Our Partnership comprises business and community members from across Goulburn who care passionately about the future of our region. They are joined by the Chief Executive Officers (CEO) of our local councils and TAFE, a representative of Regional Development Australia and a representative from the Victorian Government.
Members
Business and community members
Stuart Locke – Chair
Stuart is the General Manager of Seymour Passenger Services which operates across multiple shires in the Goulburn Valley Region. He is the President of the Bus Association of Victoria (BAV) and the chair of the Seymour Business and Tourism Committee “Go Seymour”. Stuart holds a Bachelor of Education, and his expertise spans small business development, transport and management.
Colleen Furlanetto OAM – Deputy Chair
Colleen is an advocate in the fields of disability and inclusion and was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 2020 for Service to Community, Disability and Health. Colleen is the founder of the not-for-profit organisation Respect Matters, chair of Ambulance Victoria's Community Advisory Committee, chair of the Annecto board and member of the Victorian NDIS Community Advisory Committee. She is a business partner with her husband in a local earthmoving business.
Elizabeth Capp
Elizabeth has 20 years’ experience in university management and a deep knowledge of the university environment with experience in leadership, management, and strategy. Elizabeth has held a range of faculty and central division management roles at Melbourne, Monash and La Trobe Universities. Elizabeth is a member of Shepparton Secondary College Council, the Lighthouse Project Board, Goulburn Murray Resilience Taskforce, and the Furphy Literary Award Advisory Board. She holds a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Commerce, a Graduate Diploma in Organisational Behaviour, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Leon Sargeant
Leon is a mechanical engineer and project management specialist with extensive technical and senior leadership experience across the Victorian water industry and local manufacturing sector. His areas of expertise include engineering, manufacturing, strategic planning and governance. Leon holds a Bachelor of Science (Mathematics) and a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical w/Honors) and was the former Board Secretary of Shepparton Foodshare.
Brendan Mustica
Brendan brings extensive leadership experience, having served as Director of several companies in Asia, CEO of Vehicles International Japan and Director/Vice President of the Sporties Group and Cobram Barooga Golf Club & Aquatic Centre. Brendan’s expertise spans international trade, real estate and the import-export sector. He is the founding director of Brimuz Real Estate, a residential, commercial and rural real estate business and he operates a cattle farm.
Matt Parsons
Matt is a planning and development consultant and has 24 years of local government experience. He is the former General Manager of Eildon Boat Club and former CEO of Couran Cove Island Resort in QLD. He is skilled in the areas of Tourism, Economic Development, Strategic Planning and has also worked closely with bushfire recovery and emergency services.
Kellie Giannarelli
Kellie is a Business Manager for the Giannarelli Group of Companies overseeing Extractive Mining, Transport, Agriculture, Commercial Investment, Marketing and Media. She is the Vice President of Nagambie Lakes Tourism and Commerce and Secretary for Seymour Business and Tourism Inc. She is a skilled negotiator, project manager and strategic planner with a background in Financial Management and Business Development.
Mike Nicholl
Mike is the CEO of the Flavorite Group, the largest glasshouse producer of fresh fruit and vegetables in Australia. He has over three decades of experience in the fresh food sector and has been instrumental in shaping the vision and growth of Flavorite, which now spans over 70 hectares of production across four sites in Victoria and employs over 1,000 employees. Mike's expertise spans regional food production, innovation in agriculture, planning, finance, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement.
Marlene (Sissy) Hoskin
Sissy is the Executive Officer at “Go Nagambie” Lakes Tourism and Commerce. She is a skilled writer and has had a successful career in the business and tourism industry. She has a diverse background, including wool classing, nursing, hospitality and education. Sissy is a director of the Heathcote Nagambie Community Bank, Coordinator of Breeze Cycling and Instructor for AustCycle bicycle education. She is also a graduate of the Fairley Leadership Program.
Michael Crisera
Michael has extensive experience in pome fruit production techniques, integrated pest disease management and industry extension as well as horticultural consulting. He has worked both commercially as well as for industry. In his current role with Fruit Growers Victoria, he acts as the link between growers and research in pome fruit and stone fruit production. Michael has co-created an app for monitoring of growing conditions and pest management which is used by Fruit Growers Victoria state association members.
