Our Team
Driving Forces for Change
Friends of Parks Queensland is a volunteer-led organisation, overseen by our Management Committee and our Engagement and Fundraising Subcommittee. Our committees together are responsible for overseeing staff, providing oversight on strategic planning, and making decisions on membership and finances in-line with our Vision and Mission.
Meet our team
President
Guy Warren is a contemporary visual artist residing on Kombumerri country in the beautiful Tallebudgera Valley on the Gold Coast. Throughout his life, he has embraced various roles, from award-winning artist to teacher in a Japanese senior high school, and even as a member of a champion team on Family Feud. Guy has a deep passion for cultural and natural heritage, with a particular focus on Australia’s native apex predator, the dingo.
Secretary
Ms Leslie Shirreffs PSM brings extensive experience in environmental, land and wildlife management, policy, planning and legislation.She has a strong background in world heritage, having led world heritage policy in Queensland and day to day management of the Queensland section of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. She also served as Chair of the Wet Tropics Management Authority and as a member of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Consultative Committee. Previously Chair of the Queensland Heritage Council, in 2025, Leslie was appointed to the Australian Heritage Council.
Ms Shirreffs has worked closely with Aboriginal communities across Queensland, particularly through the Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger program and was awarded a Public Service Medal for outstanding public service to environmental conservation and management in Queensland.
She currently serves as Secretary of the Friends of Parks Queensland Management Committee and is a member of our Engagement and Fundraising Committee, alongside appointments to several other community conservation organisations.
Treasurer
Dr Alan Chenoweth is a landscape architect, environmental planner and ethicist with experience in landscape evaluation and impact assessment, design and site planning, land development, parks and horticulture, through >40 years in consultancy, teaching, and public sector roles including park management positions in Queensland. Alan’s expertise includes award-winning approaches to mapping the ‘green base’ for land use planning. He has also held the role of president or chair of four professional institutes and associations, and currently co-chairs the EIANZ Indigenous Engagement Working Group. Although semi-retired, Alan contributes to landscape and visual impact assessment (LVA) methodology, court-related expert witness roles, a local creek habitat restoration group, and the National Parks Association of Queensland.
She currently serves as Secretary of the Friends of Parks Queensland Management Committee and is a member of our Engagement and Fundraising Committee, alongside appointments to several other boards and committees.
General Member
Donna Jackson is the Senior Project Officer at Pioneer Catchment Landcare. Originally from England, her journey into conservation began in 1995. Balancing her work in mental health nursing with sustainable horticulture, she eventually shifted her focus entirely to plants. In 2006, she relocated to Australia, where she dedicated her career to nurturing both plants and people. With 15 years of experience in local government and parks, including her role in managing the Mackay Botanic Gardens, Donna has developed a strong background in conservation, management, and community engagement. She is passionate about environmental stewardship and creating beautiful spaces for wildlife.She currently serves as Secretary of the Friends of Parks Queensland Management Committee and is a member of our Engagement and Fundraising Committee, alongside appointments to several other boards and committees.
General Member
Prof Lennert Veerman is a professor of Public Health at Griffith University, where he leads the Public Health & Economics Modelling group. Trained in the Netherlands, Lennert is passionate about creating healthier communities and environments. His research spans health economics, disease modelling, and the cost-effectiveness of prevention strategies, with a focus on improving wellbeing at both local and global levels. In his spare time, Lennert is an active Friends of Parks volunteer on the Gold Coast.
Subcommittee Member
Emma has conservation biologist who has recently completed Masters of Conservation Biology at The University of Queensland. She coordinates Springbrook Weedbusters and works for BirdLife Australia. Emma has experience as a ranger in Springbrook National Park, and as a tour guide for Southern Cross Tours.
She is the host of the “Nature Inspired Podcast”, sharing scientific concepts, environmental news, and ways to support nature. Emma believes the more we engage and educate in environmental science, the more people understand, value and care for Country.
Subcommittee Member
Mark is a senior ecologist and leads projects in sustainability and renewable energy. Passionate about community conservation, he promotes biodiversity through workshops and initiatives such as Back from the Brink. Excited to join Friends of Parks Queensland, he looks forward to supporting a greener future.
Subcommittee Member
Andrea holds a degree in Communication and has experience in socio-environmental projects focused on climate change adaptation in the Andes and Amazon of Peru. She is skilled in creating strategies that engage diverse audiences and delivers quality results through collaboration and teamwork. Andrea is empathetic, dedicated, and genuine in her professional approach. She currently serves as Secretary of the Friends of Parks Queensland Management Committee and is a member of our Engagement and Fundraising Committee, alongside appointments to several other boards and committees.
