Executive Director position leading 500+ staff in the delivery of a $210M capital works program, maintenance and renewal of an asset base in excess of $5.5B, municipal waste services and engineering services. The City Infrastructure directorate comprises the departments of Major Projects, Asset Management, Civil Infrastructure, Waste Services, City Works and Parks & Natural Assets.

This Executive Director role led the organisation in all facets of the Place Making division which comprised the departments of Major Projects (major project planning and delivery, strategic projects, urban design), Infrastructure Delivery (civil design, capital works delivery), Strategy & Growth (statutory planning, strategic planning, growth area planning, municipal building services, development engineering) and Asset Management & Transport (strategic transport planning, asset management planning, asset management systems, geographic information systems). In addition, I led, coached and mentored individuals, groups and teams across the entire organisation, was a leading director of the Executive Management Team, confidante of Council and represented the organisation in numerous public forums and in the media.

This Executive Officer role identified, strategises, designs and developed surplus Council-owned property and new land opportunities. The driving force behind any Council-led development is to reinvigorate activity centres and stimulate urban renewal and local economic activity, demonstrate best planning and design principles by leading innovation, consolidate many like community uses and facilities into shared, best-practice accommodation, and to generate revenue for Council to ensure it can continue to provide its vast community services, programs and capital works initiatives. This position worked closely with elected representatives at all levels of government and sought to advocate and leverage best development outcomes which led to the realisation of adopted urban design frameworks, structure plans, state government policy and master plans. The role brokered many different arrangements with the private sector, development industry, peak bodies and government.I oversaw a talented, high-performing team of professionals who led a range of property and development projects including the design, disposal, acquisition, leasing and licensing of Council property and the project delivery of many complex, multi-faceted development projects.I played a key role in the Banyule Senior Management Team, driving leadership programs and improvements, acting in numerous formal and informal coaching and mentoring roles, led a multitude of engagement and consultation programs, maintained close liaison with all elected Councillors and regularly presented at many public forums at varying scales and complexities.

My role as Precinct Director was to lead urban renewal, place-based development and public realm opportunities from within the government sector in partnership with key external stakeholders. This role was the public face to Council, the community, industry and government for high priority precincts and complex projects. My position demanded the ability to manage complexity, be politically astute, communicate exceptionally well to a diverse range of audiences, and to be agile in operating in an enterprise manner and broker key outcomes with other levels of government and investors.KEY RESPONSIBILITIES> Plan, design and deliver innovative, catalyst precinct and urban renewal projects and programs to regenerate specific precincts.> Ensure best-practice urban design and architecture outcomes of highly-political sites that lead to sustainable urban renewal for significant precincts and activity centres. > Provide expert leadership to multi-disciplinary inter-agency project teams.> Develop strategies and policies for key precincts and sites to direct outcomes.> Negotiate and mediate with landowners, investors and government to achieve project and precinct objectives.> Oversee, facilitate, deliver and ensure appropriate community consultation and engagement on strategic significant planning projects.> Create and maintain effective partnerships with government agencies to progress precinct and complex project objectives.

My role as Senior Project Manager was to manage and deliver full program management (strategic, design, communications, activation and construction) of the Acland Street Upgrade, St Kilda. This is presently Victoria’s largest urban renewal streetscape project, a complex, multi-disciplinary urban renewal upgrade shared by Port Phillip City Council (local government), Public Transport Victoria (state government) and Yarra Trams (private enterprise).Essential to this role was successful complex stakeholder and relationship management between project partners, being able to navigate intricate problems swiftly and being agile in making decisions that lead to the shared commitment of the overall project objectives. The project is a celebrated, award-winning exemplar of the benefits that can be achieved when all levels of government work together to achieve a unique place-based, people-focused urban renewal infrastructure project.KEY RESPONSIBILITIES> Full accountability of Victoria’s largest and most political urban renewal streetscape upgrade project.> Manage and negotiate complex relationships between different levels of government, the community, the public and private sector, trader groups and associations.> Responsible for all project management functions and progress (design, consultation, construction, budgetary, program) to CEOs, executives and Councils.> Coordinate a variety of multi-disciplinary technical areas to formulate appropriate, innovative and efficient responses to problems.> Formulate detailed project programs including monitoring milestones, progress and all associated reporting, manage, track and monitor all project risks, issues and actions.> Comprehensive award-winning community engagement program.> Exemplar of urban renewal, streetscape and public transport integrated project.

