Dr John McVeigh

Executive Director

John was the Federal Member for Groom, based in Toowoomba until he stepped down in late 2020.  He served in Cabinet as Minister for Regional Development, Territories and Local Government, and had extensive experience across a range of regional development, trade and industry related parliamentary committees. 

Prior to federal politics John was the State Member for Toowoomba South and served as Queensland Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Shadow Minister for Science, Information Technology and Innovation.

He was previously a Councillor on the Toowoomba Regional Council from 2008 to 2012 where he held the Corporate Services Portfolio and Chaired the External Audit Committee.

Prior to public life John led a Toowoomba based agribusiness consulting practice managing local and international irrigation, aquaculture, beef, cotton, dairy, grains, horticulture, timber, wool and food processing projects.

John’s commercial career prior to politics and consulting included administrative, marketing and management positions in banking, rural merchandise, the grain industry, Department of Primary Industries and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation.  He is Chairman of Fibreking Pty Ltd, a privately held Queensland based international packaging machinery company, and has served on various local education, natural resource management and community boards.  He holds a B. Bus. (USQ), a MBA (Bond) and a PhD in Agribusiness Management (UQ).

John is passionate about the agribusiness and energy sectors and sustainable community development.  He is a strong advocate for industry and infrastructure development in regional Australia - particularly that associated with the Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail project.

Together Anita and John McVeigh have raised their six children in Toowoomba, and they remain proud residents of this leading regional area of the nation.

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Lance MacManus

Manager ‑ Strategic Partnerships

TSBE stretches from Toowoomba to Roma, and to service the region, Lance can be found across the Maranoa and Western Downs meeting with members and businesses as part of his role as Project Manager.

Supply chain engagement, tendering and investment opportunities are Lance’s specialties, a result of vast consultancy and management experience. While TSBE works with a wide range of industries across the region, Lance works to link regional business opportunities and tendering success in the resources, renewables, coal seam gas, mining, infrastructure and development sectors.

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Kate Harris

Administration Manager & Board Secretary

Kate is a Toowoomba local and has joined the team with 15 years’ experience in operations in the finance, higher education, and agriculture sectors. She holds a Master of Business Administration with Distinction, and she has refined her expertise in organisational management and operational efficiency.

At TSBE, Kate will be responsible for maintaining performance and statutory reporting requirements, both internally and externally, while also providing high-level support to the Executive Director and TSBE Board to ensure streamlined operations and effective governance.

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Codie Rowling

Events Coordinator

Codie is a Toowoomba local who has extensive knowledge of the local events scene having lived in Toowoomba and Roma. She holds a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) with a Diploma in Event Management.

Codie has over 12 years of experience working across a variety of sectors including tertiary education, retail marketing and tourism, managing events ranging in size and varying in the audience from international events, and large-scale community events to small-scale exclusive functions. 

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Sophie Kluckhohn

Communications & Marketing Coordinator 

Sophie is an experienced marketing and communications professional with a strong background in local government. With nearly eight years in the sector, she has developed expertise in strategic communication, media engagement and effective marketing campaigns.

Holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Business, majoring in Marketing she continues to apply this knowledge to drive impactful campaigns and initiatives. Sophie has a passion for delivering effective communication strategies that connect communities and businesses.

Rowie Beveridge

General Manager Food Leaders Australia 

Rowie Beveridge is the General Manager for Food Leaders Australia - a role that assists agribusiness in progressing value add products, helping establish go-to-market strategies and developing supply chains through to market. 

With more than 25 years of agribusiness experience in cotton, grain, livestock and horticulture, Rowie has a well-rounded and practical understanding of identifying genuine opportunities and benefits for producers in the food and fibre industries. 

She is passionate about challenging the status quo and keen to help agribusiness excel at ethical and sustainable growth. Driven by her appetite to change the perception of rural/regional Australia she loves to advocate the innovation, smarts and quality of life that continue to grow and thrive inland.

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Anna Geddes

Agribusiness Development Manager

Born and raised in Toowoomba, Anna brings a robust background in agriculture to the TSBE team. With over 15 years of experience in policy and sustainability across key regions in Queensland, she contributes a wealth of knowledge to our initiatives.

In her recent endeavors, Anna spent the last 5 years in the superannuation industry, working for one of Australia's largest funds. Her focus was on servicing employers and their members in Southern Queensland and Northwest New South Wales. Anna's career reflects her passion and commitment to sustainable practices, coupled with a holistic understanding of various sectors.

Anna holds a Bachelor of Applied Science with a major in Natural Resource Management.

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Nilesh Prasad

Trade and Market Manager

Nilesh Prasad, our Trade and Market Manager, brings vast expereince to the role that supports TSBE members who are current or future exporters, helping drive the development of an international and domestic export culture across the region. Nilesh has more than 15 of experience in management and public administration roles including roles in local and federal governments such as Investment Fiji – Ministry of Industry & Trade, and Fiji Olympic Committee, including 10 years of experience in working with Economic Development Agencies in New Zealand and Fiji.

Nilesh’s background is in project management, strategic management, planning, event management, marketing, human resources, finance, contractor management and has completed a Master of Commerce in Management and Public Administration.

Daniel McNamara

General Manager - Energy & Infrastructure

Daniel McNamara is passionate about the Toowoomba region which he has called home for over 40 years. A qualified carpenter and builder, he has a real interest in property and real estate having built and invested in commercial and residential property and worked as a commercial Real Estate Agent.

Daniel's experience with various industry sectors is an asset to TSBE and our members. He is more than happy to assist members with market intel, business leads, business-to-business introductions, strategic planning and helping to identify niche markets. 

As the General Manager of the Energy and Infrastructure team, he works hard to create opportunities for TSBE members and helps identify major projects to bring to the region and ensures these opportunities cascade to our members. 

