Board Members
Chair
Darryl R Seccombe - CFP CIP Dip.FP FAFA ANZIIF (Snr. Assoc)
With over 36 years experience in the Financial Services Industry, Darryl is the Principal and Managing Director of DSA Financial Pty Ltd, an estate and financial planning practice. He is a Certified Financial Planner, and a Certified Insurance Professional.
Darryl is a former Director of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Incorporated, former President of the Valley Business Club and is also the Queensland Trustee of the Association of Financial Advisers Investment Trust.
He was the Founder and Managing Director of Charitable Bequest Services (Australia) Pty Ltd, which specialised in deferred bequests through donations of life insurance. Through its Australian network it was successful in assisting various not-for-profit organisations and other foundations raise long-term deferred bequests.
With extensive experience in charitable fundraising, Darryl has been a past Secretary of The Australasian Institute of Fundraising (Qld Chapter). He has also written various articles on Charitable Life Insurance for the “Fundraising Australasia Journal”.
Darryl assisted in introducing the Make A wish Foundation to Australia after seeing a presentation by Make A Wish in San Francisco USA in 1985. Make A Wish Foundation of Australia Limited was officially established in November 1985 in Victoria. In 1986 Darryl introduced the National Charity to Queensland and was an integral part of its development over the years, with its early years run from Darryl's financial planning practice. In 2010 the Make A Wish Foundation of Australia Limited will celebrate its silver 25th anniversary, as one of the most recognised, successful and trusted charities in Australia.
For his outstanding achievements and contributions to Australia, Darryl has been recognized in "Who's Who In Australia" since 1988. Darryl has also been recognised in the 2007 edition of " Who's Who in Queensland and 2007 edition of " Who's Who in Business in Australia" with other notable Australian businesspeople who have helped shape and develop Australia's corporate sector.
Board members
John Battams
Since 2004, John Battams has been Chairperson of the Residential Tenancies Authority Board, Queensland’s self-funding statutory authority which safeguards the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords.
In addition, he is the President for the Queensland Council of Unions and is the General Secretary of the Queensland Teachers’ Union. This role followed eight years teaching in secondary schools throughout city and country areas of Queensland.
John has had extensive and diverse directorship experience, from being Deputy Chair of a not-for-profit private health fund, as a Director of a private investment group of companies and as a Director of WorkCover Queensland. He is currently the Chair of Sunsuper, one of Australia's leading superannuation funds. He has been at the helm of small and large organisations and has significant experience developing positive relationships with industry representatives and community members.
With an extensive local knowledge and sector-specific experience, John brings a unique perspective to the Lady Bowen Trust Board.
Graham Billinghurst
Graham Billinghurst is Chief Executive officer of Colhurst Consulting Services. He is a Director of Group Companies of the Lewis Land Group and Director of Junior Mining Group Rimfire Pacific NL.
With extensive experience in investment banking, development and the housing sector, Graham has represented governments in off-shore development negotiations with the Overseas Property Group. He has consulted for the Queensland Industry Development Corporation and the Queensland Department of Trade.
During 18 years as Vice President of Citibank Ltd, Graham managed a $750 million real estate portfolio and gained a comprehensive knowledge of compliance, financial structuring and corporate governance.
Graham’s committee membership experience includes terms with the government’s Housing Advisory Committee, President of the Urban Development Institute of Queensland and committee member of the Urban Development Institute of Australia.
Graham was an integral member of the board of Brisbane City Mission, a homelessness support initiative which has since integrated with Mission Australia.
Andrew Jones
Professor Andrew Jones is Research Director (Social Wellbeing, Health and Housing) in the Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland and Director of the Queensland Research Centre of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.
He has held academic appointments at La Trobe University, James Cook University of North Queensland and The University of Queensland, and was Head of the School of Social Work and Social Policy, The University of Queensland from 2000-2003. He has many years of experience of teaching, research and consultancy in social policy analysis, social program evaluation, community planning and human services management.
