WAMSI Board
Dr Peter Rogers, WAMSI Chairman
Ms Diana Jones, BSc (Hons), MSc, Dip Ed
Mr Keiran McNamara
Dr Ian Poiner BSc (Hons) PhD
Mr Stuart Smith
Dr Tom Hatton
Professor John Finlay-Jones PhD
Professor Jim Reynoldson BSc (Hons), PhD
Dr Steve Blake, WAMSI CEO
Dr Peter Rogers DSc., B.Sc (Hons), MBA, FAICD
Independent Chairman 2007-2009
Board Member 2006-2007
Dr Peter Rogers joined WAMSI after a career in the WA Department of Fisheries, where he spent 15 years as Executive Director. In that position he was responsible for a dramatic transformation of the Department into an organisation which based its operations on creating ecologically sustainable developments.
Fisheries management was more strongly implemented across and between sectors, along with a cost recovery system to enable the Department to retrieve many of its expenses.
Dr Rogers is a former chairman (and now a member) of the WA Rock Lobster industry Advisory Committee which oversees the nation’s most valuable single species fishery, and which is regarded as one of the best managed in Australia.
He is a member of the WA Pearling Industry Advisory Committee and the Australian Fisheries Management Forum. He has a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science (Agric) Honours from the University of WA and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He holds an Honorary Doctorate in Science from Murdoch University.
Ms Diana Jones BSc (Hons), MSc, Dip Ed
Acting Executive Officer Western Australian Museum
WAMSI Board Member 2006 - 2007
Diana is committed to science education and integrating research into accessible public programs and exhibitions.
She has a background of biochemical and immunological research in the UK, specialising in marine biology in Australia.
She joined the Western Australian Museum in 1977 as a graduate research assistant in the Crustacea Department, progressing to become curator of that department. Her research focused on the marine biodiversity of WA and Australian crustaceans along with research into barnacles. She also has expertise in deep sea and hydrothermal vent species and the identification of introduced species.
Before becoming the museum’s Acting Executive Officer she was the Executive Director of Collection and Content Development, heading the curatorial departments and responsible for research on, and information and outputs derived from, the State’s diverse collections.
She has a master’s degree in zoology and is currently submitting a PhD in systematic zoology.
Diana has extensive experience in large scale, multidisciplinary research programs, most recently heading the award-winning Woodside/WA Museum Partnership survey of the marine biodiversity of the Dampier Archipelago. She has served on a wide range of national and international committees and advisory panels concerned with bio-security, marine introductions and marine biodiversity. She also occupies an international scientific editorial position.
Mr Keiran McNamara
Director General, Department of Environment and Conservation
WAMSI Board Member 2006-2007
Keiran McNamara is the Director General of the WA Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) which was established in July 2006. He was previously the CEO of the WA Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) from July 2001. The Department is responsible for environmental protection, the management of terrestrial and marine conservation reserves and for the conservation of biodiversity in Western Australia.
Mr McNamara has an Honours degree in Natural Resources from the University of New England. He was employed in the Commonwealth Government’s nature conservation agency from 1978 to mid 1985, and has since been with CALM and DEC.
Mr McNamara has served on a wide range of State, national and international committees and boards concerned with conservation, including the national Biological Diversity Advisory Committee and membership of the World Conservation Union’s Commission on Protected Areas and Species Survival Commission, and standing committees of CEOs serving national Ministerial Councils.
Dr Ian Poiner BSc(Hons) PhD
CEO, Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)
WAMSI Board Member 2006-2007
Dr Poiner has significant experience in strategic development and planning of science both as a practicing scientist and at the organisational level. This is reflected in successful large-scale, multi-disciplinary research projects and the establishment of national and international research programs to support the sustainable use, conservation and management of marine ecosystems.
Dr Poiner's scientific background is research into tropical fisheries and ecological systems including Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Torres Strait and the Gulf of Carpentaria. He has also worked abroad in Canada, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea and Southeast Asia. His key research interests lie in benthic ecology, traditional fisheries, seagrass ecology, environmental risk assessments of commercial fishing and mining, and environmental standards in industry certification.
Dr Poiner serves on a number national and international committees and boards. He is currently Vice Chair of the International Scientific Steering Committee of the Census of Marine Life, a 10-year international research program to assess and explain the diversity, distribution and abundance of marine organisms throughout the world's oceans and explain how it changes over time.
Stuart Smith
Chief Executive Officer Department of Fisheries (Western Australia)
WAMSI Board Member 2008-
Dr Smith has a long career in State Government.
Before his appointment as Chief Executive officer at the Department of Fisheries in 2008 he spent six years as Deputy Director General and Acting Director General of the former WA Department of Industry and Resources (DoIR).
Stuart’s responsibilities at DoIR covered a diverse range of natural resource management and industry development issues during a period of unprecedented expansion in the resources sector.
As Deputy Director General for State Development Stuart was responsible for major project facilitation, investment attraction, trade promotion and economic expansion opportunities in WA.
He also led the regulatory functions of DoIR for several years as a Deputy Director General with responsibilities for promoting resource sector exploration, facilitating aboriginal economic development and regulating activity relating to mining tenements, petroleum acreage, royalties, native title, aboriginal heritage, mine health and safety, dangerous goods and environmental management.
Before joining DoIR in 2003, Stuart spent 14 years with the Australian Public Service in Canberra, Melbourne and Perth where he held regulatory and industry development roles at the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the Department of Primary Industries and Energy and a secondment to the Office of a Federal Cabinet Minister.
