Chair & Directors

Independent Chair

Prof Allan Dale

Allan Dale is a Professor of Tropical Regional Development at The Cairns Institute, James Cook University and Chief Scientist for the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA). Allan has a strong interest in integrated societal governance, with a particular focus across the tropical world, northern Australia and the Great Barrier Reef. He leads JCU’s contributions to Queensland’s Rural Economies Centre of Excellence (RECoE), Queensland’s Communities in Transition Program and emerging new approaches to Collective Impact for Social Development. He works extensively with governments, regional and local communities on issues related to economic, social and Indigenous development, water and natural resource management. Allan is Deputy Chair of the Premier’s Queensland Plan Ambassador Council. He was previously the Chair of Regional Development Australia Far North Queensland and Torres Strait (RDA FNQ&TS) and the ex-CEO of Terrain NRM.

Allan also has an extensive experience in government-based policy and delivery in several natural resource management fields. He was Queensland’s first Social Impact Assessment regulator. He then took on the role of General Manager of Strategic Policy in the Department of Natural Resources and Mines. In this period, he established Queensland’s regional Natural Resource Management system, as well as leading policy changes in forestry, water, mining and water management. In between these roles, Allan worked as a Senior Scientist in CSIRO Tropical Crops and Pastures, establishing significant research in regional approaches to rangeland management. Allan’s original PhD studies explored factors influencing the success or failure of Federally funded rural development projects in Indigenous communities in Cape York Peninsula.

Throughout his career, Allan has developed deep partnerships with most key industry sectors in Queensland, Local government, the conservation movement and both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land and sea institutions. He has previously served as a Director on the RRRC Board. Before studying Agricultural Science at the University of Queensland, Allan grew up at Trinity Beach, spending much of his spare time in the region’s reef and rainforest environments. With his partner Michele, he raised his family in both the Miriwinni and Speewah communities in the Wet Tropics. As a Far North Queenslander, he is deeply dedicated to the sustainable development of Northern Australia, as well as ensuring a strong relationship between our communities and our nearby Indo-Pacific neighbours.

Managing Director & Company Secretary

Sheriden Morris

Sheriden Morris has had a strong connection to and focus on northern Australia her entire life: from growing up in Batchelor in the Northern Territory, through her studies in tropical agronomy, and her professional career working with sugar, banana, aquaculture and tourism industries and agencies such as CSIRO and GBRMPA. For the past ten years she has been the Managing Director of the Cairns-based non-profit Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC). She has always strongly believed in intelligent, sustainable development for northern Australia using the region’s tropical expertise – the knowledge of living, building and working most effectively in the tropics.

Under her leadership, RRRC has successfully attracted more than $200 million in grants and investment to support research and development projects in northern Australia. This includes the Australian Government’s Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility, the Tropical Ecosystems Hub of the National Environmental Research Program, the Tropical Water Quality Hub of the National Environmental Science Programme and the Crown of Thorns Starfish Targeted Control Program.

Sheriden is deputy Chair of Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef and has served on numerous government advisory committees for land and water management, including Queensland and Commonwealth committees for agriculture, coastal development, wetlands and indigenous opportunity. An extensive contributor to land and sea management policy, she has also spearheaded the development and implementation of an innovative aid development program on Australia’s northern borderlands with Papua New Guinea.

She lives on the family farm at Babinda, just south of Cairns.

Non-Executive Director

Dr David Craig

Dr. David Craig is the Director of the Cairns Campus of James Cook University (JCU). As a world leading university with a focus on research and teaching that makes a difference to life in the tropics world-wide, JCU is ranked number one in the world for Marine and Freshwater Biology and number two in the world for Biodiversity Conservation. David’s role at JCU is focused on external engagement, providing the primary point of contact for the Cairns community. In addition, David’s role extends to general management of the Cairns campus, working to build a collaborative and supportive culture for students and staff.

David joined JCU from New Zealand where he was Assistant Vice-Chancellor at the University of Waikato. David’s portfolio at Waikato included brand development, marketing, communications, the university’s digital ecosystem, events, student recruitment, advancement, alumni relations, industry engagement and the university’s conference and events business.

