Our Committees

Our committees provide advice and assistance to strengthen the collaboration between Muresk Institute, industry and the community:

Muresk Institute Advisory Committee
Muresk Institute Farm Advisory Committee

Muresk Institute Advisory Committee
The Muresk Institute Advisory Committee commenced its operations in February 2013. It meets four times per year and provides advice and assistance to strengthen the collaboration between Muresk Institute, industry and the community. The committee supports informed decision making to guide the strategic directions of Muresk Institute.

All members are appointed by the Director General of the Department of Training and Workforce Development. Nominees are considered for appointment with due regard to their capabilities, professional reputation and community standing, ability and commitment to devote appropriate time to the role and the complimentary nature of the contribution each nominee could make to the committee.

The members are selected for their experience and expertise in education, training, industry or community affairs, and for their ability to make a positive contribution to the strategic direction of Muresk Institute.

Members of the Muresk Institute Advisory Committee are:

	Kay Gerard Chair Chief Executive Officer of the Food, Fibre & Timber Industries Training Council (WA) Inc, Kay has worked in the vocational education and training sector for over 19 years. Her main focus has been business and industry development, particularly from a regional perspective. Kay is Chair of the Curtin University’s Molecular Life Science Advisory Board and a past member of the Rural, Regional Education Advisory Council and Wheatbelt Workforce Development Alliance.
	Julie Alvaro Member Julie is a Merredin farmer with over 25 years’ agribusiness experience, specialising in grain and livestock production. Julie has extensive knowledge of and networks within the Australian and international grains industry. Her roles including the Western Australian Panel Member for the Grain Research Development Corporation have provided Julie high level strategic experience facilitating the profitability of grain growers throughout the country.
	Glen Brayshaw Member Glen is a Rural Consultant for Planfarm Pty Ltd, which provides innovative agricultural consulting services to improve farm business. He has extensive experience in agribusiness banking, analysis, strategic planning, grain marketing strategies and farm cashflow. Glen has a Bachelor or Agribusiness (Marketing) attained through Curtin University at Muresk Institute.
	David Collard Member David has been a MIAC member since 2012 and brings his leadership experience in Aboriginal affairs and natural resource management. David has made a significant contribution to policy development and strategic planning for Aboriginal community engagement and has served the State Government for over 14 years. David has also been a member of various other advisory groups including the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council.
	Ian Hanna Member Ian was a Katanning Farmer, growing cereals and canola, and owned a Dohne Merino stud and commercial flock. He was Treasurer for the WA branch of the Australian Dohne Breeders Association until administration was transferred to a national level. Ian operated a shearing business for 15 years and more recently became Chair of Katanning Senior High School Board. Ian has worked in partnership with PRIMED to establish an agricultural career pathway for students in the Great Southern region.
	Prue Jenkins Member Prue has lived and worked in regional Western Australia for over 30 years, including periods in the Kimberley, Pilbara, Goldfields and the Wheatbelt, and has a real connectedness to and understanding of the priorities and needs of rural communities. She has established credibility and extensive and sustained networks with government, industry and community sectors in both private and public sector roles. In her current role as General Manager at Muresk Institute, Prue is focused on leading the Institute to realise its vision to become a multi-tenanted and multi-functional facility. This is being effectively achieved through the brokerage of strategic partnerships which progress sector-wide workforce development priorities.
	Brad Jones Member Brad brings to the group a network of associates and high level expertise to inform and guide committee recommendations. Managing Director and Chief Pilot of Cropcair Pty Ltd, and Managing Director Bungulla Farming Pty Ltd and Bungulla Tech Pty Ltd, Brad is in demand as a keynote speaker at high level agricultural technology events due to his experience in early adoption of ag technology.
	John Seabrook Member John is a machinery importer and grain/sheep farmer, managing his family’s Seabourne Farm in York for the past 15 years. John is responsible for day-to-day farm management, operations and strategic planning and believes appropriate education with an enthusiastic well trained workforce is vital to the future of agriculture. He promotes and practices an economical and ecologically balanced approach to farming for the future. John has been an active member of the Royal Agricultural Society's Youth Advisory Committee and holds a Diploma in Environmental Science.
	Tricia Slee Member Tricia is the current President of the Muresk Old Collegians Association, an alumni dedicated to connecting and promoting the achievements of past and present Muresk students, graduates and staff; and promoting agricultural and agribusiness education. Having spent much of her life working in management positions across rural Australia, Tricia holds extensive leadership experience in community development, business and project management, stakeholder engagement and partnership development. Tricia holds a Graduate Diploma in Agribusiness and is currently the Executive Officer for City West Lotteries House.
	Trevor Whittington Member As the current WAFarmers Chief Executive Officer, Trevor is known for his ability to drive strategic outcomes, improve operational procedures and implement policy and advocacy for those in the farming community. Growing up on a family farm in Corrigin, Trevor has been active in the Western Australian agricultural sector including horticulture, viticulture, pastoral, produce exports and agricultural machinery. Trevor has extensive managerial and political experience and holds a Masters of International Law, Masters of International Relations and BA Honours in Politics and Economics.
	Duncan Young Member Duncan runs his own successful mixed farming enterprise in Beverley, Avon Valley and is the immediate past President of the WAFarmers Grains Council. Duncan is heavily involved in his local community and sits on various State and national agricultural committees, including the Grain Industry Association of WA’s Barley and Oats Standards Councils. He was also named the Syngenta Growth Awards Australasian Sustainability Winner in 2017.

Muresk Institute Farm Advisory Committee
The purpose of the Muresk Institute Farm Advisory Committee is to maximise farm resource use for agricultural workforce development by providing strategic and operational advice. It meets twice per year and supports Muresk Institute in their planning and decision making.

