LGP Board
Chair
John Truman
Chair
John was appointed to the Board as Chair in 2018 with this appointment renewed in 2021 and 2024.
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 Master’s 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.
Executive Directors
Coretta Bessi
Director
Coretta was appointed to the Board in 2023. She has over 30 years experience as a procurement professional having previously been Chief Procurement Officer at Westpac Group, nbn, BlueScope and Ausgrid in addition to consulting for local, state and federal government.
She is currently a Board Director of St John Ambulance Australia (NSW), Chair of the ACT Government Procurement Board, and an Independent Procurement Oversight Committee Member for the Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority. Coretta’s professional qualifications include a Bachelor of Commerce, Master of Business Administration and 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 its 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 Chair of Local Planning Panels at Woollahra and Hornsby Councils, a State Member on the Sydney South Planning Panel, a Member of Northern Sydney Local Health District Audit and Risk Committee, Chair of the Connected Libraries Board in Victoria and Chair of Moira Shire’s CEO Employment and Remuneration Committee in Victoria.
Penny’s professional qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts (Hons), Bachelor of Social Work, Master of Urban Planning, Graduate Diploma in Public Policy and Australian Institute of Company Directors Diploma.
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 and General Manager System Strategy at Hunter Water Corporation.
Peter is currently President of the Australian Water Association and Deputy Chair of Icon Water. His Board experience includes ICON Water, Australian Water Association, Mackay Regional Council Water Board, Beca Australia and Newcastle Institute of Energy and Resources.
Peter has extensive experience in local government and utility procurement including procurement strategies for major water infrastructure projects.
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 Bureau of Health Information and LiveBetter Pty Ltd. He is also a NSW Government Trustee for the Responsible Gambling Fund.
He acts as Independent Chair and Independent Member of Audit and Risk Management Committees for a number of NSW Government agencies, Local Government Councils in metropolitan and regional NSW, and Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.
David Reynolds
Associate Director
David was appointed to the Board in 2023. He has worked in local government since 2006, after starting his career in the private sector as a lawyer specialising in employment and industrial law. David is a qualified company director and currently the Chief Executive at LGNSW.
Before joining LGNSW, David was the Group Manager of Shire Strategy at The Hills Shire Council – a fast-growing council in north-western Sydney. In this role he led the council’s strategic programs across land use planning, property, infrastructure and transport planning, recreation planning, asset management and special projects of a capital nature.
David also served Camden Council as its Customer and Corporate Director and he spent 8½ years at Blacktown Council, where he was responsible for workforce and corporate development at what was then the largest council in NSW.
David has broad and deep experience across the many functions of the local government sector.
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, and only, woman to be elected President of the NSW Shires Association in its 100-year history.
She is currently the President of Local Government NSW, Mayor of Forbes, Board member of Central West Organisation of Councils, Chair of National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council, and Board member of the Australian Local Government Association.
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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