Role of the Board

A key role of the Board is to ensure an appropriate high level of corporate governance is in place within Gippsland Water.

To achieve this, the Board's activities are focused on:

• developing a culture of accountability across all areas of the organisation;
• developing strategy for implementation by the authority's management team;
• ensuring appropriate policies are in place for all areas of the business; and
• providing effective guidance and leadership for staff.

The Board is able to achieve these key activities through:

• a high level of reporting to the Board and stakeholders;
• fostering a culture of corporate governance, compliance and accountability; and
• identifying and pursuing opportunities for improvement.

Gippsland Water Board

Richard McDowell - DBus. (Accounting), FCA, FTIA, Reg. Tax Agent and Reg. Company Auditor (Chairman)

Richard has for the past 31 years been a Director of Duesbury's Gippsland Accountants and also holds directorships and is involved with the financial management in a number of private companies.

Richard has over 12 years' experience in the water industry through his previous role as Deputy Chair of East Gippsland Regional Water Corporation and his membership of the Audit Committees of both East Gippsland and Gippsland Water corporations. He has also been involved with local government, hospitals and Gippsland Ports Authority.

Richard lives in Maffra, has two adult daughters and is an active member of many Gippsland community groups.

Leah Young - BBus, Grad Dip Bus, FAICD, AIMM (Deputy Chair)

Business management and strategic planning are Leah's key areas of contribution to the Board. Leah has held a position of Business Manager at St Paul's Anglican Grammar School since 1996. Leah has lived in Gippsland all her life.

Prior to her position at St Paul's, she has had more than 12 years' experience in local government, holding senior positions in key areas such as financial and corporate planning, capital works development, administration and human resource management.

A keen traveller and mother of two young children, Leah is also currently appointed as Director of Westernport Water.

 Brendan Jenkins

Brendan Jenkins is the immediate past Member for the State Seat of Morwell District in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Victoria. He served as a councillor in the former City of Moe prior to the amalgamation of Victorian councils and then as councillor on the City of Latrobe.

Brendan was elected as Mayor of the City of Latrobe three times between 1998 and 2002. He was a member and deputy chair of the inaugural Gippsland Water Board. Brendan was the Secretary of the Gippsland Trades and Labour Council for much of the late 1980s and 1990s.

He has been Chair of the Gippsland Local Government Network, a member of Gippsland Development Ltd., the Coal Corporation of Victoria, Latrobe Regional Hospital, and a number of other local and regional organisations. Brendan grew up in Moe where he lives with his wife, Susan and their two children. 

Janice van Reyk - M Environment (Hons), M Comm, LLB (Hons), BA, FAICD

Chair of the Safety Health and Environment (SHE) Committee, Janice works as an environmental consultant and has broad based senior executive experience in industrial companies including BHP Billiton, CSR, Macquarie Bank, National Foods and Orica.

She is a Leadership Victoria Fellow and her former directorships include Victorian Arts Centre Trust and Australian Pork Limited.

Peter Day - LLB, M Admin., FCPA, FCA, FTIA, GAICD

Peter Day was most recently Chief Financial Officer for the global packaging group Amcor. He has a background in finance and general management in mining, manufacturing, food and financial services industries, as well as a number of public interest areas.

He is a former Chairman of the Australian Accounting Standards Board, and was Deputy Chairman of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

He is currently a director of a number of ASX listed companies.

Kevin McKenzie - CoT(elec) BBus, MBA, DBA, GAICD

Kevin has extensive experience in regulated businesses in strategic, operational and senior executive roles. He has worked in senior IT, change management, project management and consulting roles over the past 20 years, and has supplement industry experience with academic contributions through teaching at TAFE, university graduate and post graduate levels. He holds a Certificate of Technology in Electrical Engineering, a Bachelor of Business (Monash), a Master of Business Administration (RMIT) and a Doctor of Business Administration (AGSE) and has completed the Masters program at the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Kevin currently heads up corporate strategy and business planning at SP AusNet (an ASX listed regulated electricity and gas utility) and currently holds additional directorship in the child and family services, recreation and education sectors.

John Donovan (detail to come)

David Mawer, Managing Director.   MSM, MBA, Dip.M, Dip. Bus. MAICD

David has extensive international private and public sector experience in senior executive roles in electricity, gas and water utilities, including national industry deregulation. Previously the Managing Director of Westernport Water, he is a former State Manager for BHP Billiton.

A metallurgist, David is also a former director of the NSW gas market regulator.