Stuart holds a bachelor of economics degree from The University of Western Australia and post graduate qualifications in economics from studies at the Australian National University and the University of Melbourne.
Dr Tom Hatton PSM BSc MSc PhD
Director, CSIRO Wealth from Oceans National Research Flagship
WAMSI Board Member 2010-
Tom leads a national team of multidisciplinary researchers delivering science to help Australia access the full potential of economic, environmental and social wealth derived from understanding and using our oceans.
His research portfolio includes:
ocean-land-climate interaction, including ocean and climate modelling and forecasting; subsea oil and gas exploration and recovery; sustainable fisheries; integrated management of competing uses of marine and coastal environments; development of novel marine industries; and marine biodiversity and conservation.
Tom has over 25 years of research experience, nationally and internationally, in a broad range of land and water related disciplines including forest productivity, ecology,bushfire science, ecohydrology, water allocation, salinity and catchment hydrology. He has significant expertise in building and managing teams with diverse skills to solvere source management issues.
Tom chairs the Australian Government's State of Environment Committee and the National Centre for Groundwater Research & Training Advisory Board. He is also a member of the Northern Australia Indigenous Land & Sea Alliance's Indigenous Water Policy Group, Western Australia's Water Forever Panel, and CSIRO's Indigenous Engagement Strategy
Steering Committee. He holds a Bachelor of Science (Range Science) and a Master of Science (Natural Resources) from Humboldt State University, United States, and a Doctorate in Range Science from Utah State University, United States.
Professor John Finlay-Jones PhD
Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Edith Cowan University, WA
WAMSI Board member 2009 -
John is a PhD graduate from The University of Western Australia.
His academic appointments include tutor and senior tutor positions at the University of WA, followed by positions at Flinders University from 1977 to 2003, initially as a lecturer in clinical microbiology and clinical immunology and finishing as Professor of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in the School of Medicine, and Head of the Faculty of Health Sciences.
This was followed by appointment as the Assistant Director of the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, WA (2003-2008). Since April 2008 he has been Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. He has been President of the Australian Society for Medical Research (1990), Honorary Secretary (1986-1992) and President (1996-1998) of the Australian Society for Microbiology, and President of the Australian Institute of Biology (1999-2001).
He has held previous appointments to committees of the National Health and Medical Research Council (Research Committee, Fellowships Committee) and the Australian National Council on AIDS, Hepatitis C and Related Diseases.
He was a member of the Accreditation Committee of the Australian Medical Council (AMC) (2000-2003) and member or chair of a number of AMC Review Teams accrediting medical courses (1997-present). He is also an auditor for the Australian Universities Quality Agency (2001-present).
Professor Jim Reynoldson
BSc (Hons), PhD
Deputy Vice Chancellor, (Research)
Division of Research and Development
Murdoch University
WAMSI Board member 2009
Professor Jim Reynoldson took up the position of Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) in 2007, after a five year term as Executive Dean of the Division of Health Sciences commencing in 2002. He has worked at Murdoch University since 1982, and previously held a number of managerial positions within the Division of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences and as Dean of Health Sciences and Executive Dean developed three new Schools in health sciences fields for Murdoch University, Chiropractic, Nursing and Pharmacy.
Professor Reynoldson is a pharmacologist and holds a Bachelor of Science with Honours and a Doctor of Philosophy from Monash University. He has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed journal articles, has published three patents in his specialist field of pharmacology and anti-parasitic chemotherapy, and has acted as consultant to industry and semi-government bodies in basic pharmacology, veterinary pharmacology and veterinary and agricultural chemicals. Professor Reynoldson was on the interim Board of the Western Australian Biomedical Research Institute (WABRI) and was the Deputy
Director of the Institute for Molecular Genetics and Animal Disease (IMGAD) from 1995 to 2001. Professor Reynoldson is also a member of the Murdoch based MWEP/SRV Commercialisation Investment Committee.
Professor Reynoldson has held a variety of research grants from ARC, NHMRC and industry bodies and has played an active role in a number of professional societies. Jim was awarded an honorary membership of the Pharmacology Chapter of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists for his work in Veterinary Pharmacology and graduate continuing education. He has been an honorary consultant to the Poisons Information Centre of the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and a member of the WA State Government Poisons Advisory Committee. He also chaired the Australasian Council for Chiropractic Education Accreditation Review Committee for review of a University Chiropractic programme.
Professor Reynoldson is married with two adult children.
Dr Steve Blake
WAMSI Chief Executive Officer 2006 –
Professorial Fellow, The University of Western Australia, Foundation Member of the Spatial Sciences Institute
Steve undertook PhD (James Cook University) and postdoctoral research (Australian National University) on the Great Barrier Reef between 1988 and 1995 studying anthropogenic inputs and their ecological impacts on the inner shelf fringing reefs of the Central reef. From there he joined the Federal Environment Department as the Marine and Coasts Scientific Coordinator and then Team Leader for four years.
Steve has led paleo-climate research expeditions to the Pitcairn Islands and northern Indian Ocean regions. Other roles in the Federal Government involved map-based data and information management and on-line data delivery mechanisms (AUSLIG and BRS), followed by a five years with ANZLIC – the Spatial Information Council for Australia and New Zealand as the National Project Manager, and then as Executive Director.
Steve took up the position as WAMSI’s first Chief Executive Officer in May 2006.