He has undertaken research in many areas of social policy including child welfare, child care, disability, employment, human services planning, community planning and housing. Much of his current research is centred on Australian housing policy, particularly the study of the housing of older Australians.
He has led many AHURI-funded research projects on topics such as the housing circumstances of low-income older renters; home maintenance and modification services; the relationship of housing, support and care; the links between research and policy in Australian housing; and issues involved in sustaining public housing tenancies.
Bette Kill
Bette Kill was raised and educated in the USA (Masters of Public Health in Community Development) and spent 25 years in the New Zealand public health sector.
On arrival in Brisbane in 2002, Bette worked for Disability Services Queensland as the Executive Director for Policy and then as the Assistant Director-General. Since transferring to the Department of Communities in July 2005, Bette has worked as Deputy Director-General and most recently, Associate Director-General.
Bette has expertise in public sector leadership and management, strategic policy, program development and service delivery.
Anne Mitchell
Anne Mitchell has comprehensive experience in working first hand with people experiencing primary homelessness across Brisbane City.
Anne is the Immediate Past President of the 139 Club Inc, a not-for-profit welfare centre in Fortitude Valley which aims to improve quality of life for homeless, destitute and socially isolated people. She has been a member of the Club’s Management Committee for over 20 years.
In 2005, Anne joined the Homeless Taskforce set up by Qld Shelter Inc, a network of agencies committed to supporting people experiencing homelessness and maintaining an ongoing mandate to represent homelessness issues in Brisbane. She is also a member of the Australian Federation of Homelessness Organisations (AFHO), and Qld Shelter Inc.
Previously, Anne worked for almost five years as a Project and Administration Officer with the Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS). Her extensive range of community activities includes lifetime service to both Guides Queensland and the Queensland Branch of Scouts Australia.
Brian Stewart
Brian Stewart commenced as Chief Executive of UDIA (Qld) in July 2002, and since then has been a prominent force in the Institute’s campaigns on issues including affordable housing, land supply, sustainable development, coordinated regional planning, improved infrastructure provision and the overhaul of the Integrated Planning Act.
The author of "An Industry Inquiry into Affordability of Home Ownership in Queensland, 2006" and co-author of "The UDIA National Inquiry into Housing Affordability in Australia, 2007", Mr Stewart was appointed Executive Director of UDIA National in late 2006, while still UDIA (Qld) Chief Executive, to establish a stronger national presence for the Institute and to oversee the development of a National Office in Canberra, and the recruitment of a National Executive Director to the National role.
Mr Stewart's credentials include expertise in law, policy development, general management and consumer protection, all of which prove invaluable in managing the many issues dealt with by the State's peak property development industry body.
Key appointments in Mr Stewart's career include terms as Director-General of several State Government Departments, including the Department of the Attorney-General, Queensland Emergency Services, and the Director-General of the Department of Consumer Affairs where he was Director General and Commissioner for Consumer Affairs, and the Department of Justice and Attorney General.
Prior to those appointments, Mr Stewart worked extensively in senior policy development roles with the Queensland Government involving drugs and organised crime, as well as representing Australia at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
A Barrister-at-Law by profession, as well as holding an MBA and teaching qualifications, Mr Stewart was a Parole Officer and a Crown Prosecutor and Assistant Public Defender for some years early in his career.
Private sector managerial experience includes time as Chief Executive Officer of G James Glass and Aluminium and running his own business consultancy practice.
Immediately to joining the UDIA (Qld), Mr Stewart was the Chief Executive of the ENERGEX Brisbane Festival, responsible for the overall running and consistent financial success of this Festival since its inception in 1996, and General Manager of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.
An active participant in his profession and the community, Mr Stewart has held a number of key positions including those of Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Committee, and Chairman of the Appeal Costs Fund Tribunal. Mr Stewart is currently an independent Director of the Real Estate Institute of Queensland.