About us

Southern Melbourne RDA Committee

Chair

John Bennie has been the CEO of Greater Dandenong City Council since October 2006 and is a Director of the South East Melbourne Manufacturers’ Alliance. He was previously CEO of Manningham City Council from 1999 to 2006 and a Board member of South East Development (Melbourne) Area Consultative Committee.

Deputy Chair

Faith FitzGerald is a Principal of Whole Systems Work, a Melbourne based company that works with not-for-profit agencies. She was CEO of the commercial arm of RMIT University for eight years, was International Marketing Manager for an Australian information technology company and a senior executive in the Victorian Government. She has been a Councillor of the City of Doncaster and Templestowe and a member of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works.

Committee members

• Ian Monger is owner manager of IR Monger and Associates, an engineering and business consultancy. His previous roles have included being a board member of the South East Development (Melbourne) Area Consultative Committee and Jobs for Dandenong Taskforce, and holding senior positions with Bilcon Engineering Pty Ltd and Skyblue Pty Ltd.
• Ian Wilson most recently had roles at Victoria University as General Manager and at Monash University as Director, Libraries. His previous positions have included CEO of Bayside City Council, Managing Director of Southern Rural Water; CEO City of Marion (SA), CEO of Waverley (Monash) City Council, Deputy CEO of the City of Melbourne and in Queensland, Deputy Commissioner for Electricity.
• Rod Nelson is State Director of Enterprise Connect, an Australian Government program assisting small and medium sized enterprises. Rod’s business experience covers manufacturing, logistics and aviation, with roles including Manager Customs & Materials Planning at GMH, Managing Director (Australia & NZ) MSAS Cargo International Limited and CEO Air Niugini Limited.
• Mike McIntosh is currently Economic Development Manager for the City of Moreland. He held a similar position with Port Phillip City Council for a number of years and has broad tourism and economic development experience.
• David Wilkinson is Manager of Economic Development at the City of Casey. He has had extensive local government experience in the UK, working in statutory planning before moving into an urban regeneration team and taking a lead role in a major town centre project. He has over 25 years of experience in planning and economic development. He is also currently the Chairperson of MSE (Melbourne’s South East Economic Development Group).
• Greg Hunt is the Executive Officer South East Councils Climate Change Alliance, which delivers project-based responses to climate change through eight local governments in Melbourne’s south east. He was national manager for Waterkeepers Australia and has had many years of experience in management and in delivering education and training programs. He is currently a member of the board of Chisholm Institute.

SMRDA Committee support

Anita Buczkowsky
Manager SMRDA
Victorian Business Centre
314A Thomas Street
Dandenong 3175

Tel: (03) 9938 0144
Mob: 0400 425 300