Council Members

Ian Gillespie is a Minister-appointed Council Member. Ian has an extensive background in the public and private sectors, holding senior executive positions covering finance, administration, strategy, and general management.

His previous appointments include senior Finance Director positions at the Department of Education and Communities; General Manager, Finance at the NSW TAFE Commission; Director, Finance and Administration and Director, Strategic Planning at the Ministry of Education and Youth Affairs; and Chief Accountant at the NSW Department of Motor Transport.

Ian has served on the Justice Health and Forensic Health Board and the Bureau of Health Information Board. He has been appointed to various government committees where service enhancement, strategic risk management, probity issues and compliance with government regulatory requirements were paramount.

Ian is currently appointed to the Audit and Risk Committees of the Parliament of NSW; the Department of Communities and Justice; the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission; the Clinical Excellence Commission and the Agency for Clinical Innovation; the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions; the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District; and the Institute of Public Administration Australia NSW.

Ian has also undertaken independent consultancies covering service outcomes, risk management, policy setting, financial management and corporate restructuring.

Ian is a Fellow with CPA Australia; a Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders; and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

David has close to 30 years' experience in the property and management industry. Prior to establishing his own boutique property group in 2007, he was the Chief Executive Officer (Asia Pacific) of the ASX listed Goodman Group. Before being appointed as CEO (Asia Pacific), David was Goodman Group's Chief Operating Officer.

David worked for Goodman for more than a decade and before joining them he was the Fund Manager of ASX listed Paladin Industrial Fund and an Associate Director of CDH Properties (acquired by KPMG).

David has a proven track record at both executive and Board levels in the development and implementation of effective business strategy. He also has extensive and practical experience in change management.

David is the Chairman and an Independent Director of the Kennards Self Storage Group. He is also the Chairman and an Independent Director of the ASX listed 360 Capital Group Limited. David is a Fellow of the Australian Property Institute.

David grew up in regional New South Wales and now lives in Sydney with his wife and three sons. He understands the challenges and rewards for rural based students studying an undergraduate degree at University. He completed his postgraduate studies in Management and Business at the University of New England (UNE) via correspondence. Studying at UNE allowed David to meet both the demands of a senior executive role and the responsibilities of helping to raise a young family.

David holds a Bachelor of Business (Land Economy) from the University of Western Sydney, as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Management and a Masters in Business Administration from UNE.

David is the UNE Council-appointed member on the UNE Foundation Board, and commenced as the Deputy Chancellor of UNE on 1 January 2026.

Megan is a senior executive with extensive experience in the financial services and education sectors in Asia and Australia, in the areas of online education, digital transformation and innovation, marketing and strategic communications.

More recently, Megan was a member of the executive leadership team at TAFE NSW and Head of TAFE Digital based in Armidale. In this role, she oversaw the delivery of online education to 100,000 students and managed the institute’s digital product development functions and innovation pipeline. She successfully established the TAFE NSW Digital Headquarters in Armidale and pioneered the institute’s first Digital Learning Lab, to trial and pilot new education and training technologies.

Megan is passionate about UNE, having worked with our institute in a number of roles including Head of Strategic Projects Unit, Non-Executive Director/Board Member of UNE Life, and as a consultant within the Office of Strategy Management, to develop UNE’s Digital Charter. She has a deep understanding of UNE’s operations, challenges and competitive opportunities.

She has lived and worked in Asia where she worked as a senior executive for multi-nationals including JPMorgan, ABN AMRO, UBS Warburg and Fidelity International, in the areas of corporate public affairs, M&A communications, brand and marketing. This experience provided Megan with strong commercial and business acumen, exposure to international business opportunities, and an understanding of financial investment principles.

She is currently Director of the Regional Digital Connectivity Program in the NSW Government’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development; managing investments in telecommunications infrastructure to improve regional, remote and rural mobile and internet connectivity.

