Two additions have been made to the sub-committees of Natural Hazards Research Australia’s Board.
Melissa Pexton from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services WA (DFES) replaces Sandra Whight on the Research and Implementation Committee. Sandra, a Board Director, is Chair of the Education and Training Committee and a member of the Reconciliation Working Group.
Melissa is the Deputy Commissioner Strategy and Emergency Management at DFES and brings a wealth of knowledge and over 20 years of experience in the sector. She is the first female Deputy Commissioner at DFES after previously serving as the Director of Risk, Capability and Analysis and State Recovery Controller, leading the considerable recovery effort required in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Seroja in 2021. She was also the Executive Officer of the State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC) and has held positions of Chair and Deputy Chair of the SEMC Recovery and Community Engagement subcommittee.
Current Board Director Oliver Costello also joins the Risk, Audit and Compliance Committee, in addition to being on the Education and Training Committee and a member of the Reconciliation Working Group. A Bundjalung man with a diverse range of expertise in culturally connected stewardship of Country, Oliver is currently focused on First Nations knowledge and practice in caring for Country through regenerative cultural practices that support preparedness, recovery and resilience in relation to fire, floods and storms.
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The Centre Board is supported by three sub-committees, each with a focused purpose to strengthen the decisions of the Board.
The Risk, Audit and Compliance Committee provides the Board with assurance that adequate processes are in place with regard to matters of risk, audit and compliance. The Committee includes oversight of risk management relating to the work of the Centre, financial management and reporting, compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements, and an external audit process and systems of internal financial control. The Committee is comprised of Adj Prof Tim Moltmann (Chair), Kate Vinot, Dominique Hogan-Doran SC and Oliver Costello.
The Education and Training Committee provides the Board with advice on the strategic decisions the Centre should take to support and promote training and education to improve resilience to natural hazards. The role of the Committee includes oversight of the Postgraduate Research Scholarship, Associate Student, Early Career Researcher Development and Industry Fellowship programs, the Future Research-Skilled Workforce program and research-informed education and training program. Committee members include Sandra Whight (Chair), Iain MacKenzie, Doug Smith, Oliver Costello, Clare Russell, Bhiamie Williamson, Paul Seager and Prof Cheryl Desha.
The Research and Implementation Committee provides the Board with strategic advice on the overall development of the Centre’s research and implementation programs. The role of the Committee includes oversight of the development and operation of the 10-year Research Strategy, Biennial Research program and Research Implementation Strategy, and includes Dr Greg Ayers, Kate Vinot, Adj Prof Tim Moltmann, Rob Webb, Ricky Archer, Anthony Bradstreet, Mal Cronstedt, Jennie Fluin, Hannah Wendel and Melissa Pexton.
The International Research Advisory Panel provides advice to the Research and Implementation Committee on the quality and progress of the Centre’s research program and Biennial Research Plan to improve research quality through an international perspective on research trends and collaboration opportunities. The Panel includes Dr Amy Cardinal Christianson, Prof Roland de Marco, Dr Mark Finney, A/Prof Susanna Jenkins, Prof Jessica Lamond, Dr Sarah McCaffrey, Dr Richard Smith and Prof Thomas Wilson.