Wednesday Presenters
Here's who we had last year:
Dr Craig Challen SC OAM
Dr. Craig Challen SC OAM made headlines in 2018 when he assisted in the dive rescue of the Thai soccer team. Awarded a Star of Courage and an Order of Australia Medal for his bravery and problem-solving skills, Craig continues to inspire his audience with his heroic tales of cave diving.
One of the leading technical divers in the country, Craig explored some of the deepest depths within underwater caves as a member of the Wet Mules. Since the beginning of his diving career in the 1990s, Craig has explored the extension of Cocklebiddy Cave on the Nullarbor Plain, the Pearse Resurgence in New Zealand, as well as a range of caves across China, Thailand, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands.
Alongside dive partner Dr Richard Harris OAM, Craig was invited to collaborate on the rescue of 12 Thai boys and their coach from the Tham Luang Cave. With the international media spotlighting the incident, Craig joined a team of experts to solve the life-threatening situation. Working up to 14-16 hours a day, exploring multiple solutions to find the best outcome, Craig’s expertise was crucial in helping the transportation of the diving equipment to help the boys escape.
In recognition for his heroism, both Dr Richard and Dr Craig were awarded Australians of the Year in 2019, the first ever to receive a dual recognition. He was also awarded a Star of Courage and a Order of Australia for his “service to the international community”.
His book ‘Against All Odds’ recounts his experience in Thailand. Co-authored with Dr Richard, the book has become a defining example of Australian courage in the face of adversity. The event has also inspired a whole array of books, movies and documentaries that portray the rescue event that gripped the world.
With an unparalleled sense of positivity and enthusiasm, Craig is one of Australia’s most inspirational heroes. Drawing on his past experiences, he inspires audiences to seize every opportunity that life has to offer, and to think outside the box when facing seemingly impossible problems.
Peter Hall
Project Manager, Wheatbelt Secondary Freight Project
Peter has been building roads and general earthworks for nearly 40 years—operating all earthmoving equipment.
Peter’s career has progressed from labourer to Project Manager in that period. He is self‑taught, learning by asking questions of others. He has progressed by keeping an open mind and understanding that even the day one employee, or absolute newby, can teach him something about his job. Peter has a strong desire to learn something new every day and a love of sharing knowledge.
Mark Tucek
Tucker Bush Project
Mark Tucek is a certified horticulturist and nursery professional. Having started his career at Kalamunda-based Domus Nursery in 1983, before expanding his knowledge in leading retail garden centres and allied businesses over the next 40 years.
Mark founded the Tucker Bush Project, first, to popularise and make available native edibles in our modern lifestyles and cuisine—both through home growing and gourmet cooking. Second, to help young Australians grow up with a stronger connection to nature and their food supply. And third, to influence a cultural shift that contributes to preserving Australia’s food security and biodiversity through growing species that thrive in our soils and climate. Since the project's inception, Mark has built a national network of partners and allies in the nursery industry, food industry, education sector and horticultural media space. He frequently appears on local radio programs, like ABC’s Roots and Shoots with Sabrina Hahn, regularly attends Nursery and Garden Industry events, and is a member of the Horticultural Media Association (WA). In 2018 he published a cookbook to raise funds for the Tucker Bush Schools Program—Cooking with Bush Tucker features contributions from renowned chefs throughout Australia and is available for purchase via the Tucker Bush website.
Les Marchant
Main Roads Western Australia
Mr Les Marchant joined Main Roads Western Australia in 1988 and is currently the Manager of Materials Engineering, overseeing geotechnical, pavement and surfacings engineering standards, specifications and Test Methods.
Les has 35 years experience in road and bridge construction and maintenance, contract delivery, asset management and materials engineering, with a special interest in sustainability. He has been recognised for his industry leadership in driving innovation in pavement design and construction through his leadership of the Western Australia Road Research and Innovation Program. He has a strong personal commitment towards achieving positive change and translating research and development of new technologies such as crumb rubber asphalt into practice, working closely with bitumen, asphalt, concrete, laboratory testing and construction industry groups. Les is also an active member of a number of industry reference groups including the Austroads Pavement Taskforce, the WA Pavements Group and the WA Waste Forum and has been dedicated to the road industry for a large part of his life.
Steve Halligan
Owner Road Surfacing Solutions
Steve is a consultant specialising in the area of bituminous materials and asphalt focusing on increasing the use of recycled materials in asphalt to enhance mix performance and respond to community expectations.
Steve’s company is Road Surfacing Solutions. Steve continues his role as Chairman of the Standards Australia committee responsible for developing and maintaining standards or guidelines relating to asphalt and is a member of the technical committee of the WA branch of the Australian flexible Pavement Association (AfPA).
Steve has extensive experience and knowledge in the design of asphalt mixes along with the production and placement of asphalt. In recent years he has undertaken extensive work incorporating recycled materials into asphalt such as reclaimed asphalt and crumb rubber. This work has been published in WARRIP (warrip.com.au) reports in addition to many workshops and webinars to present outcomes. This knowledge is being transferred into specifications and guidance documents by Main Road Western Australia.
Steve also has expertise in the spraying of bitumen seals and in particular those with crumb rubber modified binders having updated relevant Main Roads specifications on the means of setting up bitumen sprayers when spraying rubber seals. He is also a NATA assessor for the calibration process for bitumen sprayers.
Steve has received an achievement award from Austroads.
Steve was previously employed by Main Roads Western Australia as the Bituminous Products Consultant in the Materials Engineering Branch of the Planning and Technical Services Directorate. He led in the development and implementation of new technologies in the bituminous surfacings and pavements area, maintaining focus on the quality of bituminous materials used for asphalt and sealing works, developing and maintaining working relationships with bituminous suppliers and providing expert technical advice on bituminous products. Steve developed and maintained specifications, guidelines and methods of test and contributed knowledge to national bodies such as Austroads, NATA and Standards Australia.
Gretchen Lumsden R.N. Dip. Educ.
Institute of Weight and Life Management
Gretchen has over 40 years' experience in the health industry.
She is a registered nurse who brings up to date clinical information to you with practical help for attendees. Her sessions are entertaining, lively and packed with powerful information to save lives and ensure a healthy workforce. Gretchen is in demand across Australia achieving remarkable health and lifestyle behaviour changes for executives, managerial staff and operational staff.
Gretchen has a unique and very natural style of presentation, which immediately captures the attention of her audience. Her knowledge of the subject is clearly that of a specialist and together with her skill as a presenter, results in a most professional presentation.
