Outdoors Great Southern brings together the very best strategic thinkers with significant experience in the government and non-government sectors. Our staff bring a breadth of skills and experience in tourism, outdoor recreation, natural resource management, and social research.
Simon comes to the Great Southern from Melbourne with 25 years of experience at executive and board level within complex and innovative not-for-profit and commercial organisations, associations, and governing bodies.
His contagious enthusiasm for continuous improvement, change reform, growth, and sustainability will be invaluable across both the Outdoors Great Southern and Trail Futures organisations as they enter a period of further growth and consolidation.
With experience working for independent not-for-profits such as Outward Bound and Motorsport Australia, plus knowledge in the fields of outdoor education and national stakeholder management, Simon is keen to guide GSCORE’s two business entities as they navigate their own niches and opportunities.
Simon looks forward to enjoying the numerous lifestyle benefits the Great Southern affords – it’s quite likely you’ll see him teeing off on a golf course or hiking a trail near you sometime soon.
Simon Barras is Outdoors Great Southern’s Trails Program Manager, responsible for the implementation of the Great Southern Trails Master Plan. He recently completed a role as Acting CEO. Simon spent 11 years with the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries and has worked on a range of projects across the sport and recreation industry. Simon previously worked with the Western Australian Cricket Association where he was responsible for delivering participation programs and developing the capacity of organisations and volunteers.
Simon has spent many family holidays in the Great Southern Region and relocated his young family to Albany to take advantage of everything the region has to offer. Simon enjoys being active across a range of sport and recreation activities, in particular, anything that involves a bike.
Robbie Miniter OAM has joined the Outdoors Great Southern team as a Cultural Heritage Engagement Officer. His passion for developing better communication and understanding on a cultural level means he is ideally suited to working with regional and rural communities on projects such as the Great Southern Treasures Bobtail Trail.
Robbie knows the Great Southern well, having been born in Gnowangerup, where he lives with his wife and four daughters. Robbie is currently chairman of the Gnowangerup Aboriginal Corporation Advisory group, and a representative for the South Coast Natural Resource Management landscape renewal project. Robbie is the recipient of numerous awards for his work in community, including receiving the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the Indigenous community of Western Australia.
Lenore Lyons is now our Senior Research Associate. Prior to joining Outdoors Great Southern, Lenore held positions in the public, private and community sectors. She worked as a research professor in the university sector for over 15 years and during that time was Director of an Australian Research Council (ARC) Key Centre for Teaching and Research. In 2006, she co-founded a successful eco-tourism business in the Great Southern. That business was inducted into the Western Australian Tourism Hall of Fame in 2015.
Lenore currently serves on the Board of Australia’s South West (ASW) and has previously served on the Boards of Management of Trails WA, Denmark Tourism Incorporated, the Munda Biddi Trail Foundation, and Outdoors WA.
Lenore is an enthusiastic hiker and kayaker and takes every opportunity to explore the amazing Great Southern region on land or on the water.
Mark has worked extensively in the retail sector including Senior Business Development Management and State Management positions with Coles Online/Wesfarmers, Myer, David Jones and Goldmark Jewellers.
More recently he has worked in senior executive and management consulting, with experience in the not-for-profit sector working for community service organisations and disability enterprises including Westcare, Ability Centre, Wesley Mission and Ronald McDonald House. He has also worked in training delivery (including course development) for the Australian Institute of Management, the WA Chamber of Commerce and Monash University.
Mark has lived in Albany for five years and enjoys four wheel driving, camping, hiking and kayaking the local area. In his spare time he has taken to baking sourdough bread and learning guitar. He looks forward to getting to know the local trails network better as he helps Outdoors Great Southern and Trail Futures grow and develop.
Brett has a background in construction and trail construction, with over 10 years’ experience as a boilermaker. Brett previously worked in the trail building sector for World Trail, and created video content for the mountain bike industry globally for over six years.
After moving from Melbourne to settle in the Great Southern in 2016, Brett immersed himself amongst the local community and has actively advocated for trails the area. Brett spends much of his time in the great outdoors, particularly in the mountains. Beginning racing downhill MTB in 1999, he still enjoys racing to this day and competes often, if he isn’t acting as race director.
