Parks Victoria Board

Daniel Miller (Chair)

Appointed April 2025

Daniel Miller is a Yuin man, a First Nations group from the south coast of New South Wales. He is currently appointed to the Alpine Resorts Victoria and Gippsland Ports Committee of Management Inc boards and is a member of the Yuma Yirramboi Board. He was until recently, the Chief Executive Officer at the GunaiKurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC) and prior to this role he was General Manager at GLaWAC. Daniel holds a Bachelor of Organisational Leadership, an Advanced Diploma of Land Management and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Lisa Marty (Deputy Chair)

Appointed 2017, Deputy Chair since 2020

Lisa Marty is an experienced director, senior executive and consultant. She is a specialist in land management and industry policy, strategy, governance, stakeholder engagement and advocacy. Lisa is a Trustee Director of First Super, a Director of Skills Insight, and Deputy Chair of Skills Impact, an NFP, industry-owned organisation that collaborates with industry, government and training providers to track industry trends and document skills opportunities and challenges. Lisa has over 10 years board experience, including Co-Chair of First Super, and is a former Chief Executive of the Victorian Association of Forest Industries.

Professor Kate Auty

Appointed April 2025

Kate Auty has extensive experience with environmental and climate issues. She is a Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne, a Director of the Urban Climate Change Research Network’s Oceana Hub. She is also currently the Chair of the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Board and Co-Chair of the Open Government Forum (Civil Society), Open Government Partnership. Kate was the Victorian Commission for Environmental Sustainability from 2009 to 2014 and the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment in the Australian Capital Territory from 2016 to 2020. She is a member of the Victorian Bar.

Graeme Dear

Appointed May 2025

Graeme ‘Gus’ Dear recently served as the Interim Chief Executive Officer of Parks Victoria. Prior to serving as the interim CEO, he was the Chief Executive Officer of the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority from 2002 to 2023, before becoming a self-employed consultant in 2023, providing board governance, strategy and executive coaching and development to government and non-government businesses. Gus is currently the Chairperson of the Victorian Fisheries Authority and Chairperson of the North East Catchment Management Authority. He is a member of the Great Outdoors Taskforce. Gus has a Graduate Diploma in Conservation and Land Management and has completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ Company Directors Course.

Trent Nelson

Appointed April 2025

Trent Nelson is a proud Dja Dja Wurrung/Yorta Yorta man, who is currently the Manager, Heritage and Cultural Values in the Department Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA). He has worked in Land Management for over 11 years, first at Parks Victoria and now at DEECA. He supports the delivery of Traditional Owners’ aspirations back onto Country. Trent is currently an Independent Aboriginal Delegate for the Coliban Water Board.

Chris Newton

Appointed April 2025

Chris Newton is a principal advisor to Seven Advisory an environmental, social and governance (ESG) advisory firm. His current board roles include Deputy Chair on the Board of Westernport Water, and Director on the Nyamba Buru Yawuru (a Native Title Holders Aboriginal Corporation, based in Broome). Chris is also a member of two ESG Advisory Councils for Max Capital and Blackwattle Investment Partners. He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Dr Gillian Sparkes AM

Appointed February 2025

Dr Gillian Sparkes AM has had a distinguished career working with industry, community and government to care for and protect our environment and was Victoria’s Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability for a decade before stepping down in June 2024.

Gillian is an experienced non-executive director and strategic advisor across industry, government and broader for purpose sectors. Her current portfolio also includes Chair Frontier SI (former CRC for Spatial Information), Deputy Chair Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation, board member Australian Grand Prix Corporation and member Monash University Council and NT EPA.

Gillian is a Victorian and National Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Recognised as one of Victoria’s Top 50 Public Sector Women in 2020, Gillian was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia in 2021 “for significant services to environmental sustainability, and to public administration”.