RDA Grampians

Chair - Michael Tudball

Michael Tudball (AFSM FAICD MIMC) is a contemporary executive with a leadership foundation built upon extensive background in communities, Local and State governments intertwined with private and not-for-profit sector experience.

Michael has specific strengths in local government, economic development, emergency management and resilience, transport, health and employment sectors with strategic work including advice and policy development at Local, State and Federal levels.

He now spends his time in Executive Mentoring, Public Speaking, Leadership support, Interim Executive and Board Governance roles in particular supporting local government and communities.

Jessica Kelly

Jessica Kelly is the dynamic and visionary Product Manager at Ferndale Foods Australia, a proudly locally owned food manufacturing group based in Ballarat. With a keen eye for innovation and an unwavering commitment to quality, Jessica leads the company’s Product Innovation and Quality Assurance division, ensuring that products go from initial concept to final placement on retail shelves across the country, meeting the highest standards of excellence.

Having lived, studied, and built her career in the Grampians region, Jessica is deeply passionate about fostering the growth of regional communities. Since April 2024, she has been an active member of the Grampians RDA Committee, contributing her expertise to initiatives that drive economic development and sustainability in the region.

Beyond her leadership in the food industry, Jessica is a dedicated advocate for increasing the participation of girls in STEM fields, championing programs that inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators. She is also committed to advancing local manufacturing and unlocking new opportunities in food system innovation, ensuring that Australian-made products continue to thrive on both national and global stages.

Howard Wilbury

Howard is a Daylesford-based executive and strategist, deeply committed to fostering vibrant, resilient regional communities. With a leadership foundation forged across two decades in global media, advertising, and management consulting, Howard brings a unique lens to regional economic development.

Howard is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and holds a Master of Business Administration (Executive) (MBAE) from AGSM @ UNSW Business School, underpinning his practical acumen with strong governance principles. He is currently undertaking a PhD at RMIT, focusing on placemaking and economic development, further deepening his expertise in creating thriving regional futures.

Howard believes that sustainable development stems from understanding the human narrative within every community, a philosophy he now brings to Regional Development Australia to help unlock and amplify the unique potential of our region.

Justin Gilbert

Ballarat based Justin Gilbert brings 3 decades of leadership across finance, information technology, data analytics and business intelligence. In his current role as Business Intelligence Manager at Grampians Health, he harnesses data to drive strategic, evidence-based decisions that benefit the entire region.

Justin has partnered with small businesses, non-profits, corporates and educational institutions, all headquartered in Ballarat yet active across Southern and Western Victoria and the Grampians – earning a reputation for turning complex data into practical insights. He also draws on lengthy board experience in tourism, small business and regional development organisations, where he provides astute guidance on finance, governance and strategic planning.

A long serving member of the RDA Grampians Committee, Justin has been instrumental in initiatives that strengthen the region’s education, training and digital-connectivity capacity. Most notably, he spearheaded the Committee’s successful push for policy reform on domestic mobile roaming during emergencies, ensuring more reliable communications for regional communities when they need it most.

Linda Kwok

Based in Horsham, Linda Kwok is director of LHLK Architects and a member of the Victoria Building Appeals Board.

Linda has held directorships in health, water, early years learning and sports sectors. She has also taught at universities in architecture, environments and business faculties.

Linda holds a Bachelor of Architecture, a Postgraduate Diploma in Urban Design and a Master of Business Administration. She is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Christine Ferguson

Christine Ferguson PSM has lived in rural communities in the Grampians region most of her life and has a great affinity with Western Victoria and its communities.

Having worked in the Aged Care sector in Hamilton and Melbourne, before moving to State Government Christine held positions in the Victorian Departments of Sport and Recreation, State Development, Health and Human Services, Environment and Primary Industries and subsequently Land, Water and Planning and Energy and Climate Action.

Christine is an experienced non-executive director and executive leader having delivered public policy and services across social, environmental, economic, and emergency management portfolios. She has a reputation for working collaboratively with stakeholders to cut through complex issues and deliver positive and balanced results.

Passionate about supporting the growth and resilience of rural Victoria, Christine believes the best outcomes are achieved by harnessing the talents of communities and multidisciplinary teams to deliver value through innovation and service excellence.

Peter Downs

Born and raised in Victoria’s Grampians region, Peter Downs has built a career shaped by the values and entrepreneurial spirit of regional Australia. Growing up in a family that successfully ran businesses across the Grampians, Peter developed a deep understanding of local industries and communities.

Peter is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Ballarat Turf Club, following a number of senior executive roles in racing around Australia. Across these roles, he has delivered record results, impactful strategies, and secured major infrastructure investments that benefit both industry and community.

With advanced governance training through the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Peter is known for inclusive leadership, strong stakeholder engagement and a commitment to sustainable regional growth. He has worked closely with government, traditional owners and local councils to support projects that drive local economies, workforce development and community engagement.

Guided by the lessons of growing up and doing business in the Grampians, Peter remains passionate about helping unlock the potential of regional Victoria for future generations.

Zoe Allan

Zoe is a Recruitment and Human Resource Management professional and Practice Lead – Executive Operations at Miller Leigh.

Throughout her 21 years in Recruitment, Zoe has followed her passion for Regional Victoria by specialising in working with businesses with multi-site Manufacturing operations across both metro and regional locations.

With a proven track record in sourcing and placing C-suite Executives and Senior Leaders in this space, Zoe has a deep understanding of the nuances of Regional Leadership.

She is passionate about the value of regional Victoria as vibrant, liveable communities that offer visionary leaders both an exceptional lifestyle and meaningful career opportunities. Zoe is dedicated to connecting the best talent with roles across regional Victoria, fostering collaboration between regional and metropolitan teams to drive innovation, transformation, and lasting success.

Paul Atherton

Paul is the General Manager of Wimmera Mallee Waste and brings to the committee extensive leadership and management experience across the forestry, environmental services, utilities, and mining sectors.

Previously, Paul served as the Environment and Community Officer for Donald Mineral Sands. His career also includes roles as Project Officer at Horsham Rural City Council and Project Delivery Manager for Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water (GWMWater).

Paul’s expertise spans stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, and business development, making him a strong leader in regional environmental and resource management.

David Matthews

David’s core business is farming in the Wimmera region of Victoria. His farm was an early adopter of pulses – such as chick peas, lentils and faba beans – into crop rotations.

As this industry expanded, he established a pulse processing and export business at Rupanyup, known as The Wimmera Grain Company. In 2024 this business exported in excess of 100,000 tonnes of pulse grains to customers in the Indian sub Continent, Middle East and North & South Asia.

In 1998, David was appointed chair of the Rupanyup Minyip Finance Group, the entity that opened the first 2 Community Bank branches in Australia.

He was co-chair of the Community Bank Strategic Advisory Board (forerunner to the Community Bank National Council) when it was formed in 2008. He joined the board of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank in 2010 and remained a non-executive director of the Group until his retirement in 2024.

David retains a strong interest in agribusiness, and particularly how this plays into the social and economic prosperity of regional Australia. His latest venture, Farm Trade Australia, involves the creation of a farmer owned agribusiness that can ensure more of the value created through primary production finds its way back to farms and rural communities.