Chairman and Chief Executive of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

Russell Reichelt joined the GBRMPA in 2007 as Chairman and Chief Executive. Dr Reichelt is a board member of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. He began diving on the Great Barrier Reef in 1968 and worked as a research scientist at the Australian Institute of Marine Science in the 1980s studying the ecology of coral reefs, particularly the crown-of -thorns starfish. He has a PhD in marine science and has served as CEO of the Australian Institute of Marine Science, Chairman of the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, and as a member of Australia’s State of the Environment Committee. He has previously chaired the National Oceans Advisory Group, CSIRO's Wealth from Oceans Flagship Advisory Committee and Seafood Services Australia Ltd. He is an Adjunct Professor at James Cook University and the University of Queensland; and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (UK) and the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He was appointed as a member of the Authority on 01 October 2007 for a five-year term which finishes on 30 September 2012.

Mr Smith has been the Director-General of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet since September 2007. He has also been Queensland's Co-ordinator General and Director-General in the Departments of Infrastructure, Education and the Arts, Employment and Training, Families, Youth and Community Care and Housing, Local Government and Planning. As a senior public servant in Queensland for more than 18 years, Mr Smith has taken a lead role in many fundamental reforms in the State particularly in education. Mr Smith is a Fellow of the Australian College of Educators and Adjunct Professor of Education at the University of Queensland, Griffith University and the University of Sydney. He was appointed as a member of the Authority for a three-year period concluding on 30 January 2011. This term has been extended for a further three-years and finishes on 21 March 2014.

Russell Beer is a lawyer and partner of Queensland law firm MacDonnells Law where he leads the firm's commercial team and practises commercial and business law and government advisory. Mr Beer's recent work includes commercial advice on climate change and Australia's proposed emissions trading scheme, and air and sea port issues. Before returning to full time legal practice in 2008, Mr Beer was the firm's Chairman of Partners for a decade. Mr Beer lives in Cairns and is the Chairman of Advance Cairns. He also holds committee roles in sporting and charity organisations. He is a former member of the Ministerial Advisory Council for the Australian Government's Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility. He was appointed as a member of the Authority on 29 August 2008 for a three-year term which finishes on 28 August 2011.

Melissa George is a Wulgurukaba woman whose traditional area includes Magnetic Island and the greater Townsville region. She has been actively involved in protecting and managing land and sea through community natural resource management projects and liaising with and advising the Queensland and Australian Government. Ms George has been a member of the Indigenous Advisory Committee (EPBC Act 1999) since 2002 and has been Chair since 2006. She was appointed as a member of the Authority on 29 August 2008 for a four-year term which finishes on 28 August 2012.

Daniel Gschwind is the CEO for the Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC), which is Queensland’s peak tourism industry body with members across all regions and all tourism sectors.

Mr Gschwind is a board member of the National Tourism Alliance (NTA) and the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC). He represents QTIC on various tourism committees, including the Tourism Forecasting Council, the Queensland Small Business Advisory Council and the state wide Tourism Industry Forum for National Parks.  He has been a member of the GBRMPA’s Tourism and Recreation Reef Advisory Committee since 1999. He is an Adjunct Professor to the School of Tourism at the University of Queensland.  Mr Gschwind is the Honorary Consul of Switzerland for Queensland. He holds an honours degree in economics from the University of Queensland and has worked as a senior economist with Queensland Treasury.  He was appointed as a member of the Authority on 09 April 2009, for a four-year term which finishes on 08 April 2013.