Board & Staff

Ian was appointed to the IPWEA Australasian Board on 16th June 2017.

He holds the position of Manager Engineering Services at City of Rockingham.

Ian is the President of IPWEA (WA).

Ian possesses the following formal qualification:

Diploma Civil Engineering

Grant Baker

Director
Blayney Shire Council

E: Grant Baker

Appointed to the IPWEA Australasian Board on 23rd December 2020.

Grant is the Director Infrastructure Services at Blayney Shire Council, with responsibility for Works, Sewer, Fleet, Asset Management, Parks and Recreation – and has over 20 years experience in local government.

He possesses the following formal qualifications:

Graduate of the Australian Company Directors Course
Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) (Honours) (University of Newcastle)
Bachelor of Surveying (Honours) (University of Newcastle)

Fleur Tytheridge

Director
Thinkproject

E: Fleur Tytheridge

Fleur was appointed to the IPWEA Board on 4th July 2023.

Fleur is a technology enthusiast specialising in sales and marketing, systems and digital innovation, with 20 years’ experience in public and private sectors across multiple industries around the world.

Fleur holds an Executive MBA with First Class Honours from Massey University and is a Member of the Institute of Directors.

Paul Breaden

Board Member, IPWEA Tasmania

T: +61 418 143 368
E: Paul Breaden

Paul was appointed to the IPWEA Australasian Board on 22nd April 2020.

Paul holds the position of Director Infrastructure Services with Central Coast Council, Tasmania.

Paul possesses the following formal qualifications:

Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours)
Diploma of Project Management
Certificate in Civil Engineering
Advanced Diploma in Engineering Design
Diploma Engineering Drafting.

Rod Ellis

Director

M: 0417 813 027
E: Rod Ellis

Rod was appointed to the IPWEA Australian Board on 14th December 2020.

Rod is currently an Executive Director of Tonkin Consulting where he is a practicing Chartered Professional Engineer.

Rod is President of IPWEA SA.

Rod possesses the following formal qualifications:

Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Graduate Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD)

Kimberly Brosztl

Immediate Past President, IPWEA WA
Manager Engineering
City of Melville

E: Kimberly Brosztl

Dino De Paoli

Director
E: Dino De Paoli

Appointed to the IPWEA Australasian Board on 6th October 2021. Dino is a civil engineer with 27 years’ experience in local government and consulting. Having commenced his career in residential land development in Melbourne, Dino worked on projects across a range of industry sectors in Victoria and Tasmania, prior to entering local government 10 years ago. Dino is currently the Director Infrastructure Services at Meander Valley Council in the north of Tasmania.

Sean Rice

IPWEA Director

Sean was appointed to the IPWEA Australian Board on 8th August 2022 following the resignation of one of the Queensland appointed directors.

Sean Rice or Ricey, is the Managing Director of Proterra Group, a Civil Engineering consultancy based in Toowoomba but he calls Goondiwindi QLD home. He is a qualified Civil Engineer with over 25 years of Local Government experience and is passionate about rural and regional Australia. Ricey’s a country boy at heart and has a vested interest in growing the number of regionally based Engineers and Technical staff to support our communities, and improving collaboration between our Councils.

Ricey has held positions on several boards (including President, Vice President and Secretary) and is a current Board Member of IPWEAQ. He has completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) Course and has held full-time and seconded roles with several Councils in the positions of Director of Engineering Services, Works Engineer and CEO. He also provides business coaching and mentoring in his Region and loves giving back to the communities that support his business Proterra Group.

When he’s not working and driving across our amazing country Ricey’s focus is on hiking and travel, adventure bikes, great food and wine, foster care and the Penrith Panthers.

He holds the following Qualifications:

Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Hons), University of NSW
MBA (TechMgt), Deakin University
AICD Directors Course

Rita Excell

Executive Director, Australia & New Zealand
Driverless Vehicle Initiative
ARRB Group Ltd
Audit and Risk Committee

T: +61 8 8235 3302
M: +61 404 049 760
E: Rita Excell

Rita was appointed to the IPWEA Australasian Board on 26th February 2016. She holds the position of Executive Director at Australia and New Zealand Driverless Vehicle Initiative.

Rita possess the following formal qualifications:

Associate Diploma
in Civil Engineering
(South Australian Institute of Technology)
Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering
(University of South Australia)

Peter Shields

Director
Sutherland Shire Council

T: +61 9710 0247
M: +61 414 274 084
E: Peter Shields

Peter is the Manager Asset Services at Sutherland Shire Council, with responsibility for strategy and asset management for transport, open space, stormwater and building assets – and has over 20 years experience in local government.

He possesses the following formal qualifications:

Masters Business Administration
Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours)
and has over 30 years’ experience in the public works sector

Peter has good board experience having spent 7 years on the IPWEA NSW board and is the immediate past Vice President of IPWEA NSW.

Vicki Shelton

Director
Golden Plains Shire

M: 0438 068 862
E: 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.

Ben Clark

Director Works & Engineering Service at Barossa Council

M: 0404 625 145
E: Ben Clark

Ben was appointed to the IPWEA Australasian Board on 3rd December 2021.

Ben was elected IPWEA South Australia President in December of 2021 and has been a board member since 2017. He was IPWEA SA Vice President from 2019-2021.

Ben started in Young IPWEA and has been Vice President and President of YIPWEA Australasia.

Ben holds the following formal qualifications:

MBA from RMIT University
Master of Surveying, Cadastral & Engineering Survey from the University of South Australia
Bachelor of Sustainable Environments, GIS from the University of South Australia

Connect to Ben on LinkedIn.