Dan travels throughout the region and loves nothing more than to get on-site to understand the businesses that help make our region so prosperous.

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Dan Stewart

Business Development Officer - Energy & Infrastructure

With more than 15 years of hands-on experience owning and operating multiple small businesses in Toowoomba, Dan brings a deep understanding of the local business landscape to his role as Business Development Officer at TSBE. His entrepreneurial background is complemented by six years of strategic engagement work, three years with a local charity, where he specialised in stakeholder relations and community-driven growth, and three years with a regional university, developing innovative programs to bridge the gap between industry and academia.

A proud Toowoomba local, Dan is a passionate advocate for supporting regional enterprise and fostering collaboration for mutual success. His approach is grounded in real-world experience, a strong network across sectors and a commitment to unlocking new opportunities for businesses throughout the Toowoomba and Surat Basin region.

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Hayley Warren

Project and Membership Officer

Hayley was born and bred in the Western Downs and is passionate about economic change enabling growth and prosperity in the Toowoomba and Surat Basin region. She has a keen interest in social development and appreciates the role social enterprises play in improving the well-being of our community. 

Hayley has been a part of the TSBE team for over five years where she has gained an in-depth knowledge of TSBE’s operations and our members enabling her to make meaningful connections amongst our membership database and to business opportunities. 

As an experienced project officer, Hayley has played a key role in delivering an array of TSBE projects ensuring businesses have visibility into upcoming opportunities in our region.

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Renée Wallace

Project Manager - Energy & Infrastructure

Renée is passionate about assisting members and stakeholders achieve their full potential to sustainably grow the region. With over 20 years of experience as an engineer working in Australia and the UK in mining and industry, oil and gas and public infrastructure areas, Renée brings a wealth of knowledge in government process, community engagement, tendering, and supply chain for the energy and infrastructure community.

Having lived in regional Queensland for the last 14 years Renée understands the unique challenges and opportunities this brings. Renée is eager to connect with your organisation to understand how TSBE can assist you succeed.

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Josh Edwards

Manager Health & Education

Josh, TSBE’s Health and Education Manager, brings more than 18 years of experience in commercial banking specialising in the healthcare and education sectors. Having spent the past 11 years in Toowoomba and Darling Downs Region, he understands the opportunities and challenges in these key industries and is eager to advocate for our members. His diverse skill set and passion for our Region’s primary employment industries, health and education, mean he is well equipped to drive positive outcomes for our network.

Josh holds a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Finance, Banking and Accounting and a Masters of Sustainability Science.

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Ashley Williams

Indigenous Business Connector

Ashley is the Indigenous Business Connector working out of both Toowoomba and Chinchilla. 

Ashley is a proud Koa People and Wakka Wakka People man who has extensive experience making and managing connections within the resource, infrastructure, and government sectors. 

With experience spanning Arrow Energy, ARTC and the National Native Title Tribunal, Ashley is passionate and knowledgeable about connecting and assisting Indigenous businesses to grow in our region. 

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Mark Mason

Project Manager – Olympic Strategy & Legacy

With the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the horizon TSBE, in partnership with Toowoomba Regional Council, is delivering a project targeted at identifying and capturing opportunities across the region that will stem from the delivery of The Games. Mark has been appointed to capture and develop these opportunities and to provide advocacy for the region in the lead-up to The Games.

With experience gleaned from the Sydney 2000 Olympics and the London 2012 Olympics, Mark has a well-developed understanding of the development and delivery of an Olympic Games and a deep appreciation of the benefits the Olympic Legacy can bring to the region.

Mark also has a broad understanding of the mechanics of community development and the importance of balancing commercial activity and social cohesion to improve the liveability of the region.

Mark is actively pursuing opportunities for the region in agriculture, sports infrastructure, tourism, energy and community development that are linked to Brisbane 2032.

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Amanda Maurice

Lead Business Coach, Business Navigator Western Downs

Amanda is a skilled professional with a passion for local business resilience and success.  

Drawing from over 20 years’ diverse work experience including hospitality and events, management accounting, economic development and financial counselling, Amanda’s approach to coaching blends practical wisdom with genuine care. ​

Born in Victoria and raised in Tasmania, Amanda has also enjoyed working and living in the Northern Territory and on the Gold Coast, before settling in the Western Downs during 2012.  Amanda especially enjoys the sense of community and outdoors lifestyle the Western Downs offers for her and her young family.  

Suzie Wood

Business Coach, Business Navigator Western Downs

Business Coach Suzanne Wood is a senior finance professional with a unique blend of Australian and International business experience in a wide range of industries, across both large and small businesses. 

Suzanne is a Big 4 trained Chartered Accountant with over 20 years of experience and has a sound ability to understand holistic business financial requirements, helping drive efficiencies and innovation across various business functions.

Successfully delivering a diverse array of financial reporting, forecasting, budgeting and business case proposals, Suzanne is passionate about increasing business owners’ capacity to understand and analyse their finances to drive business improvement. 

Suzanne is adept at rapidly establishing working relationships with local networks and key stakeholder groups and businesses.

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Ailsa Cass

Digital Marketing Advisor, Business Navigator Western Downs

Ailsa is a qualified and passionate marketing professional with experience working with a diverse range of organisations. Ailsa assists clients with preparing marketing strategies and plans, advises on digital media tools and ensures the service is well promoted. 

Ailsa particularly loves helping businesses define and own their brand position and then tell their story consistently across all marketing communications/platforms.

Fastidious with details, Ailsa is also a strong project manager ensuring clients are well looked after and projects are delivered to the highest standard. With a real passion for eCommerce, Ailsa also runs the peer group for our Western Downs based eCommerce businesses assisting in both technical and website design using the Shopify platform and ensuring the user experience is delivered.

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