The Board

Chairman - Maria Myers AO

Maria Myers is Chairman of the Kimberley Foundation Australia and director of the Burnet Institute, Mary Ward International Australia, Australian String Quartet, Elizabeth Murdoch Sculpture Foundation and Dunkeld Pastoral Company Pty Ltd. She is also a member of the Loreto College Ballarat School Council and a member of St Mary's College Council, University of Melbourne.

Deputy Chairman - Laurie Brereton

The Hon Laurie Brereton joined the Board of KFA in 2006. He held Cabinet Office in both New South Wales and Canberra during a distinguished parliamentary career spanning 34 years. He is a Director of Beelgara, Australian Aerospace and EADS Australia Pacific.

 Director/Treasurer - Brenda Shanahan

Appointed Director of DMPAM on 1 September 2010. Brenda's career has involved executive and board positions in stockbroking, funds management and investment consulting. Brenda is a former member of the Australian Stock Exchange, partner of May Mellor Laing & Cruikshank and principal of Investment Consulting and worldwide partner at WM Mercer. Brenda is currently the Chair of St Vincent's Medical Research Institute and a director of Challenger Limited, Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Ltd, and Kimberley Foundation of Australia Ltd.

Director - Susan Bradley

Susan Bradley, a founding member of the KFA, is a pastoralist and has lived in the Kimberley for over 40 years. She has held many local community positions and public and private board positions relating particularly to Northern Australia.  She lives on a pastoral property in the North Kimberley and manages three cattle stations.  She is a Director of Horizon Power.

 Director - John Calvert-Jones AM

John Calvert-Jones is the Executive Chairman of Seafirst Australia, a family investment company. He is a member of the Council of the National Gallery of Australia, a Trustee of the McClelland Gallery, a director of the Young Endeavour Youth Scheme, Rural Education Program and Greentomato Cars.  He is a former member of  the Australian Stock Exchange Limited, former Chairman and Managing Director of Prudential Bache Securities (Australia) Ltd and has been a director of several public and private companies.

Director- Bruce Cameron

Bruce Cameron is a graduate of Monash University and holds a Bachelor of Jurisprudence and Bachelor of Laws.  He is a commercial lawyer with around 30 years experience in the law and business who established a boutique commercial law practice with others in Melbourne in 1986 of which he is a senior member.  He has assisted the Foundation for several years on a pro bono basis on matters concerning Aboriginal rock art and culture.  He is a director and trustee of a number of private companies and trusts which are involved in matters of business and the care of others. 

 Director - Wal King AO

Wal King is a graduate of the University of NSW in Civil Engineering. Wal has worked in the construction industry for over 40 years and was Chief Executive Officer of Leighton Holdings Limited, a company with substantial operations in Australia, Asia and the Middle East, from 1987 until his retirement on 31 December 2010.  He remains as a consultant.  He is a Director of Coca-Cola Amatil Limited, the UNSW Foundation Limited and Garvan Research Foundation, and is a Member of the Council of The University of NSW.  He is also a Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Engineers, and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Australian Institute of Management, the Australian Institute of Building and the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

 Director - Sam Lovell AM

Sam Lovell lives in Derby in the Kimberley. He has been employed by Aboriginal Economic Development (AED), Department of Industry and Resources as an Aboriginal Tourism Project Officer since 1995. Sam has an extensive background in tourism establishing his own business ‘Kimberley Safaris Tours’ in 1981. A tourism award in his name is presented annually by the Kimberley Tourism Association. Sam continues to work in indigenous tourism supporting operators throughout WA.

Director - Henric Nicholas
Henric Nicholas, a Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, is also a former director of NSW Cultural Management Ltd., a former chairman of St. Paul's College, University of Sydney, and an honorary councillor of the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW. He is an arts/ law graduate of Sydney University. Henric was Chairman of the Board from February 1, 2000 until November 2009.

 Director - Dr Jim Ross AM

Jim Ross is a senior industry geologist with a diverse background in Australian and international mining, exploration and corporate management. A graduate of the University of Western Australia, he has a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and holds Honorary Doctorates of Science from UWA and Curtin University. He is Chairman of Berkeley Resources Ltd, The John De Laeter Centre for Isotope Research, and Earth Science Western Australia, and a member of the Technology and Industry Advisory Council which advises the WA State Government on Science and Innovation.  Jim is Chairman of the Foundation's Science Advisory Council.

Director- Deidre Willmott

Deidre Willmott is a senior executive at Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. Previously she was Chief of Staff to the Premier of Western Australia, Executive Director, Policy at the Chamber of Commerce & Industry WA and a General Manager of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee. She holds a law degree from the University of Western Australia and a Master of Laws from the University of Melbourne.