RDAEP’s skills-based Board is comprised of the below local leaders from across the Eyre Peninsula who have a diverse set of skills, knowledge, and expertise intrinsic to the region, representing business, industry, local government, and the broader community.
Bryan Trigg AFSM JP (Chair)
Mr Bryan Trigg commenced as a Board Member of Regional Development Australia Whyalla and Eyre Peninsula in March 2012. Bryan is an Elected Member of the District Council of Cleve and is the current SA CFS Group Officer for the Eastern Eyre Group. Bryan holds Life Memberships for multiple organisations including the Eastern Eyre Football League for which he has been a long time delegate and President. Bryan’s work with the League has been recognised by being granted Merit awards by both the SANFL and the AFL. Bryan was Deputy Chair for one short term with Mayor Jim Pollock as Chair and is now the appointed Chair of Regional Development Australia Eyre Peninsula.
Bryan is currently Managing Director of two local companies and has been a National Director for Rural Co, an Australia wide Rural Merchandise Company. In 1998, Bryan was awarded the National Member of the Year for all of Australia, as the business based in Cleve on Eyre Peninsula, was judged to be the best in Australia. At present, Bryan is a retired small business owner and has lived and worked in Cleve since 1973, and previous to that he lived in Cummins. Bryan was awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal by the Australian Government and invested at Government House in Adelaide. He has also been reappointed as Justice of the Peace by the South Australian Government.
Malcolm Catt (Deputy Chair)
Malcolm Catt has been a member of the Board since 2005 and is currently Deputy Chair and a member of the Executive Committee.
He has lived in Port Lincoln since 1977 and was a Councillor of the City of Port Lincoln from 2001 until 2014.
Malcolm is currently Chief Pilot of Lincoln Air Charter (1997 to present) and a Graduate of Adelaide University (Science) and SAIT (Business Administration). He has formerly worked as a Research and Consultant Agronomist and was Chief Pilot/Owner of Lincoln Airlines (1987-1997).
Heather Baldock (Executive Member)
Heather Baldock joined the Board in early 2016, is currently on the Board’s Executive, and is chair of the Board’s EP Ag Advisory Group. Heather held the role of Presiding Member of the EP Natural Resource Management Board from 2011-2015 and is a past member of the SA Advisory Board of Agriculture where she represented Eastern Eyre for six years and held positions of State Treasurer and Vice Chair. She has also served on other regional, state and national bodies linked to rural communities and agriculture and in 2011 represented Australian farmers at the Global Farmer Roundtable Discussions and World Food Prize Events in Iowa, USA.
Heather has farmed with her husband in the Kimba District for over 40 years and is heavily involved in local community development and tourism. Heather holds a Diploma in the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course, and a Cert 4 in Tourism Sales & Marketing. In 2006 Heather was awarded the SA Rural Women’s Award.
Sue Chase AM (Executive Member)
Sue Chase was appointed to the Board in May 2020. Sue is the recently retired owner and Managing Director of Cowell Electric Supply. She sold to another well-respected regional business, The Ahrens Group in 2018 after 40 years with the business and 17 years as the major shareholder. During that time, Cowell Electric, based at Cowell on Eyre Peninsula, grew to over 100 employees with turnover exceeding $30M, with branches in Olympic Dam, Adelaide and Umuwa in the APY Lands.
Sue has lived almost all her life at Cowell. She is passionate about regional and remote areas of Australia and this is where Cowell Electric has specialised to provide its expertise in power generation, transmission and retailing, construction of powerlines and provision of ad-hoc mining services, principally for the mining, oil and gas industries, renewable energy sector and remote townships and Aboriginal communities in outback South Australia.
Sue has a solid understanding of and experience in business management, strategy development, corporate governance and financial management. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Travis Barber
Travis Barber joined the Regional Development Australia Eyre Peninsula Board in January 2021. Travis is in his third term as Mayor of the District Council of Streaky Bay and is an executive on the Eyre Peninsula Local Government Association (EPLGA) Board.
Travis has a background in the fishing and property industries, and has a holiday accommodation business. He has a genuine passion and drive for tourism and to see Eyre Peninsula showcase and prosper for all it has to offer. Travis has fought hard to ensure continuity of health services to the Streaky Bay community, and has a passion to see Eyre Peninsula progress as one of the States, if not Australia’s most progressive and liveable regional areas.
Neville Starke
Neville Starke commenced as a Board Member in May 2020. Neville was an Elected Member of the Port Lincoln City Council for 12 years (2006-2018) including nearly 10 years as Deputy Mayor. During this time he chaired many sub committees including Bushfire Prevention, Marina Maintenance, Centrex Community Consultation Committee and was a member of the Audit Committee and CEO selection and review committee. He was also a proxy and then delegate to the EPLGA on behalf of Council.
Neville completed his schooling at Cummins Area School and farmed in the Cummins area for 50 years. He served on the Cummins Hospital Board for 14 years between 1978 and 1995 including two years as Chairman. During this time, there was difficulty obtaining a doctor and the Board had to fight very hard to keep the hospital.
Neville is now retired and hopes to volunteer and continue serving the community in some way. Neville is also a practicing Justice of the Peace.
Allan Suter OAM
Allan Suter has been Board Member since 2007. Allan is a former Mayor of the District Council of Ceduna, and was an Elected Member for 15 years.
He has lived in Ceduna since 1979 and is a retired business operator. Allan has held various other Board memberships in the motel chain, fishing industry and in other business interests. In 2018, Allan was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) honours. In common with all members of the Board, he is passionate about the future of this lovely region.
Joshua Telfer
Joshua Telfer’s expertise is primarily in the agriculture and environmental sciences. He has 20 years experience in agriculture both on Eyre Peninsula, and also across the State and internationally in the family farming, government, corporate, and non-profit sectors. He currently works with Agricultural Innovation and Research Eyre Peninsula (AIR EP) as their Sustainable Agriculture Officer, where he works across the entire Eyre Peninsula region. Josh is a graduate of the University of Adelaide, and Charles Sturt University, and is Australian Rural Leadership alumni, and a previous Crawford Fund scholar.
Pam Schlink
Pam Schlink is a well-connected member of the Eyre Peninsula community. Pam has experience in the local government sector and has been involved with various boards, not-for-profit organisations, sporting clubs and community organisations. She has a strong commitment and passion for living and working on the Eyre Peninsula, with a focus on tourism and community events.
Matthew Waller
Matt Waller has qualifications in agriculture, an extensive background in fishing and aquaculture and is a vastly experienced tourism operator. He is an energetic and innovative tourism professional and brings significant expertise relative to the region’s visitor economy.