As Coordinator City Design my role involved managing a highly sophisticated and political design portfolio associated with some of Melbourne’s largest urban renewal projects; Fishermans Bend, St Kilda Triangle and the Carlisle Street Precinct Master Plan. I led talented staff and highly specialised consultant design teams, overseeing feasibility studies, concept designs and masterplans for a range of high-profile infrastructure sites. Intrinsic to this role was the ability to successfully build positive relationships and influence outcomes with stakeholders, government and their departments, community groups and associations and continually advocating to finding better ways of doing things.KEY RESPONSIBILITIES> Project leadership of complex, large scale multi-disciplinary activation and capital works projects including St Kilda Triangle, Fishermans Bend Urban Renewal Area and Fitzroy Street Upgrade.> Lead the development and implementation of the City Design Departmental Plan, oversee all professional development of direct reports, ongoing training and delivery of all capital and operational works programs.> Initiate, cultivate and maintain effective partnerships with Government and its agencies to progress and implement Council’s objectives and priorities.> Provide leadership to multidisciplinary project teams and ensure projects are delivered successfully and within budget and on time.> Develop policy that identify existing problems and offer solutions as part of Council’s long-term plan and capital works program.>Coordinate, plan and execute exemplary community engagement and consultation programs.>Represent Council at public forums, seminars and conferences as required and chair and sit on various internal and external advisory committees pertaining to the future design, delivery and provision of public realm and urban design.> Coordinate, plan, manage and oversee all financial and budgetary processes of large capital and operational programs.

As Senior Urban Designer, I was responsible for overseeing the design, delivery and management of Council’s tier one organisational priority; Vibrant Villages. This program encompassed the creation of new community partnerships to leverage funding and revenue streams to enable sustainable delivery of community infrastructure through new enterprises and partnerships within the community. My role included the direct project management of significant infrastructure and complex major projects that enhanced Council’s urban villages and enables ongoing success to existing retail, entertainment and leisure precincts and activity centres.KEY RESPONSIBILITIES> Project leadership of complex, large scale multi-disciplinary activation and capital works projects.> Provide specific and targeted planning, construction and urban design expertise on State-significant projects such as the Acland Street Upgrade, working in partnership with the public and private sector, government and investors.> Establish, convene and chair Village Partnership Groups consisting of members of the community, traders, local associations and sporting groups.> Manage consultants and contractors of major projects and programs to deliver best-outcomes for Council and the community.> Develop key stakeholder relationships to achieve the goals and objectives of Council and maintain ongoing professional relationships with consultants, contractors and suppliers.> Advocate for better outcomes and funding streams to State Government agencies.> Coordinate, plan, manage and oversee all financial and budgetary processes of large capital and design programs.> Coordinate, implement and deliver extensive community engagement and consultation programs.

My role at the City of Maribyrnong included managing the provision and development of all public realm strategy, urban design and construction within the City through innovative urban renewal, open space, landscape architecture, place making and urban design interventions.KEY RESPONSIBILITIES> The design and delivery of an urban design, public realm, urban renewal and landscape architectural capital and strategic project program.> Manage consultants and contractors of major projects and programs to deliver best-outcomes for Council and the community.> Develop key stakeholder relationships to achieve the goals and objectives of Council.> Oversee the successful project implementation and professional development of a highly motivated, respected and successful design team.> Coordinate, implement and facilitate extensive community engagement and consultation programs. > Development and implementation of Urban Design Frameworks in City Central Activity Centres.> Chair and sit on various internal and external advisory committees pertaining to the future design, delivery and provision of public realm and urban design.> Design and delivery of the award winning Yarraville Pop-Up Park.> Project management the Maribyrnong Open Space Strategy, outlining the future development of all Council public realm design and implements a Developer Contributions Rate now embedded into the local Planning Scheme.> Develop the Maribyrnong Street Planting Strategy incorporating the 10 Year Planting Program.> Manage the Parks Improvement Program which sits independently of the strategic and capital program.

RPS is a multi-disciplinary development consultancy specialising in greenfield development and major infrastructure projects. At RPS, I was Lead Program / Project Manager and Senior Landscape Architect, providing comprehensive management, design and delivery of all public realm, urban design and landscape architecture works.KEY RESPONSIBILITIES> Manage the design and delivery of a public realm and urban design program in excess of $25m incorporating parkland, playground, street tree master planning, WSUD, roadway, town square, central park, Main Street, entry features and residential subdivision design.> Manage all facets of the design and construction phase from client briefing to contract administration.> Produced vision documents, urban frameworks and precinct master plans.> Chaired and facilitated meetings, design workshops, focus groups and information sessions with both client, Council and multi-disciplinary groups in order to achieve best-outcomes.> Fostered strong relationships with client, consultants and Council ensuring a seamless design and construction phase.> Designed and oversaw delivery of ‘The Greenspine’, a central linear parkland encompassing shared path trails, picnic shelters, playgrounds, indigenous art trail and overflow stormwater catchment system.> Coordination of multi-disciplinary teams including surveyors, urban designers, town planners, hydrologists, environmental consultants, electrical engineers, civil engineers and aboriginal communities.> Oversaw the detailed design, documentation and construction detailing of the North Queensland design office.> Coordinated and project managed Cyclone Yasi restoration of Botanic Gardens, Townsville.