Executive Officer
Jess is the Founder of Friends of Parks Queensland, established in 2022 in response to the rapid growth of community-led conservation groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recognising that many volunteers were working tirelessly with limited support, Jess created the organisation to strengthen and connect Friends of Parks groups across the state.
In 2020, she founded Friends of Nerang National Park, giving her first-hand insight into what grassroots environmental groups need to become established, sustainable, and impactful.
Jess is passionate about fostering collaboration to address today’s environmental challenges, with a focus on connecting communities with nature and science. Her contributions to Friends of Nerang National Park and other local environmental initiatives have earned her multiple awards across the Gold Coast.
In 2024–25, Jess was selected as one of Queensland’s inaugural Biosecurity Ambassadors.
Originally trained in healthcare, Jess holds a Bachelor of Health Science from Griffith University (2013), a Master of Evolutionary Systems Biology from the University of Vienna (2019), and a Graduate Certificate of Environment from Macquarie University (2021).
Senior Ecologist
Paul Revie is our part-time Senior Ecologist, providing support to our organisation and its members by planning volunteer works, securing grants, lending threatened species expertise, and more.
Paul has always had a passion for the environment, with a focus on citizen science, threatened species research and conservation management. He is the founder of the Quoll Society of Australia and a project officer at the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland, working primarily with threatened mammals.
After spending years as a nature tour guide on Cape York, Paul emerged from the wilderness to finish university, and has since had roles as a bush regenerator, senior consultant, and even as a penguin keeper at Sea World. Sitting on national recovery teams and serving as a species expert for greater gliders, spotted-tailed quolls, and brush-tailed rock-wallabies, Paul knows the value of engaging the community to achieve positive, long-term outcomes for our wildlife and wild places.
Ecologist
Kat is our casual Ecologist, jumping in to assist our team and our member groups with education, planning, and training. She is a passionate Wildlife Ecologist, Scientist and Environmental Educator. She has spent nearly two decades exploring the natural world and inspiring others to connect with it. With a strong foundation in ecological research, fieldwork, and environmental education, she had the privilege of working in diverse habitats across Australia and the world, from ancient Gondwanan rainforest and ecosystems to unique arid zones and dynamic coastal habitats.
Through her work with various teams, she has developed a deep understanding of ecological systems and processes, as well as a profound appreciation for the interconnectedness of nature. She is committed to sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm with others to foster a love of nature and a commitment to environmental conservation.
Her wildlife ecology research and surveys have taken her to many habitats throughout Australia from the semi-arid and arid interior, coastal rainforests, the Top End and the Kimberley regions. She also assisted and led research projects throughout the world monitoring reptiles and birds in Indonesia, Nepal, and New Caledonia. Her wide experience gives a broad understanding of ecological communities, and she thoroughly enjoys sharing the knowledge she has accumulated on how species work together to maintain thriving ecosystems.
Operations Coordinator
Whitney is our part-time Operation Coordinator, and a backbone of our organisation. She brings a strong background in administration, finance, and an affinity for spreadsheets. Based in regional Queensland, she has a deep appreciation for the natural landscapes and the communities that care for them.
With experience in high-volume administrative roles, Whitney has supported finance teams, streamlined internal processes, and helped organisations run more smoothly behind the scenes. She is passionate about clear systems, practical communication, and helping others do their best work.
Whitney excitedly supports the growing FoPQ network and is committed to helping park friends groups thrive.
Volunteer Coordinator
Brighid is our part-time (1 day/week) Volunteer Coordinator for the Burleigh-Tallebudgera area, deeply passionate about community conservation and connecting to country. She holds a Bachelor in Environmental Science majoring in Ecology and Conservation, and Environmental Management from Griffith University. Throughout her high school and university studies, Brighid volunteered much of her time to Numinbah Valley Environmental Education Centre as a Youth Ambassador, growing up alongside the ‘Holding Tight’ Tree Planting Project. Also volunteering and working in ecological restoration, she has gained experience in plant identification and bush regeneration. She aims to dedicate her life towards conservation and educating communities about the wonders of nature.
Your Opportunity to Join Us
Our financial members are part of our team. Financial members are entitled to one vote at our Annual General Meeting and are eligible to apply for a role on our Management Committee. If you want to be involved in shaping the future of our organisation, receive regular updates, and have the opportunity to make a difference – become a member today.
