Our Board
Meet The Board
Australia’s South West is governed by a board of Directors who have been appointed for their professional experience and expertise spanning a range of professions and industries.
The Board of Directors comprises an independent chairperson, four elected industry representatives and four skills-based positions.
Board members normally serve a term of two years and positions are voted on by individual sub-regional members and the skills-based positions by the board directors. Nominations are called in August each year for positions on the board.
Dr Lianne Cretney-Barnes
Independent Chair
(June 2018 - Present)
Lianne has held senior positions in both private and public sector organisations for over 20 years and has considerable experience in governance, leadership and strategy development. Lianne has a professional doctorate in Business Administration and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Institute of Management.
Dr Lenore Lyons
Deputy Chair
(October 2017 - Present)
Skills Based Position and Chair of the ASW Governance and Nominations sub-committee.
Lenore has over ten years’ experience in the tourism industry. She co-founded a successful eco-tourism business in the Great Southern that was inducted into the Western Australian Tourism Hall of Fame in 2015. Her most recent position was Executive Director of the Great Southern Centre for Outdoor Recreation Excellence (GSCORE) and is now consulting to industry.
Rhys Pearce
Treasurer - Skills Based Position
(October 2019 - Present)
Rhys has focused on providing advice and guidance to WA Tourism businesses and Not-For-Profit boards around proactively managing risks.
In collaboration with Insurers and engagement with Tourism Operators, Rhys has executed strategies to deliver innovative risk programs, drive long term financial resilience and successfully navigate emerging economic risks.
Lisa Spencer
Skills Based Position
(February 2021 - Present)
Ms Spencer has over 18 years’ experience; having held brand, sponsorship and commercial roles in Sydney, London and Perth. She is a passionate advocate for tourism, the wellness industry and the beautiful state of Western Australia.
Dr Steve Crawford
Skills Based Position
(February 2023 - Present)
Steve has enjoyed a long and passionate engagement with Western Australia’s tourism development mostly in senior management roles within government.
The diversity of his experience extends to tourism destination planning, research and management, trade marketing, tourism education, and business development. Steve has represented Western Australia on numerous national bodies and is recognised as a leader in his field with many accolades including National and State Tourism Awards.
Steve’s formal qualifications include a Doctor of Business Administration.
Gail Ipsen-Cutts
Southern Forests & Valleys Representative
(October 2021 - October 2023)
Gail has spent over 30 years committed to community development with a strong focus in rural and regional WA. In 2001 Gail commenced work at the Shire of Manjimup as the Manager of Human Services and Community Development and in 2005, was appointed to the new position of Director Community Services. Gail is a passionate advocate of revitalising rural and regional communities and exploring opportunities and partnerships to grow the visitor economy and showcase the remarkable Southern Forests and Valleys Region.
Steve Millhouse
Great Southern Representative
(May 2022 - Present)
Steve is a widely experienced hospitality manager that has dedicated over 25 years to the industry, with 23 of those within the Hilton Worldwide Group. Gaining experience throughout Australia & Overseas he a wealth of knowledge of the Hospitality & Tourism industry within an international chain.
Steve’s operational knowledge has been developed through large projects assisting with refurbishments, managing teams throughout multiple locations and most recently opening the first Hilton Garden Inn within the Australasian region, located in Albany.
TIM GREAY
Margaret River Region Representative
(December 2022 - Present)
Tim is an authentic mindful leader with a diverse background across the energy and mining sectors. Over the last 20 years Tim has developed key strengths in lean process and system design, organisational risk management and governance. In addition, Tim has built and now operates a successful luxury brand of accommodation in the Margret River Region.
DAVID KERR
BUNBURY GEOGRAPHE REGION REPRESENTATIVE (May 2023 - Present)
David has managed a business consultancy for over 30 years with a diverse client base nationally across a range of industry sectors, including tourism. For the last twelve years he has overseen the redesign, redevelopment and operation of the Bunbury Dolphin Discovery Centre, a not-for-profit social enterprise focused on conservation, education and research. It is the major tourism attraction in the Bunbury Geographe region and an important part of the State’s nature-based tourism profile. He is particularly interested in the social value and provision of nature-based experiences in urban environments and the catalytic impact tourism can have on regional economies.
CHRISTINE ROSS-DAVIES
EX-OFFICIO
Christine is the Senior Manager WA Partnerships and Industry with Tourism WA. Previously, she owned an award winning travel agency for 14 years and has held Sales and Marketing Management positions for international airlines and in travel wholesale. Christine brings a broad commercial understanding to support the stakeholder engagement and destination marketing activities at Tourism WA.