Meet our Council Members
VNPA is governed by an Annual General Meeting elected volunteer Council or board which includes a President, Vice-President, an Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and up to nine councillors. A small number of councillors are appointed each year due to their specialist expertise.
Council establishes policy guidelines, approves annual budgets and undertakes strategic planning for the association. The Council appoints the Executive Director and approves an annual organisational plan that provides a clear statement of VNPA’s direction and priorities. Council is supported by a number of active sub-committees which harness the enthusiasm of members and staff on key areas.
Committees include:
Marilyne is passionate about advocating for better environmental protection. She likes to bushwalk, trail run, scuba dive and rock climb. She has a Masters in Economics and Finance and experience in the Victorian public service developing policy in the environment and renewable energy portfolios.
Doug is a conservation biologist who has worked for the past 30 years in a research, extension and policy capacity across both public and private land. He has had a particular focus on conservation in rural environments and woodland birds. In his spare time, he likes to control pest animals and watch birds on the family’s covenanted property near Violet Town.
Judy is a Chartered Accountant and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. With 20 years of experience across both the private and public sectors.
With a strong commitment to purpose-driven work, Judy spent the past decade in the higher education sector, partnering with researchers across diverse disciplines to support strategic and sustainable management of research funding for impactful outcomes.
Judy lives in the beautiful Dandenong Ranges with her young family, likes to volunteer within the community (when time permits), and is an avid camper, with a deep appreciation for national parks and the wildlife they protect.
Lara works in clinical research. She has four children who love exploring and camping in Victoria’s national parks, and is passionate about preserving Victoria’s natural environment. Lara believes that VNPA is in a unique position to advocate for our native plants and animals.
Jan is an artist, media producer and communications academic. In his media work he is particularly interested in cultural ecology and the intersection of art, science and politics. He produced and curated a number of international art projects and festivals including the art/science collaboration Nature in the Dark in partnership with VNPA and Parks Victoria. He has also produced VNPA podcasts about the Little Desert and marine national parks.
Dianne has a background in education, community engagement and public land management ranging across wetlands, Landcare, biodiversity, national parks, biospheres and Ministerial advisory committees. A geographer and keen bushwalker, she enjoys exploring natural places in Australia and the rest of the world.
Growing up in rural Victoria instilled a passion for the outdoors and nature in Bruce. He is an active research scientist with training in biology, land management and organisational leadership, as well as a Trust for Nature covenantor and a long-term volunteer in waterway management, environmental restoration and recreation. In 2015 he received a Best Friend Award from the Victorian Environment Friends Network, and he is also co-founder of the Victorian Nature Stewards training program. Bruce served as VNPA’s president from 2018-2022.
Andrew has more than 30 years experience as a lawyer specialising in commercial and industrial property. He has been a partner at firms KWM Australia and Clayton Utz.
Andrew is pretty much retired now and freer to pursue his passion for nature and travel, including bushwalking, scuba diving, surfing and skiing. Andrew understands and appreciates the value of our natural environment, and the need to invest in protecting it. Having spent so much of his life benefitting from the work of others in protecting nature, he now wants to play his part.
Dr Jeannette McGill works at the intersection of governance, leadership and sound judgement in complex environments. A non-executive director, executive advisor and mountaineer, she is drawn to questions of stewardship, resilience and how people lead under pressure. She values VNPA’s role in protecting the wild places that shape both nature and people.
Chris resides on the coast near Port Campbell National Park. He has a background in the dairy industry where he began as a veterinarian. He has a passion for the environment and is actively involved in the Landcare movement. He enjoys the outdoor life and getting into the ‘wild’ on a regular basis, hiking, swimming and cycling. He hopes that every day he can bring our community along the journey of looking after our planet to provide a positive future.
Charlie’s childhood interest in wild animals evolved into a career in biodiversity and park management, during which he worked across much of Victoria with short stints in Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic. He retired from Parks Victoria in 2024 but continues his passion for conservation through voluntary work with various organisations.
Charlie lives near Mount Buffalo in north-eastern Victoria and enjoys bushwalking, camping, cross-country skiing, cycling, canoeing, observing nature, and generally being out in the wild.