About Adela Parnell

Adela Parnell is a Chartered Senior Civil Engineer based in Hobart. Her career spans both the public and private sector, having worked in consulting before joining the local water and sewerage authority.

She is a past Vice President and President of IPWEA Tas, and a past Tasmanian Rep for YIPWEA Australasia. She is also a past Vice Chair and Chair of Young Engineers, both locally and nationally, for Engineers Australia.

She has received industry recognition as Tasmanian Young Engineer of the Year (2013), IPWEA Tas Emerging Leader (2016), and AWA Tasmania Young Water Professional of the Year (2020). She is a fellow of the Peter Cullen Trust (PCT), having graduated from the 2019 Women in Water leadership program (now PCT Leadership Program (Women)).

About Jo O'Brien

Jo is a RPEQ and Chartered Senior Civil Engineer, based in Brisbane, who leads Tonkins QLD Local Government Program. She has acted on the IPWEAQNT board for the past three years and is the current vice president. Jo has a range of experience in working with regional and urban Councils across Queensland, the Northern Territory and South Australia.

Jo has played an active role within IPWEA since commencing as a member and Chair of Young IPWEA in South Australia more than 13 years ago. Since then, she has been involved in the QLD and SA committees and was also the recipient of the IPWEA Emerging Leader Award in 2012.

About Peter Shields

Peter is the Director of Engineering at Inner West Council and previously served as Chief Engineer at the City of Sydney, where he oversaw strategy and asset management for transport, open space, stormwater, and building assets. He brings more than 20 years of experience in local government.

He possesses the following formal qualifications:

• Masters Business Administration
• Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours)
• Over 30 years’ experience in the public works sector

Peter has good board experience having spent 10 years on the IPWEA NSW board and is the immediate past Vice President of IPWEA NSW.

About Vicki Shelton

Vicki has over 35 years’ experience as a professional civil engineer and leader in infrastructure, project management and asset management working in regional local government organisations in Victoria. Vicki is currently the Manager Asset Services at Golden Plains Shire Council. She holds a degree in Civil Engineering, completed an MBA Technology Management and Post Graduate in Municipal Engineering and is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Vicki is an active member of the Institute of Public Works Engineering (IPWEA), currently holding board member roles at Victoria level (2008 – current, serving one year as President in 2012/13) and board member at Australasian level (2019 and 2022). Vicki has also represented women and regional engineers on Engineers Australia boards and committees. Vicki received the 2008 Municipal Engineering Foundation Vic Overseas Study Award and was awarded the IPWEA Victoria Professional Engineer of the Year in 2017 and IPWEA Australasia Public Works Leadership medal in 2017.

Vicki has a commitment to the professional development of public works engineers and is a strong supporter of women in the engineering profession. Vicki was appointed a Trustee of the Foundation effective 1st January 2020.

About Luke McGuirk

Luke McGuirk is a Chartered Professional Engineer and Fellow of both Engineers Australia and IPWEA, with over 20 years of experience across the public and private sectors. Originally from Ireland, he holds a Master of Engineering Practice from the University of Southern Queensland and postgraduate qualifications in Civil Engineering and Construction Management from Heriot-Watt University.

As Manager Engineering at the City of Vincent, Luke leads the Engineering Business Unit responsible for delivering safe and sustainable infrastructure for the community. He has previously held senior roles with the Cities of Fremantle, Armadale, and Subiaco, and brings extensive expertise in infrastructure delivery, transport planning, and asset management.

Currently serving as President of IPWEA Western Australia, Luke is committed to advancing excellence in public works, fostering innovation, and supporting the professional growth of engineers across Australasia.

About Myles Lind

Myles was appointed to the IPWEA Board on 20th October 2017. Myles is a Past-President of IPWEA NZ and a past-Chair of NAMS Canada.

Myles holds the following formal qualifications:

• Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Hons) (Canterbury University)
• Certificate of Management (New Zealand Institute of Management)
• Chartered Fellow of Engineering New Zealand

Myles is a Member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.

About Matthew Needham

Matthew Needham is an experienced finance and transformation leader whose career spans Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. He specialises in driving organisational performance, strengthening financial governance, and helping executive teams make better strategic decisions.

Matthew is the founder of a consulting practice focused on financial capability, culture uplift and accelerating the execution of strategic priorities. He works with organisations, boards, and finance teams to build clarity, capacity, and influence across their financial and operational responsibilities.

Previously, Matthew served as Chief Financial Officer at Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities, Housing New Zealand, and the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs. Before moving to Australasia, he held senior leadership roles at BT, DHL, Experian, and Rolls-Royce in the UK, and was a three-time finalist for New Zealand CFO of the Year. Matthew is a past President of CPA Australia (New Zealand Division) and past Chair of the CPA Council of Presidents. He has extensive experience advising boards, chairing governance groups and contributing to Audit & Risk functions across public, private and not-for-profit organisations.

About Ian Daniels

Ian Daniels is an accomplished civil engineering and infrastructure delivery professional with over 30 years’ experience in Local Government. With a strong background in engineering services, project and contract management, and strategic planning, Ian has led high-performing teams in the delivery of complex infrastructure projects up to $40M. Currently serving as Manager of Infrastructure Project Delivery at the City of Rockingham, he has overseen award-winning projects such as the Rockingham Beach Foreshore revitalisation.

Ian was appointed to the IPWEA Australasian Board on 16 June 2017 and is currently serving his 2-year tenure as President. With a longstanding commitment to IPWEA, Ian has played a key role in its growth and governance through numerous leadership positions over the years. He has served as an Executive Committee Member for IPWEA WA since 2015 and held roles including Deputy President (2015–2017), State Conference Committee Chair (2015–2017), and President of the WA Division (2017–2019).

Academically, Ian holds a Diploma in Civil Engineering and a Master of Business Administration (MBA). He is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, reflecting his professional standing and commitment to leadership in the infrastructure and engineering sectors.

About Aaron MacNish

Aaron MacNish is the Chair of the of Young IPWEA WA and currently serves as Manager Fleet Services at the City of Wanneroo. Since starting his career as a graduate engineer at the City of Swan in 2015, Aaron has gained broad experience across asset management, project management, civil design, and transportation engineering. Aaron is passionate about developing future leaders in public works and advancing innovative, sustainable infrastructure solutions that continue to meet our communities needs.