Speakers

The EMS Association attracted some diverse international and Australian speakers to present at its first national forum.

• Timothy Anderson (USA): Environmental scientist working with global corporations on QA and EMS.
• Harold Thornhill (RSA): Establishing a framework for environmental management in agriculture in South Africa.
• Di Dibley: National Policy Advisor Environment and Energy, Australian Industry Group
• Roger Carthew: Businessman and provider of Ecomapping services in Australia.
• Tony Gleeson: Executive Director, Australian Landcare Management Systems Group
• Dianne Thorley:  The outspoken Mayor of Toowoomba who made recycling headline news in Australia.

Timothy Anderson

Timothy is an environmental scientist and a third generation dairy farmer who has worked with American and global corporations in QA and EMS for most of his career. Timothy graduated with a degree in Environmental and Public Health. He has worked as a quality control/environmental and production manager for Schering Plough Corp, working with the company for eight years. For most of that time he was in charge of environmental services and production of bacterial and viral vaccines and antibiotics for diseases such as distemper, rabies, botulism, enteritis and bronchitis - mostly for large animals, mink and poultry.
 
Timothy then spent 21 years as the environmental, health, and safety manager for Rayovac Corporation (a battery manufacturer), including 10 years in charge of environmental, health, safety and sustainable development issues for global operations. During this time Rayovac set up a long term project to establish EMS components within its US and Latin American operations to bring them in line with its recently acquired European businesses.

In the last three years Timothy has developed a practice area with a consulting firm, Natural Resource Technology, focussing on making fundamental changes in the way the services are delivered and in delivering true management benefit to the various sectors of business.  This stemmed from his belief that traditional consulting in the US was feeding off problems and not solving the root causes as partners with business. He and his partner have developed client friendly services for agriculture (primarily dairy operations), printing, coating, woodwork and energy generation, land development and home construction industries. They have worked to form partnerships with agencies like the Department of Natural Resources, county and municipal agencies, and trade associations representing these business sectors. Their strategy is to find energy and synergies that can be leveraged to drive performance improvement and break down traditional barriers.

Timothy and his wife, Irene, have raised two children and been care takers for about 150 acres of land for the past 34 years. They both feel a responsibility to use resources wisely and re-establish or renew more than they have had the privilege to use. They try to seek new learning and experiences to support their ability to practice and promote conservation and preservation techniques. 

  
Harold Thornhill

Harold is Deputy Manager of the Kwa-Zulu Natal Provincial Department of Agriculture & Environmental Affairs in South Africa. He has been tasked to establish a framework for environmental management in agriculture for this province. Harold has a background in conservation and environmental management, previously having responsiblity for EIA's and the auditing thereof, and is a qualified ISO 14001 auditor.

Harold conducted a study tour to the east coast of Australia in 2006, which explored the linkages between environmental practices and agriculture production/processing. The east coast was of particular interest as the climate and agricultural issues are very similar to that of KZN province and have similar constraints ie. water, soil loss, climate change, consumer consciousness, air quality, and concerns regarding energy efficiency.

Roger Carthew

Roger Carthew is the Managing Director of Carthew Corporation Pty Ltd. Its business activities include; Espace Deco & Print, a trade printing service with an emphasis on the use of digital large format ink jet printing, and The Great Australian Roadsign Company, which creates, manufactures and distributes roadsign products. In the mid-1980’s Roger implemented an ISO 9001 quality management system for the businesses.

For six years between 1990 to 1996 Roger owned and operated a 300 cow dairy farm. This experience provided a first hand
understanding of intensive farming system using conventional agricultural techniques. His experience included animal husbandry, cropping, irrigation, farm management.

From 2000 Roger invested in extensive research toward finding a simple yet effective tool to assist in the management of business environmental performance and in the process discovered ecomapping and ISO Easy. He is currently (2007) engaged in the process of implementing an EMS within Carthew Corporation Pty Ltd using the ecomapping ISO Easy process.

Roger has travelled extensively on business to China, Hong Kong, Canada, USA, India, France, UK, Poland, Russia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, New Zealand, Japan, Belgium, Spain, Ireland, Czechoslovakia, Indonesia, Portugal, Germany and Sweden. He speaks French to a conversational standard.

Tony Gleeson

Tony has worked in rural research, policy and political analysis since 1969. He and his partner Liz have owned and managed a beef property in northern New South Wales since 1981. In 1990 Tony established Synapse, a Brisbane based research and consulting company specialising in policy and strategic analysis. Tony is also a director of an environmental software company, myEMS Pty Ltd, an Adjunct Associate Professor, Faculty of Agriculture and Law, University of New England and a member of the Advisory Board to the Centre for Rural and Regional Innovation, University of Queensland. Through the 1990’s Tony was a part-time Director of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation and a Board Member of the Queensland Abattoir Corporation. Tony’s studies on motivation, creativity and innovation have influenced the design of ALMS.

Dianne Thorley

When Dianne Thorley was elected Mayor of Toowoomba in 2000, she did not bring to the office the machinations and aspirations of a career politician. Instead, she brought a wealth of life experience and, most importantly, passion, good old common sense and practicality with a down-to-earth approach to everything. From the moment she was elected, Dianne tackled her Mayoral duties with an enthusiasm and boundless energy, which has never waned.

Dianne is passionate about seeing Toowoomba and the surrounding region realise its potential as a hub of industry, technology, commerce and the resulting employment opportunities. She has taken Toowoomba to the world to market the business, investment and tourism opportunities our city has to offer. Her passion means she never misses an opportunity to lobby Federal and State Government Ministers for funding for Toowoomba initiatives and projects. And if you don’t think she has passion, just ask one of those ministers who may have seemed less than enthusiastic in their support for a what’s happening in Toowoomba. They have quickly discovered that the Lady Mayor from Toowoomba is certainly not a person to be underestimated or trifled with.

She is equally passionate about everyday issues facing the residents of Toowoomba, particularly the city’s youth. Dianne is a strong defender of the environment and dedicated to reducing salinity and improving water quality in the Condamine River catchment and Murray-Darling River system.

Although blessed with a wicked sense of humour and ability to laugh at herself, Dianne also has the ability to quickly identify an opportunity or assess a situation and then take quick, decisive action has earned her a reputation as a person who does not wait for things to happen but a person who makes things happen.

In a changing world with it’s new and many challenges, Dianne Thorley is a dynamic Mayor who meets those challenges head on. She is a person who seizes opportunities, is not fazed by a challenge for which she always has a solution. Once overcoming one challenge she does not rest on her laurels, but     enthusiastically looks for the next challenge – while still remaining down to earth and a people’s Mayor.

Forum Sponsors

RIRDC
International Speakers

NSW DPI
Gala Dinner

Australian Landcare Management Systems

GHD

EcoIntegrity
Eco-mapping worksop

The Regional Institute Ltd

Toowoomba City Council