The objectives of the committee are to:

identify long term industry training priorities;
provide timely information so that all reasonable efforts can be made to ensure appropriate training resources are available; and
provide specific information and advice on farm issues on request.

All members are appointed by the Director General of the Department of Training and Workforce Development and selected for their experience and expertise and ability to make a positive contribution to the strategic direction of Muresk Institute Farm.

Members of the Muresk Institute Farm Advisory Committee are:

	Ashley Herbert Chair President of The Australian Association of Agricultural Consultants (WA) Inc and partner in consulting firm Agrarian Management, Ashley Herbert has over 20 years’ experience in farm business management and strategic planning. Ashley specialises in high level advice to government, farmers and associated industry, related to sheep and winter crop production systems.
	Glenice Batchelor Member Glenice began her career in horticulture, however over the years has diversified to include roles in agriculture, landcare/natural resource management, biosecurity and a broad range of project management positions. Glenice lives in Tammin and has been involved at a strategic level on a variety of boards. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Science at Southern Cross University majoring in Regenerative Agriculture.
	David Collins Member David’s interests lie in the revegetation of waterways and degraded areas on private farms. His role as Senior Program Officer for Greening Australia has earned him considerable experience in sustainable grazing systems using native Australian species to provide shade, shelter and fodder. David has planned and implemented projects such as the Whole of Paddock Rehabilitation project and Twenty Million Trees Carbon Offset program. David has also been involved in running training workshops for small landholders in Uganda and Ethiopia over the past decade focusing on nitrogen sources and application rates.
	Wendy Dymond Member Wendy works with people in regional communities to assist with skills development, identifying opportunities and implementing solutions. Her passion for this work has taken her all over rural and regional Australia working with agribusiness, mining, tertiary education, government and community groups. Wendy currently lectures Associate Degree and Bachelor Degree courses for Curtin University in subjects including Agribusiness and Farm Management, Statistics, and Agricultural systems. Wendy owns and operates a productive commercial sheep and mixed cropping farm near Northam and is acutely aware of the challenges and benefits of farming in this region.
	Maree Gooch Member Maree has lived and worked in regional WA for most of her life and combines her ‘hands-on’ farming career with working in business development, education, community and regional development. Over her career Maree has held 32 executive positions on boards and committees. Currently Maree is the Chair of CRISP Wireless, Executive Officer with SafeFarms WA and Director of Value Creators. As a Champion for people in regional WA, Maree’s commitment, dedication and mentoring programs have helped many people follow their dreams and businesses increase their productivity and profits.
	Pamela I'Anson Member In her role as Director, Incident and Emergency Management at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Pamela leads the development of regional strategic networks to enable agricultural business growth and to contribute to doubling the value of the agrifood sector by 2025. Pamela’s vast leadership and managerial experience is supplemented by a Masters of Training Development and Diploma of Frontline Management.
	Prue Jenkins Member Prue has lived and worked in regional Western Australia for over 30 years, including periods in the Kimberley, Pilbara, Goldfields and the Wheatbelt and has a real connectedness to and understanding of the priorities and needs of rural communities. She has established credibility and extensive and sustained networks with government, industry and community sectors in both private and public sector roles. In her current role as General Manager at Muresk Institute, Prue is focused on leading the Institute to realise its vision to become a multi-tenanted and multi-functional facility. This is being effectively achieved through the brokerage of strategic partnerships which progress sector-wide workforce development priorities.
	Brett Jones Member Brett has been managing his family farm in Dowerin for the past 30 years, specialising in winter crop and stud sheep, and is a member of the Stud Merino Breeders Association of WA. Brett has held a number of high level industry advisory positions, including Chair of the Pingelly Lifetime Ewe Productivity project and Chair Muresk Sire Evaluation since 2016. He is an advocate for ag tech adoption to ensure his sheep and rates of genetic progress are industry leading now and into the future.
	Brad Joyce Member Hailing from Kukerin, Brad worked on his family farm before completing a Bachelor of Agribusiness at Curtin University. Brad is an Agronomist for ConsultAg and works with growers throughout the central Wheatbelt. Brad is very passionate, practical and analytical about agriculture.
	Barrett Sinclair Member Executive Director and Western Business Manager of Kalyx Australia, Barrett has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Hons) from the University of Western Australia and 20 years’ experience in agronomic consulting and research. Barrett has a thorough understanding of the commercial aspects of agriculture and brings significant knowledge to the group in conducting and supervising field trials in WA.
	Steve Wainewright Ex officio As the Farm Manager at Muresk Institute, Steve brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. Steve has an enthusiasm for innovative technology and practices and understands the value of hands on practical education and training required to upskill the next generation in agriculture operations. While at Muresk, Steve was a driving force in setting up the Institute as Western Australia’s first demonstration SMART Farm. Steve holds a Degree in Agriculture and a Masters in Animal Nutrition Science.
	Charles Wass Member Charles and his wife Shayne run their family’s Harold Park Dohne Stud in West Coorow in the Mid West. They manage over 1,200 breeding ewes, rotate cereal and legume cropping and more recently registered as a food business selling ethically raised, grass fed lamb direct to the public. Charles also has extensive experience as a Chief Financial Officer and chairs community groups such as the Midlands Biosecurity Group, and Sheep and Goat Industry Funding Scheme.
	Chris Wyhoon Member Chris is a recognised agribusiness professional boasting a highly successful corporate farming and agribusiness management career in Australia and overseas. In recent times Chris has focused his efforts on capacity-building, business advisory, coaching, rural financial counselling, and rural education. Chris has held a number of leadership roles, including Board Director positions on the Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management, WA Farmers Federation, and industry representative on the WA Livestock Research Council. He and his wife Jen, proudly run a small - medium sized stud cattle, sheep breeding and hay enterprise in the Avon Valley.