Regional Development Advisory Council

Megan Callinan is the chief executive officer of Marathon Health, a regionally based not-for-profit delivering health and community services across NSW. The organisation employs more than 300 staff and has $35 million in annual revenue. Ms Callinan holds an MBA from Charles Sturt University and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Ms Callinan currently serves as Pro Chancellor of Charles Sturt University, is a member of the TAFE Commission Advisory Board, and board member and previous chair of the Governance Committee at Regional Development Australia Orana. She also completed the Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders at Stanford University in 2023.

David Harding is a business and not-for-profit leader with extensive experience in policy, investment and major project delivery, across all levels of government. Mr Harding is committed to strong economic and social outcomes for all NSW communities. He holds leadership roles in a range of business, charity and government entities, including as Chair of Engineering Aid Australia.

Phil Usher is a proud Wiradjuri man and experienced non-executive director with a career built on Indigenous economic development, national organisational leadership and public governance. 

He currently serves as CEO of Native Foodways and previously led First Nations Foundation, growing revenue and reconnecting Indigenous Australians with $25.2 million in lost superannuation. Mr Usher is co-chair of the NSW Aboriginal Business Taskforce and holds the AICD Company Director qualification. He brings to the Advisory Council a deep commitment to ensuring regional investment delivers enduring outcomes for all communities.

Professor Roberta Ryan was the Inaugural Professor of Local and Regional Governance at the University of Newcastle and was Founding Executive Director of the Institute for Regional Futures. She was previously Inaugural Director of the UTS Centre for Local Government and the Centre of Excellence for Local Governance. She holds a Graduate Diploma in Public Policy, has completed Australian Institute of Company Directors board member training and is a nationally accredited mediator qualified by the NSW College of Law. Professor Ryan currently serves as Independent Community Commissioner for the Western Sydney Aerotropolis (ministerial appointment), Member of the Hunter and Central Coast Regional Planning Panel, and a non-executive director of the Metropolitan Memorial Parks Board.

Robbie Sefton AM is the Founder of Seftons, a national strategic communications and advisory firm she has operated since 1990. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2023 for significant service to agribusiness and the community. Robbie is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Rural Leadership Program. She serves as a Board Member of Watertrust Australia, headspace (including Audit and Finance Committee), and the CRC for High Performance Soils. She chaired the Independent Panel for the Socio-Economic Assessment of the Murray-Darling Basin and served on the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Board. She is also a farmer and landholder, having operated large-scale mixed farming enterprises in northern NSW and the Riverina with her husband for more than 30 years.

Rowena Abbey OAM is a highly experienced regional leader with direct, current experience in the Advisory Council's core mandate. As chair of Regional Development Australia – Southern NSW and ACT since 2021, she works closely with Commonwealth, State and Local Government to identify strategic priorities for economic growth, employment and infrastructure across the region.

She served as Mayor of Yass Valley Council for 9 years and has hands-on experience delivering major infrastructure including dam upgrades, water pipelines, bridges and wastewater works. She simultaneously chaired the Canberra Region Joint Organisation, coordinating 10 councils on regional water, roads and freight strategies.

Ms Abbey brings strong finance and governance experience from a corporate treasury career and a decade on Essential Energy's board as Audit and Risk Committee Chair. Her service on the Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee adds climate adaptation and circular economy expertise relevant to emerging regional industries. Based in Yass, Rowena lives the regional experience she would advise on.