LGP Board
John Truman
Chair
John has served on the LGP Board since 2005 and was appointed chair in 2018. He is a former National President and NSW President of the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia. John has worked in NSW local government for more than 25 years and is currently the Director Civil Services at Ballina Council. John’s professional qualifications include a Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Masters in Business Administration. In 2021 John was admitted as a lawyer in the Supreme Court of New South Wales and has since commenced legal practice with Keystone Lawyers.
Coretta Bessi
Director
Coretta was appointed to the Board in 2023. She has over 25 years as a procurement professional having previously been the Chief Procurement Officer at Westpac Group, nbn, BlueScope and Ausgrid in addition to consulting for local government and Transport for NSW. Her Board and Committee experience include Directorships of St John Ambulance Australia (NSW) and Australian Medicines Handbook and a Community Representative role for the Clinical Committee of NSW Ambulance. Coretta’s professional qualifications include a Bachelor of Commerce, Master of Business Administration and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Coretta is passionate about procurement as a profession and the ability to drive social and environmental impacts for our communities. Coretta is the Co-Founder and Chair of Bravo – a Women in Procurement & Supply Chain empowerment program with The Faculty and previously lectured at the University of Wollongong and Sydney Business School in Procurement Management and Advanced Negotiations for their Masters Program for over a decade.
Penny Holloway
Director
Penny has served on the LGP Board since 2018. She has 30+ years’ experience at senior executive level in state and local government in Victoria and NSW, including CEO of Lord Howe Island Board, General Manager at North Sydney Council and CEO at Latrobe City Council. She is currently a Board member on the Victorian Planning Authority, Alternate Chair of Local Planning Panels at Woollahra, Burwood and Hornsby Councils, a State Member on the Sydney South Planning Panel, a Member of Northern Sydney Local Health District Audit and Risk Committee and Chair of the Connected Libraries Board in Victoria.
Peter Dennis
Director
Peter has served on the LGP Board since 2018. He is an engineer with over 35 years water industry and local government experience. He is currently General Manager Beca Hunter H2O. His previous roles include CEO at Seqwater, CEO at Armidale Regional Council, General Manager System Strategy at Hunter Water Corporation and Chief Operating Officer at Hunter Water Australia. Peter is currently President of the Australian Water Association. His Board experience includes ICON Water, Australian Water Association, Mackay Regional Council Water Board, Beca Australia and Newcastle Institute of Energy and Resources. Peter is also currently an Adjunct Professor in the School of Engineering at the University of Newcastle.
Robert Lagaida PSM
Director
Robert has served on the LGP Board since 2018. He has 25+ years’ experience in the NSW public health system managing delivery of health services, undertaking procurement and management of assets, goods, and services for NSW public hospitals. He was Director of Clinical Operations and Director of Finance and Commercial Services in a number of NSW Health entities, and also held senior policy positions in the NSW Ministry of Health. Robert is currently a Board Director of Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Bureau of Health Information and LiveBetter Pty Ltd. He is also a NSW Government Trustee for the Responsible Gambling Fund, and a member of the NSW Medical Council. He acts as Independent Chair and Independent Member of Audit and Risk Management Committees for a number of NSW Government agencies and Local Government Councils in metropolitan and regional NSW.
Cr Phyllis Miller OAM
Associate Director
Phyllis has served on the LGP Board since July 2022. She is a tireless advocate of rural issues and was the first woman to be elected President of the NSW Shires Association in its 100-year history. She is currently a director of Local Government NSW, Mayor of Forbes, Board member of Central West Organisation of Councils and Board member of National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council. She has worked as a partner in a successful stock and station agency, in real estate, an auctioneer business, and dry land and irrigation farming enterprises for 30 years. She has succeeded with these, and many other achievements, while raising five children. She is always up for a challenge, gives her time freely to others, and loves having fun with her family and friends.
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