She holds a Bachelor of Business degree and Master Arts (Comms) from the University of Technology, Sydney; Change Management certification from the University of Sydney; and has completed the Digital Disruption: Digital Transformation Strategies programme at the University of Cambridge, Judge Business School. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). Megan divides her time between Sydney and her property in Armidale.

Professor Currie is an accomplished First Nations leader and chief executive with more than 25 years of executive and governance experience across Indigenous health, education, aged care, child protection and community development.

Professor Currie holds dual appointments at the Queensland University of Technology as Professor and Assistant Dean (Indigenous Health). She was previously a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne, where she contributed expertise in Indigenous health and education outcomes. She also serves as Chair of Mater Education, providing strategic oversight of education and training initiatives within one of Queensland’s leading healthcare providers.

Before moving into academia, Professor Currie served as Chief Executive Officer of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service in Brisbane from 2015 to 2021, and as Director of Operations at the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health from 2010 to 2015. She is recognised for her leadership in Indigenous health, health equity and culturally responsive education, with deep expertise in strategy, organisational development, and building high-performing teams and sustainable service delivery models. Her work is grounded in partnerships that strengthen outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through education, research and service. She also brings substantial governance experience through current and recent non-executive board appointments across the health, education, infrastructure and arts sectors.

Professor Currie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Gender Studies from Deakin University.

Professor Currie’s appointment brings to Council deep experience in regional health management and education, while strengthening Council’s First Nations representation. Her expertise in leading complex service delivery organisations in Indigenous communities is particularly relevant as UNE advances its strategic commitment to strengthening connections with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Phil is a senior executive with over 25 years’ experience in the financial and legal services industries having worked at Minter Ellison Lawyers and then Macquarie Group and Marsh. In addition to his professional interests in corporate governance, risk management and employment law he is passionate about the evolution of leadership, ethical decision-making, and workplace mental health & wellbeing.

Phil completed primary and secondary schooling in Armidale before graduating from UNE in 1998 with a BA/LLB (Hons). He has post-graduate qualifications from Cambridge University (LLM) and UNE (Grad DipEd). He lives in the New England region with his family and is partial to cycling, running and football.

Col Murray is a retired business man with a long career in the construction industry. He also owned and operated for sixteen years an eight hundred hectare grazing property at Bendemeer. He also has extensive experience in Local Government, with seventeen years service on Tamworth Regional Council, eleven of which as Mayor.

Col has been a passionate advocate for a University Campus in Tamworth, and has worked closely with the UNE project since it’s inception.

He has a demonstrated passion for regional development, particularly with regard to strategy and policy, and is excited to have the opportunity to be part on the UNE team in this challenging and fast pace era of change.

My name is Onoriode Coast. Onoriode translates from the Isoko and Urhobo languages to “Who knows tomorrow”. It is not a question. Most people call me Coast. I was born in Warri to parents from minority ethnic groups (Isoko and Urhobo) in the Niger Delta. I grew up in a large polygamous family. My dad had five wives. My mum was his second wife. I am the first of six surviving children for my mum and third of twenty-two surviving children for my dad. Life was good as a kid. I attended Federal Government College Warri, Nigeria. Even though my school was less than 4 km from my home I studied as a boarder for the last two years of secondary school and enjoyed it.

Adulting happened and my life changed. I was dirt-poor and studying at University. I worked various jobs including as a wheelbarrow pusher in local open-air markets and bricklayers’ assistant transporting cement blocks and freshly poured concrete – powered by elbow grease – to get through university. I almost quit the 5-year Bachelor of Agriculture degree in my 4^th year. Support from friends and family, and maybe a stubborn determination to succeed, kept me on course and I graduated with First Class Honours in Crop Science from the University of Benin, Nigeria. I was also the best graduating student in the Department of Crop Science and the Faculty of Agriculture in 2007. In 2009, I was awarded the prestigious Felix Scholarship for a PhD at the University of Reading – the only award to applicants from Sub-Saharan Africa. I spent part of my PhD conducting research at the International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Philippines. I graduated in 2012 and moved to Australia in 2013.

