Chair – Professor Max Standage
Max has held a number of senior management and leadership positions at Griffith
University, including Dean, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Provost with responsibilities for
the Health and Science Academic Groups and the Quality and Community Partnership
portfolios. Max has several new initiatives including the establishment of the Logan
campus, development of the Gold Coast campus and the initial planning for the
Griffith Medical, Dental and Oral Health and Pharmacy Schools. He has particular
interests in strategic planning of university campuses, commercialisation of university
research, knowledge precincts and the development of knowledge intensive
industries and the role of universities in community engagement and social inclusion.
Deputy Chair – Mr Malcolm (Mick) Graham OAM
Mick is a life member of the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union and Keep
Australia Beautiful (Vic). He is currently President of Golden Beach Progress
Association and a past member of the Ministerial Regional Community Forum for the
Sunshine Coast. Mick is Chairperson of the Sunshine Coast Reconciliation Group and
the Suncoast Transport and Care Association, and is a Deputy Chair of Caloundra
Community Centre and HACC Action Group. Mick was awarded the Commonwealth
Government Recognition for Senior Australians Significant Contribution to the
Community of Fisher and the Sunshine Coast. Mick was also awarded the Medal of
the Order of Australia for service to the Sunshine Coast community and the trade union movement.
Secretary – Beth Berghan
Beth is a small business woman and a creative thinker with a strong background in education and
training developed through secondary school teaching, managing a CYSS and SkillShare labour market
program and almost 20 years in the VET sector, at Sunshine Coast TAFE, working in diverse roles
including teaching, Business Development, Faculty Director and Indigenous Business Development
Manager. Over this time Beth developed and project managed several training strategies into the
Indigenous and small business sector, working with industry partners and communities to deliver
training which received state and national recognition. She also ran several successful small businesses.
Beth currently operates her own consultancy business which has a focus on connecting people to build
strong collaborative partnerships.
Treasurer – Steve Fromont
John Sargent is an economist, specialising in economic and business development for more than 35
years. He has been an official of the Australian Treasury and the World Bank. John has worked
extensively across the Asia-Pacific region as well as Africa and Latin America. He has experience as a
consultant with Australia’s Agency for International Development, United Nations agencies, World Bank
and Asian Development Bank. John has a Masters Degree from Harvard University and a Bachelor of
Economics (Honours). He also has senior management experience in economic development with the
Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council. Mr Sargent’s volunteer contributions include work
in Vanuatu for Rotary International, UN volunteers in Vietnam and as a member of Rotary, Caloundra
Pacific Branch.
Professor Mike Hefferan is the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Engagement) and Professor of Property and
Development at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) and heads its graduate and post-graduate
teaching and research initiatives in the property and development sections. He is also Adjunct Professor
at the Queensland University of Technology. Mike’s previous roles include Director of the Institute for
Sustainable Resources at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, and Executive Director
within the State Government with industry development, property development and asset management
responsibilities. Mike is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a member of the
Property Council of Australia and Urban Development Institute of Australia. He is currently Vice
President of the Australian Institute of Valuers, Queensland Division and a member of that
organisation’s National Education Board.
Alexina Johnson runs a family business that grows and produces olive oil, green tea, olive leaf teas, as
well as Alpaca wool. Their vision is to have a productive farm that is sustainable, organic and uses best
farming practices. The family's philosophy is to produce quality produce with on-farm processing and a
strong emphasis on clean and green throughout the chain of production.
Jean McRuvie is general manager of FOCUS Health, the largest not-for-profit clinical mental health and
drug and alcohol service outside Queensland Health. The service operates clinics and programs across
Queensland and manages preventative health projects. In 1990 Jean established the State’s first
regional development board which brought together five shires in Central Queensland to pursue
economic development. She has also worked with farming communities to explore new export markets
and diversify their income base, developed an international business for schools and colleges,
developed and delivered leadership programs, corporate professional development and worked with
company boards to secure their future. Jean has extensive experience as a board member including
Chairman of a Tourist Board and three years as an elected local government councillor. She is currently a
board member of Sunshine Coast TAFE and the Centre for Healthy Minds.
Associate Professor Johanna Rosier is the Program Leader of the Regional and Urban Planning program
at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Her current research aims to identify how alternative dispute
resolution techniques in Queensland and New Zealand are applied in coastal planning, and to improve
best practice regimes. She is also undertaking research focused on evaluating the effectiveness of
coastal plans in Queensland and New Zealand. Johanna is also co-leader in an Australian Learning and
Teaching Council funded project to develop an integrated package of resources to support the delivery
of excellent experiential learning experiences in planning education.