Charna is our Outdoor Programs Coordinator responsible for increasing community participation and capacity across the Great Southern Region through the development and delivery of outdoor recreation and education programs, workshops, training and consultation.
Charna grew up in Albany, moved to Perth at twenty then went overseas before returning to Albany ten years ago to once again enjoy the south coast and all it has to offer. Charna says, “my two kids are my greatest accomplishment!”
Charna’s background is varied and brings great experience across many different industries, including operational management within health clubs and has always worked in recreation or been involved in some form, keeping fit coaching sport and loving the outdoors. Charna is also currently studying for a Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science
Greg Mair works for the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions as a Fire Projects and Planning Officer. He has had a long career with State government agencies, including as the South Coast Regional Manager for the Parks and Wildlife Service in Albany, and postings in Walpole, Kirup, Manjimup, Busselton and Bunbury. While the area manager at Walpole Greg was a member of the project team involved in the development of the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk. Greg has been actively involved in athletics and yachting and has State and National achievements in both sports. He was the Commodore of the Walpole Yacht Club and Secretary of the Geographe Bay Sailing Club at Busselton. These days the fitness pursuit is more aligned to walking the many trails around Albany.
“I strongly believe that getting people out into the natural environment has beneficial outcomes for both their well-being and their greater appreciation, respect and valuing of it”.
Joanna Friend is a Chartered Accountant with significant experience in the areas of Financial Reporting, Management Accounting, and Organisational/Governance Management disciplines. She is the Proprietor of Culture Accounting and Management Consulting, and the Executive Manager of Finance for Albany Community Care (ACC).
With many years of experience working within and managing organisations in a range of industries and business structures, including; ASX listed entities, not-for-profits and PBIs, and SME’s. Joanna specialises in helping organisations achieve their financial and organisational goals by developing and implementing strong financial reporting frameworks, developing IT ecosystems, instilling internal control/governance practices, and by building efficiencies into organisational processes.
Joanna, originally from Darkan WA, has relocated to Albany from Perth to re-capture a country lifestyle and spend more time in the great outdoors.
Matthew is an experienced corporate lawyer and company secretary with over 25 years’ legal experience. Matthew has a strong corporate governance background and has worked for a number of companies, including Alcoa, Bankwest and Shell. Having just moved to Albany he is now a Special Counsel with the HHG Legal Group.
Matthew also loves the outdoors. He is a keen fisherman, camper and golfer and, after a 30 year hiatus, has also recently made a cricket comeback in Albany with the Many Peaks C-Grade cricket team.
The Outdoors Great Southern Board welcomes Laura Bird to the team.
Exploring and adventuring with a sustainability focus drives Laura. She completed a Bachelor of Arts at UWA (Environmental Anthropology) and headed to the Kimberley to manage APT’s Ungolan Safari camp, guiding tourists through the Michelle Falls.
Drawn back to the amazing South Coast to raise her family, she completed a Diploma in Sustainability and Graduate Certificate in Education for Sustainability while teaching Cert 4 Sustainable Business units at TAFE. Laura sat on the Regional Capacity Reference group for SCNRM and most recently was State Manager of the not-for-profit organisation Green Skills, overseeing projects on revegetation, weed management, waste reduction and sustainable skills.
Her personal goal is to raise awareness of sustainable living to increase her community’s resilience and enable future generations to continue to enjoy our spectacular outdoors environment. Hiking is one of Laura’s favourite outdoor pursuits growing from her Timbertop school days exploring the Victorian Alps. She later ventured overseas to Nepal, Peru, Japan, Botswana and Borneo; scaling whatever peaks she could find. Laura now enjoys discovering the hidden gems throughout the Great Southern, Peak Charles being one of her favourites.
After many years living and working overseas in Senior Management roles for the likes of the UN, APT and Qatar Airways, Kristen has recently launched her own Business Coaching practice in Albany. Kristen holds a B.Comm in Sports Admin and Commercial Law, a Graduate Certificate in Migration Law, Masters in Business Leadership (MBL), Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Coaching. Her passion lies in leadership development and in making leaders and organisations the best possible places they can be for their employees.
Kristen is a keen sports person and loves being in the great outdoors. From abseiling and rock climbing to camping, SUP-ing or heading out on one of the many beautiful trails around the region, there is no end to the exploration.