Since 2013 I have held a few research and academic positions in Australia and the United Kingdom. I am currently a Senior Lecturer in Crop Science at the University of New England. Prior to UNE I was a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Greenwich (2020-2021), Research Fellow at the Australian National University (2016-2020) and Postdoctoral Fellow at CSIRO (2013-2016). At UNE I lead a research group of PhD students from Nepal, India, Nigeria, Ghana, Bangladesh and Australia on a range of projects in the grains (rice, wheat and barley) and horticulture industries. Our research is focused on delivering gains in crop yield despite challenging growth environments and increasing production efficiencies in Australian cropping systems. I teach undergraduate and postgraduate courses and have been the Higher Degree Research Coordinator for the School of Environmental and Rural Science since January 2023.

Since joining UNE as an academic in 2021, I have been proud of and passionate about our University. #ProudlyUNE. I care deeply about UNE and its future. I want UNE to be best stationed to serve its community and continue to transform lives. Being from a marginalised community in the Niger Delta, I have experienced firsthand how inclusive and accessible regional universities like UNE enrich individuals and communities, making our world a better place. I am keen to use my global and regional experiences to help guide UNE towards a brighter future; and to encourage greater engagement between UNE Council, staff, student and the local community.

My name is Chanel Hopkinson, and I have worked as a professional staff member in the higher education sector for over 20 years, with a particular focus on research and research training. My career in universities has given me not only an appreciation for academic life but also a deep understanding of the connections between research, government, and industry, as well as a strong foundation in legislation and governance. I have worked at UNE since 2016. Prior to joining UNE, I worked at the University of Newcastle, the University of Queensland, and Queensland University of Technology.

Growing up in a farming community, I was the first in my family to attend university. I initially pursued a career as an artist but soon realised that making a living solely from selling artwork would be a challenge. A casual opportunity at Queensland University of Technology arose when a friend was too busy to attend—and from that moment, I was hooked on working in the university sector. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside incredible people, from artists and actors to engineers, scientists, nurses, and mathematicians.

I have always been fascinated by how universities operate, driven by the dedication of researchers and educators who are passionate about their work—whether it’s teaching the next generation or making groundbreaking discoveries. I also know that universities function because of the commitment of professional staff who keep everything running smoothly. As one professor once said in a student induction, “You need to treat the professional staff with respect—they make your student life run smoothly.” That sentiment has stayed with me throughout my career.

Advocacy is also a core part of my life. Having a daughter with a disability, I understand the importance of representation and speaking up when needed. I am committed to accessibility and inclusion and strongly support LGBTQIA+ rights and representation.

I care deeply about UNE, its future, and its role in serving students, staff, and the wider region. Education transforms lives, and I believe it should be accessible to all.

Kristy brings over 24 years of extensive experience in the fields of personal injury and general insurance, having worked with major insurers and prominent insurance firms on both the Plaintiff and Defendant sides. Throughout her career, she has developed a deep understanding of the complexities of the insurance industry, handling a wide range of cases with a strategic and thorough approach. Currently, Kristy serves as a full-time Claims Manager at a well-regarded defendant insurance law firm, where she specialises in workers' compensation and employment law. Her role involves managing complex claims focusing on effective resolution of disputes, or having a matter heard before the court on behalf of employers and insurers.

Before her current position, Kristy gained valuable experience in various claims management and semi-managerial roles within large corporate and government entities. This diverse background has allowed her to build a comprehensive skill set that spans both the private and public sectors, strengthening her ability to navigate a variety of claims scenarios and legal landscapes.

In addition to her professional career, Kristy is committed to furthering her legal education and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Laws degree through the University of New England. She is also deeply involved in student leadership, serving as the ex-officio chair of the Student Council, where she oversees and collaborates with a team of 14 representatives. Through her leadership and academic pursuits, Kristy demonstrates a continued dedication to her professional growth and to contributing meaningfully to the wider legal and university community.