David has worked in higher education for more than 12 years, 7 years in Australia (at UTS, JCU and ACU) and 5 years in New Zealand. Prior to higher education, David enjoyed a successful career in a variety of sectors, most notably in property, commercial banking, consumer goods and sport and leisure, where David was a senior executive at companies such as Macquarie Bank, Landcom, Coca-Cola and the Australian Rugby Union.

David has recently completed a PhD at Waikato, his research interest related to the study of university brands and the implications of disruptive innovation. David also has an undergraduate business degree from the University of Technology (Sydney), a Master’s degree from the University of Melbourne and is a qualified Chartered Accountant.

Non-Executive Director

Daniel Gschwind

Daniel Gschwind was the CEO of Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) from 2001 to 2022, representing the industry in numerous committees and forums.

In 2022, he was appointed as Professor of Practice for the Griffith Institute for Tourism at Griffith University and Chair of Trade and Investment Queensland. Daniel has been an Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland since 2002, and is also a Director of Tourism Whitsundays, a member of the board of Jobs Queensland and the Chair of the Tourism Reef Advisory Committee of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA).

Daniel is the Honorary Consul for Switzerland in Queensland and the Dean of the Consular Corps.

Earlier in his career, Daniel was involved in yacht charter operations in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean before relocating to Australia, where he completed an Honours Degree in Economics at the University of Queensland. He worked as a Senior Economist for the Queensland Treasury for six years before taking on his tourism roles.

 

Non-Executive Director

Dr Daniel Metcalfe

Dan is the Director of CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, which comprises around 500 staff from 5 major sites working across all States and Territories. Dan brings a strong record in science leadership that spans the broad domain of environmental research, deep network across the innovation system, as well as successful stakeholder management at all levels.

Dan has spent the past eight years in predominantly research management roles supporting environmental research and impact across Australia. He has experience managing complex, multidisciplinary teams across multiple locations in client focussed work, bringing together disparate capability onto major projects, developing cross-domain strategy, and operationalising it. He has spent over two decades working in environmental management and landscape ecology specialising in the ecology and ecophysiology of native vegetation communities, and the sustainable management of natural landscapes. His work has contributed to policy development, conservation appraisals and theoretical advances. As a landscape ecologist he has contributed to the development of monitoring and assessment protocols related to sustainable mining, water abstraction and agricultural development, and provided advice and conducted assessments and reviews for state and territory governments, the national governments of Australia and New Zealand, and international organisations. In addition to working as a subject specialist, Dan is increasingly called upon to provide high level synthesis across a range of domains related to a specific current topic. Recent examples include briefings for Ministers and senior executives and coordinated submissions and appearances before Senate committees, Commonwealth and State Inquiries and the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Preparedness. He has experience developing written and video/audio material for academic audiences, policy decision-makers, agency staff and community groups.

Dr Metcalfe holds representative roles on the Terrestrial Ecosystems Research Network (TERN) Advisory Board and the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) Board, and on Committees of the National Marine Science Council (NMSC), Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans (POGO), Reef & Rainforest Research Centre and Reef 2050 Advisory Committee. He is CSIRO’s representative on the Location Interdepartmental Committee (IDC), Antarctic IDC, Cape Grim Science Program Management Group and the Australian Climate Services Customer Committee Working Group. Dan is also an expert member of Accounting for Nature’s Standards and Accreditation Committee. He has served on the Goyder Institute for Freshwater Research Management Board, Wet Tropics Management Authority Scientific Advisory Committee, the NESP Northern Australia Environment Resources Hub’s Research Executive Committee, and the CSIRO-James Cook University Tropical Landscapes Joint Venture Management Committee. Dan was co-chair of CSIRO’s Indigenous Engagement Implementation Committee (2014-2021), was Manager of CSIRO’s Office of Indigenous Engagement (2014-17) and delivered CSIRO’s first Reconciliation Action Plan.

