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The Parks Forum Board is comprised of senior representatives of a number of our member agencies.
Our current Board members are:
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Neil McCarthy
General Manager, Parks Division, Parks VictoriaChairman Parks Forum
For 25 years Neil McCarthy has worked in the field of natural resource management, and played a lead role in establishing Melbourne Parks and Waterways and Parks Victoria.
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Russell Watkinson
Director, Parks Conservation and Lands, ACT Department of Territory and Municipal ServicesVice Chair, Parks Forum
Previously in the position of Director of Parks and Places, from 1998 to 2004 Russell Watkinson was the Executive Director of the Wet Tropics Management Authority in Cairns. Prior to this, he was Regional Manager (Coastal Program) for Far North Queensland with Queensland Department of Environment.
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Dr Digby Whyte
Director Park Operations, Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Natural Resources, Environment and The Arts (NT)Dr Digby Whyte is a public park and recreation careerist, having held positions with national, state, regional, and municipal agencies in New Zealand, the USA, Iceland and now the Northern Territory.
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Andrea Leverington
Assistant Director-General, Queensland Parks and Wildlife ServiceMs Leverington has recently taken on the role of Assistant Director-General, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.
Steve Corbett
Director and Chief Executive, Centennial Parklands, Sydney (AUST)Steve Corbett was appointed to the position in July 2004. He was previously Director for the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens and has nearly 30 years of industry experience in the management of parks, botanic gardens and open space areas.
Kevin O'Connor
General Manager, Research and Development, Department of Conservation, NZ
Kevin O'Connor has some 35 years experience in conservation management in a variety of roles and locations throughout New Zealand with most of this experience gained in the operations work of the Department of Conservation (DOC).
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Francis Khoo
Manager, Parks Services, City of MelbourneIn his role, Francis Khoo is responsible for the management and maintenance of the City's parks and tree assets. Francis is a civil engineer by profession and also has an MBA from Monash University.
Ian Harris
Convenor, Victorian State National Parks Advisory CouncilBoard Community Representative
Ian Harris lectures at RMIT University on urban open space management and undertakes project work in the parks industry. He was until recently manager of Parks and Recreation with the City of Melbourne, responsible for managing the City's heritage parks, gardens and tree boulevards.
Margaret Jacobson
Principal Officer, Open Space Planning, Brisbane City CouncilMargaret Jacobson is Senior Officer, Natural Environment and Sustainability with the Brisbane City Council.
Michael Ayrton
Park Director, Cornwall Park Trust BoardMichael Ayrton has been employed by the Trust since 1991 and previously worked in Parks for the Auckland Regional Council, Department of Conservation and the former New Zealand Forest Service.
John Schutz
Exective Director, Regional Conservation Delivery, SA Department For Environement and HeritiageJohn Schutz joined the Botanic Gardens, South Australia, as a horticulturalist at Mount Lofty Botanic Garden. In 1988 he was appointed Curator of the National Rhododendron Garden at Olinda in Victoria.
Jim Sharp
Deputy Director- General, WA Department of Environment and ConservationJim Sharp was appointed Deputy Director General Parks and Conservation in early 2008 following the merger of the Departments of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) and Environment to form the Department of Environment and Conservation.
Michael Wright
Director, Protected Areas Policy and Programs Branch, Department of Environment, Climate Change & Water (DECCW) New South Wales National Parks & Wildlife ServiceMichael Wright is responsible for development, implementation and review of policies, planning frameworks and programs to lead and support protected area establishment and wildlife management.
Graham Porteous
Manager, Recreation Services, Parks and recreaction Group, City of MelbourneParks Forum Company Secretary
Graham Porteus has been in the role since September 1999 and currently has responsibility for delivery of Council's Active Melbourne Strategy, planning the long-term recreation needs of the municipality, management of sporting and facility needs of community level clubs, supporting the business needs of the Group, and working with key capital city sports organisations to improve the sporting assets and infrastructure in the city.