About RDA Barwon South West

Our committee members

Chair – Liz Price

Liz is the Chair of RDA Barwon South West and is the General Manager of the Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism Board. She holds positions as a Director of the Great Southern Touring Route, RDA representative on the Great South Coast Regional Partnership, and a member of both the Great South Coast Economic Futures Project Steering Group and the Australian Regional Tourism Networks’ National Regional Tourism Organisation Working Group. Liz brings a wealth of leadership experience from her previous roles, including General Manager Australia at Club Tourism Publishing and the inaugural CEO of Destination Melbourne. With a broad network across regional, state, and national tourism sectors, Liz is committed to advancing a more prosperous and sustainable future for the Barwon South West region.

Deputy Chair – Grant Sutherland

Grant, recently retired from Deakin University, serves as the Deputy Chair of RDA Barwon South West. With a background spanning CEO roles at South West Victoria Deakin University, Kangan Institute, and The Gordon Institute, he brings extensive experience in regional development. Grant has also been instrumental in key regional initiatives, including his role as Chair of the Great South Coast Economic Futures Project Steering Group. His leadership extends across several boards, including the South West Victoria Alliance, Geelong Chamber of Commerce, and the Barwon Health Foundation. Grant’s expertise lies in enhancing collaboration to drive economic growth and create sustainable job opportunities in the region.

Keith Baillie

Keith has been the Chief Executive of gforce employment and recruitment since September 2020. Prior to this role, he served as Chief Executive for both Surf Coast Shire Council and the Shire of Campaspe. With 20 years of experience in the commercial sector, Keith has held senior positions in project management, IT, and financial management. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and CPA Australia. Dedicated to community betterment, Keith also serves as Board Chair for Gateways Support Services and as a Board Director for G21 Region Alliance.

Mary-Ann Brown, OAM

Mary-Ann, recently awarded an OAM for her service to local government and to the communities of Dunkeld and Hamilton, has lived in Dunkeld for over 30 years.  She is a partner in a financial services business in Hamilton and was previously involved in a merino sheep stud partnership.  Her dedication to rural communities is reflected in her roles as Chair and Committee Member of Rural Councils Victoria, Western District Health Service, and Dunkeld Community Centre. She has also served as a Councillor and three-time Mayor of Southern Grampians Shire.  Mary-Ann is passionate about ensuring that rural communities have equitable access to essential services such as health, digital connectivity, public transport, and housing.

Peter Dorling

Peter is the longest-serving member of RDA Barwon South West, bringing deep knowledge of the region’s strategic assets, capabilities, and challenges.  He represents RDA on the Barwon Regional Partnership and is the Business Manager for Avalon Airport Australia, a key opportunity for Victoria and the nation. In his role, Peter focuses on driving local and international business development for the airport.  He holds a Master of Business Management from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

Anne Howard

Anne is the Chief Executive Officer of Colac Otway Shire, bringing 20 years of local government experience to her role.  She contributes a wealth of diverse skills to the RDA Committee and represents RDA on the Barwon Regional Partnership.  With a deep understanding of the G21 region gained through her work with Campaspe and Surf Coast Shire Councils, Anne also serves as a Board Director of the G21 Region Alliance.

Alison McLeod

Alison is a highly accomplished General Manager with extensive national experience across multiple commercial sectors.  As a strategic advisor, she specialises in the residential property sector, with a focus on development, finance, housing affordability, build-to-rent, and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA).  Alison also serves on the Board of Unison and is a member of the Property Council of Australia’s Geelong Development Committee.

Darryl Mohr

Darryl brings over 30 years of experience in financial services, including roles as COO, State General Manager, and National Industry Segment Head (Agribusiness).  He is currently the Deputy Chair of The Gordon TAFE in Geelong and serves as Chair of the Audit and Risk Management Committee.  Over the past 18 years, Darryl has held executive leadership positions with several Top 10 ASX-listed companies.  He completed the Global Advanced Risk Management program at Wharton Business School in 2019, holds CPA accreditation, and is an AICD graduate.  Darryl is completing a Master of Governance and Public Policy and Governance at the University of Melbourne.

Clive Pugh

Clive is the CEO of Winchester Australia Limited and Chair of the Committee for Geelong, with a rich background in mining, process manufacturing, wholesale distribution, and finance.  He believes in empowering people and enabling decision-making at the lowest levels within an organisation.  Clive has developed strategic and operating plans for medium-sized businesses and listed companies, with a strong focus on evaluating performance through quantitative and qualitative data.  He holds a Master’s Degree in Business from Durham University, a commerce degree from Deakin University, and a Cert IV in Training and Assessment from Swinburne University.

David Spear

David is an accomplished senior executive with experience establishing and leading regional development organisations across Victoria, Queensland, and Canberra.  He played a key role in developing the G21 Region Plan—a sustainable growth strategy—during his tenure as Manager of Strategy and Research at G21 Region Alliance.  As a Senior Officer of Local Government at Golden Plains Shire, David led the implementation of significant regional economic development initiatives.  He was the founding CEO of Fraser Coast Opportunities and Invest Fraser Coast in Queensland and also served as General Manager at The Regional Australia Institute, a leading regional economic development think tank in Canberra.