Dan holds an Honours degree in Botany, a PhD in tropical ecology from the University of Cambridge, UK, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice (Education) and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Non-Executive Director

Dr Joseph Morrison

Joe Morrison has Dagoman and Torres Strait Islander heritage and has over 25 years’ experience working with Indigenous people in northern Australia and more recently with Indigenous people globally. He has extensive advocacy, policy, research and practical experience in developing ranger programs, climate change, traditional knowledge conservation, fire management and carbon economies, water rights, public policy, Indigenous institutional governance, negotiating agreements and reforming and leading complex institutions. He has published in these and related areas.

He has a BA in Land Management from the University of Sydney and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of New South Wales for his contribution to Indigenous land and sea management, policy development, advocacy and related topics nationally.

He is currently the Managing Director of Six Seasons Pty Ltd, a company established to advance Indigenous people. Prior to this he was the Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Land Council and the founding CEO of the North Australian Indigenous Land & Sea Management Alliance spanning 18 years. He is currently a Director of the Environmental Defenders Office Australia, Australian Native Foods and Botanicals and Ilkara Wilpeena Resort, is advises a US based Foundation, Nia Tero on working with Indigenous people to secure their guardianship of globally important territories.

Non-Executive Director

Dr Keith Noble

Keith Noble is Chair of Terrain NRM, the regional Natural Resource Management body for Queensland’s Wet Tropics, and also Chairs the North Queensland NRM Alliance. He is a Rural Planner with his family company, Insideout Architects, and farms tropical fruit near Tully. Keith holds a PhD and MSc from James Cook University, a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from the University of Queensland, and a Graduate Diploma in Plant Protection from Gatton Agricultural College. Keith is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and a Registered Planner with the Planning Institute of Australia.

Before farming, Keith worked in natural resource management throughout regional Australia, culminating in declaration of Australia’s largest terrestrial protected areas – the 97,000 km2 Ngaanyatjarra Lands Indigenous Protected Area in Western Australia. Keith was Founding Director of Australian Tropical Fruits and Australian Tropical Marketing before Cyclones Larry and Yasi changed the course of the tropical fruit industry. He is a past Director of Growcom, horticulture’s peak body, of Troplinks, and of Regional Development Australia FNQ&TS.

Keith has a demonstrated commitment to the appropriate development of Northern Australia, and his book, “Agriculture and Resilience in Australia’s North” was recently published by Springer Nature.

Non-Executive Director

Dr Liz O’Brien

Dr Liz O’Brien has a multi-sectoral career spanning Queensland public sector policy and investment roles, university research management and commercialisation, strategy development and government engagement, and industry applied research. She is currently the General Manager - Partnerships at the Queensland TRust for Nature. Prior to that she was the Industry Engagement Manager for Agricultural Science and Biocommodities at QUT, with a key focus on brokering research partnerships and enabling the translation of research into impact. In the years preceeding this she played a key role in securing over $29M of research funds for Griffith University. She has a strong grounding in marine research receiving a Bachelor of Zoology with 1st class honours, and the Deans commendation for outstanding PhD thesis for her research in molecular marine biology from the University of Queensland. 

 

Non-Executive Director

Gareth Phillips

Gareth has always had a passion for the oceans. With a post graduate degree in Zoology specialising in marine environments and animals, he is also a skipper, marine engineer and business owner.

Early on in his 20+ year career, Gareth developed a passion for the link between tourism and science. He currently owns and runs a Great Barrier Reef research, training and consulting company in Cairns ann is also the CEO of the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators (AMPTO).

Gareth believes through collaboration, we can make the strongest and most genuine changes for the environment and all communities; locally, nationally and internationally.

Non-Executive Director

Dr David Wachenfeld

Dr David Wachenfeld has worked on the Great Barrier Reef for over 30 years in a career spanning tourism, marine park management and science. David is currently the Research Program Director for the ‘Reef Ecology and Monitoring Program’ at the Australian Institute of Marine Science. He leads a team of 40 scientists who study the coral reefs of the Great Barrier Reef, including long term ecological health, impacts of climate change including changes to ecological function, new technologies to monitor reef ecosystem health, tracking movements of large reef animals, and modelling and decision support for reef restoration. His team also work with communities in coral reef countries around the world to improve global monitoring of reef health.