Tim Hughes - Chair
Mike Williams - Deputy Chair
Brian Binning
Tom Grosskopf
Julie Woodroffe
Jonathon Howard
Megan Kessler
Mark Forstmann
.jpg)
Tim Hughes - Chair
Appointed January 2003.
Tim has qualifications in science, economics and natural resource management. He is a highly respected figure in the Australian investment industry. Tim is currently the Chief Investment Officer of a major industry superannuation fund as well as being an economics and finance columnist for the Brisbane Courier Mail.
Tim began his career in the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service before moving into the finance sector in 1983. He held various senior positions with Rothschild Australia Limited before starting his own boutique investment management business, which managed funds for many of Australia's largest superannuation funds.
Tim brings strong finance skills to the board as well as substantial experience in business management, policy development and natural resource management.
Michael Williams - Deputy Chair
Appointed August 2004.
Michael is the principal and managing director of Michael Williams & Associates Pty Limited, a natural resource management, strategic planning, facilitation and communication company based in Sydney.
With qualifications in geology and geomorphology, Michael started his career teaching in the School of Earth Sciences at Macquarie University in Sydney, and then worked with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service in education, interpretation and natural area investigation. He has been consulting in natural resource mangaement since 1986 and formed his company in 1988.
Michael has had a long-standing commitment to private land conservation through involvement with and consulting to:
- South Australia's Heritage Agreement Scheme;
- private land nature conservation initiatives as part of the Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement;
- private land conservation management in the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area; and
- private, NGO, NRM regional bodies, State, Commonwealth and US based organisations as part of their development of private land nature conservation strategy and policy.
Michael is a past president of the Environmental Institute of Australia and New Zealand (NSW Division) and is a member of IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas.
Julie Woodroffe
Appointed December 2001.
Julie is a primary producer in horticulture from Gleniffer in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, and a partner in Never Never Resources, a consulting firm providing professional services in strategic planning and facilitation for the natural resource and environment management industries - with particular emphasis on biodiversity conservation.
Julie is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a graduate and fellow of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.
Julie is an accredited facilitator and currently chairs the Northern Rivers Biodiversity Management Plan project. She is a former board member of Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority and the NSW Rural Women's Network. She is an active member of her local Landcare community.
.jpg)
Appointed January 2003.
Brian has qualifications in architecture, urban design, and town and regional planning.
Following a period as a Fulbright Fellow, he worked in Scandinavia. He then directed a UK/US consultancy, planning the regeneration of one of Europe's ageing metropolitan regions. A position in charge of strategic planning and urban design for Canberra's National Capital Authority saw him reporting on sustainable development to the OECD. As an independent consultant, he has planned a number of major public and private sector urban developments and infrastructure, and developed strategies for coastal and catchment areas. Over two decades running a wool-growing farm in Yass, Brian developed a commitment to management of the natural environment..
Now retired, he travels, grows wine-grapes, and writes about the processes of change in the urban and natural environments.
Appointed June 2006.
Tom Grosskopf is the Director of Landscapes and Ecosystems Conservation with the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water. In this role, Tom has responsibility for:
- the legislative framework and policy development for native vegetation, threatened species and private native forestry issues;
- the delivery of innovative programs directed at improving the assessment of biodiversity assets, such as Biobanking;
- engagement of Aboriginal people in biodiversity management programs; and
- the design and delivery of programs to create the incentives for private land managers to protect and enhance important environmental assets on private land.
Tom came to this position after more than 15 years experience in the public sector, mainly in rural NSW. During this time, Tom worked in the primary industries, environment and natural resources agencies.
Tom has qualifications in earth sciences and environmental planning.
Jonathon Howard
Appointed May 2007.
Dr Jonathon Howard lives on a small farm in Jindera near Albury. He works at Charles Sturt University where his research and teaching focuses on the socio-psychological dimensions of water policy and management. He is currently team leader of the Human Dimension Research Group within the Institute of Land, Water and Society, which is the largest group of social scientists working on natural resource management issues anywhere in Australia. Prior to this, he worked in natural resource management for the NSW Government for over ten years where the quality of his programs were recognised by three Landcare awards. Jonathon is also currently a Board member of the Murray Catchment Management Authority.
Appointed May 2007.
Megan has qualifications in natural resource management and has worked for both government and non-government organisations. Her career has included positions focused on Landcare and Coastcare, threatened species management and working with low income households to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Megan remains an active Landcare volunteer in Sydney's western suburbs. She is currently working on a PhD designed to improve the management of the NSW whale watching industry. Megan is also a board member of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW.
.jpg)
Appointed January 2010.
Mark Forstmann has a diverse background of investment management, film and television production, science, and conservation. He began his career in IT and investment management, before moving onto film and television production.
As a filmmaker, he has made an awarding winning feature film, Monkey Puzzle, and documentaries for the ABC and National Geographic. His films explore environmental themes, amongst others.
He has been a non-executive director of Hunter Hall International (Australia's largest ethical fund manager) since 2001 where he is part of the risk management, audit and investment committees. From 1987 to 1994, he worked in investment banking with Banque Indosuez, in both France and Australia, and prior to that with Bank America.
Throughout his career, he has had an active interest in conservation. He has been a climate change ambassador with The Climate Project, an affiliation between the Australian Conservation Foundation & Al Gore, since 2006. Mark also contributes articles to the Ethical Investor magazine.
He believes conservation of our natural habitats is the biggest challenge facing our society.
Mark has qualifications in both science and film and television production.
