificate III in Business Administration. Grace is adept at planning, organising and working with computers. She has been promoted into the role of IT and Contracts Administration Officer within the company. Prior to joining Condamine Alliance, Grace attended boarding school in Toowoomba before returning to her home town of Roma. She then worked in various customer relations positions for retail businesses in and around Roma. Grace plans on commencing full time external study with the University of Queensland in 2012.
Carl Mitchell
Water Leader
P (07) 4620 0117
E carl.mitchell@condaminealliance.com.au
Carl is the Water Leader for Condamine Alliance having swapped the Great Barrier Reef for the Condamine river in south west Queensland to take up a leading water role. He and his family relocated to Toowoomba from Mackay in north Queensland. Carl’s role involves overseeing the entire water projects, funding and improvement works program for the Condamine catchment which covers 2.75 million hectares and includes the 500 kilometre-long Condamine River and its many tributaries.
A water quality scientist and river management specialist, Carl was previously the water projects manager at the Mackay Whitsunday Natural Resource Management Group.
He has extensive experience across local, state and international issues in water quality monitoring and water quality improvement planning. He has travelled throughout Australia and the Philippines to monitor and improve water quality including in the catchments of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
A strong interest in international development has taken him to East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, China, Thailand, Burma and remote Australia. This year Mr Mitchell was part of the Project Catalyst Team which won a Banksia Award and a Queensland Premiers Sustainability Award and was a finalist in the 2011 National River Prize.
Lisa Hollis
Administration Trainee
P (07) 4620 0102
E lisa.hollis@condaminealliance.com.au Lisa starting working with Condamine Alliance in June 2011 after she completed year 12 at St Joseph’s College in Toowoomba in 2010. Prior to joining Condamine Alliance, Lisa worked in a casual capacity on weekends with the Westridge newsagency. Lisa has a passion for hockey and is a highly competitive player with competition experience state wide. In 2009, she underwent a series of umpiring commitments in state championships along with written tests to gain her beginner (going onto development) umpire badge. She now umpires hockey matches throughout Australia. Lisa works for Condamine Alliance as the Administration Trainee and is looking for an opportunity to grow her skills base in the area of administration. Lisa has now been signed with Sarino Russo (Australian Apprenticeships Centre) and The Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE (SQIT) to complete her traineeship.