Regional Development Australia representative
Eliza Brown
Eliza Brown is from a prominent fourth-generation wine family in North East Victoria and has 20 years of experience in the wine, tourism, and accommodation industries. Currently, she is the Director of All Saints Estate and Brown Family Wine Group, one of Australia’s leading family-owned wine companies, established throughout Victoria and Tasmania.
Eliza is a former Board Member of Wine Victoria, Wine Australia, and a former member of the Agricultural Industry Advisory Council for the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.
Eliza continues to enjoy the entrepreneurial spirit of building regional businesses with her family. Her passion is to contribute to the agriculture industry and regional issues, aligning closely with GOTAFE’s mission to support regional communities to prosper and adapt as economies change and affect local industries.
Victorian Government representative
Lachlan McDonald – Executive Director Intergovernmental Relations, Department of Transport
Local government CEOs
Livia Bonazzi – CEO, Murrindindi Shire Council
Livia has 20 years senior executive experience in both the private and public sector, across multiple disciplines including public policy, business strategy, urban growth planning, customer-centric service design and delivery, operations and asset management.
Prior to joining Murrindindi Shire Council in June 2021, Livia was General Manager at Western Water since 2015 leading the Planning, Strategy and Innovation functions. Previously she ran her own management consulting practice for nine years and was Director City Infrastructure at Moreland City Council from 2003 to 2006. Livia holds a Masters of Business Administration, and Bachelor Degrees in Architecture (Honours), Planning and Design, and Arts. She also completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors course in 2021.
Matthew Morgan – CEO, Moira Shire Council
Matthew Morgan commenced as Chief Executive Officer of Moira Shire in January 2024. Matthew Morgan is an experienced Local Government executive with more than 20 years' experience, including five years at CEO level across two councils. Prior to this role he was with the City of Port Lincoln, South Australia, and he has also worked in Victorian Local Government at the Hepburn Shire Council.
Fiona Le Gassick – CEO, Greater Shepparton City Council
Fiona has expertise, strengths and experience in strategic and business planning, government and stakeholder relations, industry and community engagement, business and workforce development, and cultural change.
She brings in-depth knowledge on strategic marketing and communications, customer service, people management, development and leadership, service model development, financial management and leading organisational and community transformation.
Prior to returning to Greater Shepparton City Council as CEO, Fiona has held director, management and leadership roles at Council, TasTAFE (Tasmania), GOTAFE, Berry Street and the former Victorian Department of Human Services, including a recent stint as acting Chief Operating Officer at TasTAFE.
As a skilled and result-driven Executive, Fiona is able to conceive and transform strategic ideas, into tangible opportunities and outcomes. Working in partnership, she further has the ability to deliver projects that best position an organisation, industry or region in a competitive environment.
Fiona has qualifications in management, marketing, psychology, sociology and social work and is a graduate of the Australian Company Directors course.
Mary Agostino – Interim CEO, Mitchell Shire Council
Mary is a highly experienced local government senior executive with an extensive record of achievement. She has previously worked as the Director of Partnership and Engagement and as the Executive Manager of Advocacy at the City of Whittlesea.
Mary has had a prime focus on planning for growth areas and delivering quality services and infrastructure to the community to support their needs, aspirations and health and wellbeing. Mary has achieved success through developing strong and enduring relationships, both within the organisations she has worked in and with key stakeholders including politicians, business, the not for profit sector and community. She has developed strong business cases, supporting all strategic activity to ensure long term financial and social viability that meets municipal and regional needs. She is always exploring continuous improvement and best practice opportunities in all the roles she is responsible for and is committed to ensuring best value for the community.
In 2021, Mary was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in the Leading through disaster category for her exceptional leadership and contribution to the community in bushfire and COVID-19 response and recovery.
Tim Tamlin – Interim CEO, Strathbogie Shire Council
Tim is appointed interim CEO to ensure the continuity of business operations, to oversee the Councillor Induction program and to support the newly elected Councillors in the process to appoint a Chief Executive Officer in 2025. Tim has a strong background in engineering, infrastructure planning, finance and governance, and brings extensive experience in senior leadership roles in the private and public sector. This includes 10 years as CEO at South Gippsland Shire Council and, more recently, Interim CEO roles at Campaspe Shire Council and Kingston City Council.