Our Tuesday Speaker Line-up
Cr Phyllis Miller OAM, Vice-President Rural/Regional, LGNSW. Cr Miller is a tireless advocate of rural issues. She is the Mayor of Forbes, is convener of the NSW Natural Resources Advisory Council, and holds a position as a Board member of the Lachlan Catchment Management Authority (CMA). Furthermore, she chairs the Central West Organisation of Councils. Previously, Cr Miller was a member of the Murray-Darling Basin Community Advisory Committee. She also serves as a member of the National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council. Cr Miller has devoted considerable time with State and Commonwealth Ministers to raise the political radar on natural resources. She was the first woman to be elected as President of the NSW Shires Association in its 100-year history.
David Handley AM BA LLB (University of Sydney) LLM (Kings College, University of London). Founding CEO and Artistic Director, Sculpture by the Sea and Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail. David founded Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi, as an annual free-to-the-public exhibition in 1997 and Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe, in 2005. Sculpture by the Sea, Aarhus - Denmark 2009 - 2015 under the Patronage of TRH Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark. Produced five Sculpture by the Sea exhibitions around Australia for the 1998 Sydney Olympic Arts Festival (Darwin, Noosa, Albany, Tasman Peninsula, Bondi). In 2003, he established the not-for-profit incorporated association to run Sculpture by the Sea in Australia. He launched the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail in 2022 in partnership with the local communities in response to the bushfires of 2019-20.
Tom Buckland. Tom is an artist who deals in a correspondence of worlds. By examining the present and the past, they construct portals to alternate futures yet to be explored. Working with recycled materials such as cardboard and salvaged electronics, Tom creates playful, interactive and experimental installation, video and performance work that invites the audience to embark on a journey of discovery, transporting them to other dimensions across space and time provoking introspection about their own existence and the world they inhabit. Their work has graced galleries and collections nationally and internationally and, in 2021, they were honoured with the Sculpture by the Sea Clitheroe Foundation emerging artist mentorship. Currently, Tom is based in Ngunawal/Canberra.
Hannah Statham. Hannah might only just clear five foot, but she could easily enter herself into a heavyweight content marketing competition. Her signature move? Planting a target on your audience’s back and hitting them with bullseye accuracy. She’s first and foremost a content marketer, creating words, images and videos for clients, the kind of content that stops people in their thumb-scrolling tracks. With 15 years’ experience in tourism and lifestyle marketing, Hannah brings a contagious energy to every task she does. She’s as creative as she is strategic and spends most of her time unashamedly working on her client’s big picture. When she’s not behind the desk for clients such as Tourism Australia, Sapporo, or Brisbane Airport Corporation, she’s learning the art of patience. Her teachers are three and one years old, and a constant reminder that she has lots to learn.
Juliana Wisata. Juliane is a mountain biker at heart. With Martin Wisata and alongside a passionate management team, she is the driving force behind Rocky Trail. As Founder and Marketing Director of Rocky Trail Entertainment, she has been building Australia's leading private MTB event organiser. For over 16 years, Rocky Trail has been encouraging visitation in regional Australia. Her passion extends beyond races – as Founder of Rocky Trail Destination and CEO of Sea Otter Australia, she's a champion for sustainable tourism, with the Mogo Trails project a prime example. Juliane's vision is to create a world-class mountain bike destination that not only attracts visitors, but also fosters a thriving regional community, further fuelled by the international exposure and economic benefits that Sea Otter Australia will bring.
Nicole Manderson. With over 25 years in Tourism and Hospitality, Nicole is a seasoned industry leader. Her role at Tweed Shire Council combines her passion for Destination Marketing and her experience in product development. She recently led the launch of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail, a 24km section that quickly became the region's top outdoor attraction, drawing over 140,000 visitors in the first year.
Carly Levy. Carly manages the NSW Government's EV destination charging program. This $20 million program supports the roll out of EV chargers at tourist destinations across regional NSW, delivering on a key initiative under the NSW EV Strategy to build a world-class EV charging network across the state.
Shannon Lakic. Shannon joins us from the Caravan and Camping Industry Association of NSW where for the past 11 years she’s been looking after advocacy, policy development and training services for the Association’s 700-plus industry members, as well as supporting the executive team and board.