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Board Members Profiles

Board Profile
	Ms Liz Johnstone (Chair) Liz trained as an accountant and has a background in small business. She has extensive experience with local government and community and was formerly Mayor of the City of Port Phillip, retiring from Port Phillip in November 2004. Liz has served as a member of a number of associations including the Municipal Association of Victoria, the Association of Bayside Municipalities and the Australian Local Government Women's Association. Liz was also a member of the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority. Liz currently works for the Municipal Association of Victoria and she is also a member of the Victorian Coastal Council.

Board Profile
	Dr Rosalind Jessop Roz lives on Philip Island and has been involved with bird research for over 25 years in both a voluntary and work capacity. Roz currently works for the Environment Department at the Phillip Island Nature Park. Major responsibilities are coordination of all aspects of Environmental Planning; coordinating animal rehabilitation and oil spill response; environmental grant applications; and management, implementation and monitoring of the PINP Management Plan 2006-11. Research activities include work on Silver Gulls, Crested Terns, Pacific Gulls, shorebirds and rehabilitation of wildlife, particularly oiled Little Penguins.

Board Profile
	Dr Mick Lumb Mick has had a career-long involvement in natural resources and land use planning. He was Director of the Land Conservation Council when the State-wide system of conservation reserves was established and has been Director of various Environment Divisions and the Office of the Environment as well as Chair of the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority. He currently runs a business in natural resources management. Mick serves on a number of government and community Boards and Committees and he is an Adjunct Professor at RMIT University.

Board Profile
	Ms Amy McDonald Amy, a scientist by training, has spent the past seven years working in the sustainability sector for organisations such as Conservation Volunteers Australia, the Municipal Association of Victoria and the Mornington Peninsula and Western Port Biosphere Reserve Foundation. She is an environmental advocate for Environment Victoria, and a member of the City West Water Community Liaison Committee, where she worked to draft the parameters for their Environmental Improvement Plan. Amy works as a writer and editor, trainer and facilitator, for community and environment groups.

Board Profile
	Mr Gary Martyn Gary is a community representative from the Bass Coast region, active in groups including Cape Paterson Residents and Ratepayers Association, Bass Coast Coastal Alliance, Victorian Coastal Alliance and Australian Marine Conservation Society. Gary was a member of the Community Advisory Board for the Bunurong Marine National and Marine and Coastal Parks. He brings to the Board a professional background in (physical) oceanography, engineering, project development and corporate governance.

Board Profile
	Mr Richard O'Byrne Richard is Manager Planning and Strategy with Parks Victoria's Bays and Maritime Division. He is responsible for Parks Victoria's long term planning for its network of maritime precincts around Port Phillip and Western Port. Richard is an urban planner by qualification, and has a varied background in statewide coastal policy, and strategic planning for parklands with Melbourne Parks and Waterways, Melbourne Water, and the former Department of Conservation and Environment, as well as Parks Victoria. Richard led a team which developed and implemented Linking People and Spaces, a parks plan for Melbourne. He has also been involved in a number of complex planning processes for the government, and has contributed to the development of policy and planning frameworks. He has previously been a member of the Coastal Management and Coordination Committee and the State Boating Council. Richard enjoys nothing better than the simple pleasure of a walk on the beach on a wild and windy day.

Board Profile
	Mr Jeff Weir Jeff is a marine scientist and passionate marine educator with over three decades of experience. He is an experienced diver, among the first to dive Port Phillip Heads in the early 1970’s and a champion for the Bays. Mr Weir has taught in tertiary, TAFE and secondary sectors and ran his own marine education consultancy for many years. He has experience in the management of marine ecotourism and impact assessment. Mr Weir was a founding member of the Dolphin Research Institute and is currently the Executive Director. He is also an Alternate Director with the Mornington Peninsula and Western Port Biosphere Reserve.

Board Profile
	Dr Michaela Dommisse Michaela is a marine scientist with a very keen interest in all things salty. She has worked for many years for the Victorian Government with most recent experience including, the scoping and delivery of a domestic ballast water system for Victoria, marine pest control and clean-up, estuary management, environmental flows, coastal infrastructure assessment and planning and delivery of the Environment Effects Statement (EES) for the Victorian Desalination Project. Michaela is currently dividing her time between research as an Honorary Fellow at Monash University and private consulting through Worley Parsons. She brings to the Board her perspective from academia, government and private industry.

Board Profile
	Mr Tim Hellsten Tim has qualifications in town planning and management and over 20 years experience in statutory and strategic planning within regional Victoria in both local government and consultancy. Tim is Coordinator Planning Strategy with the City of Greater Geelong and has been involved in the development of township and precinct structure plans and major land use strategies aimed at managing significant growth in coastal communities, protecting vulnerable coastal environments and landscapes and responding to the challenges of climate change. Tim is a member of PIA, brings planning, project management, local government experience to the Board plus a love and passion for our coast.

Board Profile
	Ms Rebecca Koss Rebecca has been trained as a marine scientist with a background in marine ecology and the social sciences. She is currently completing her PhD assessing community capacity building for effective management of Marine Protected Areas. Rebecca previous experience includes: coordinating the state-wide Sea Search community-based monitoring program, a steering committee member for Reef Life Survey, team member for Museum Victoria's Monitoring and Assessing Victoria's Intertidal Rocky Shores project, and various roles for the Department of Sustainability and Environment and Parks Victoria. Currently, Rebecca is Deputy Chair Oceania for the Young Professional Group for the World Commission on Protected Areas. When not working and studying, Rebecca spends much of her time on the coast surfing, diving, walking, running and cycling alongside

Board Profile
	Mr Trevor (Reg) Abrahams Trevor is a Gunditjmara man and has lived in the South Western District of Victoria all his life. Trevor has sound knowledge and understanding of historical and contemporary issues affecting Aboriginal people in Victoria, in particular those issues relating to the maintenance and protection of Cultural Heritage. He has also excellent understanding of the relevant legislation and regulations related to Cultural Heritage protection in the state. Trevor has the ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with the Aboriginal community, including the capacity to consult and negotiate in accordance with Aboriginal protocols, and the ability to aid in the development and implementation of strategies and projects to protect and monitor Aboriginal cultural sites, places, objects and information in a culturally appropriate, sensitive and responsible manner.

Board Profile
	Mr Rodney Warren Rodney Warren is the State-wide Program Leader, Public Land Services and is responsible for service delivery including the Coast Action Coast Care program and Coastal Management Act consents. Rod’s team works closely with Coastal Committees of Management and Coastal community groups. Previously Rod was the Chief Prosecutor and State Compliance Manager for DSE and its previous natural resource agencies. His roles included the investigation of major environmental crime including the illegal trade in fish, flora, wildlife and native vegetation. Rod has been involved in legislative development for the last 22 years and was a team member of the Marine Parks legislative reform.