50 Influential Leaders in Toowoomba, QLD (2026)

Last updated: June 2026

The 50 people compiled here were selected on the basis of a documented, fact-checked contribution to life in Toowoomba and the Darling Downs, from published work, recognised credentials, senior leadership roles, and sustained community contribution. As of June 2026, these are the leaders genuinely shaping one of regional Queensland's most consequential cities.

Toowoomba is the capital of the Darling Downs and home to a population of approximately 182,000 people and an economy built on more than 16,000 businesses. The region's top five industries by business count are agriculture, forestry and fisheries; construction; rental and real estate; professional and scientific services; and transport and warehousing. That diversity shows in the people on this list. Rather than recycling the same handful of names from interstate, this directory surfaces the leaders building something real in this region right now.

A note on how this list was compiled: every person here was selected based on a fact-checked contribution to the Toowoomba region, either through active community engagement and public writing or through documented organisational influence. The list spans civic government, health, education, construction, agriculture, social enterprise, professional services, finance, and media.

If you lead a team, an organisation, or a community and want to explore what leadership development looks like in practice, Book Jonno White to facilitate an executive offsite, Working Genius workshop, or keynote for your Toowoomba or Darling Downs team. Email jonno@consultclarity.org.

Why Toowoomba Leadership Matters in 2026

Toowoomba sits at a genuinely pivotal moment in its history. The city will be an Olympic Region for the 2032 Brisbane Games, with infrastructure investment already underway, and it is navigating the tension between its deep agricultural roots and a rapidly diversifying economic base that now includes energy, logistics, higher education, and advanced manufacturing.

The leaders on this list are steering organisations through that transition. They are running hospitals, building infrastructure, educating thousands of students, processing millions of kilograms of agricultural product, and running social enterprises that catch the people the formal economy leaves behind. They are also advocating loudly for a region that has historically been underestimated from the capital.

For anyone interested in the broader landscape of engineering leadership across Queensland, the voices shaping the state's infrastructure future can be found in our post on engineering leadership in Queensland. Those interested in the local government dimension of regional leadership will find it explored in depth through our look at 

local government leadership in Australia and New Zealand.

The scale of the region's opportunity is significant. The Darling Downs produces food for domestic and export markets, hosts Australia's newest public airport, attracts investment in hydrogen and renewable energy, and is home to UniSQ, one of Australia's leading regional universities. Leading this region is genuinely complex work.

How This List Was Compiled

Each leader on this list was selected for a documented, fact-checked contribution to the Toowoomba region, from published work and recognised credentials to senior organisational roles and sustained community recognition. Recency was weighted strongly: every listed role was confirmed as current within the past 12 months. The list is deliberately broad in sector coverage, because influential leadership in Toowoomba does not concentrate in any single field.

Category 1: Leading Civic Voices

The people shaping Toowoomba's direction through government, economic development, and civic advocacy.

1. Geoff McDonald

Geoff McDonald has served as Mayor of the Toowoomba Region since July 2023, when he was elevated from his role as Deputy Mayor, which he had held since April 2020. A fifth-generation business owner whose family business Cracker Print and Paper dates to 1901, McDonald brings both a commercial perspective and a deep personal connection to the region. He has been a Toowoomba Regional Councillor since 2012.

His mayoral tenure has been defined by a zone-based community engagement model he introduced in 2025, which sees councillors rotate through geographic zones to strengthen direct relationships with residents and local organisations. He has also been a consistent advocate for the Toowoomba region's Olympic future, describing 2032 as a once-in-a-generation infrastructure and identity opportunity.

2. Sal Petroccitto OAM

Sal Petroccitto OAM was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Toowoomba Regional Council in May 2025, following a national and international executive recruitment process. Mayor Geoff McDonald described him as the accomplished leader with "a business mind and a community heart" the council had been searching for. He grew up on the Southern Downs and brings direct regional roots to one of Queensland's largest local government organisations.

Petroccitto's appointment followed more than a decade as CEO of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, where he oversaw a significant transformation of the organisation. He was awarded the Order of Australia in 2023 for his contributions to the road transport industry and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. His first years as council CEO will be shaped by a significant financial performance challenge and the preparations for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games. Organisations in the region can engage Jonno White for leadership development and team facilitation. Email jonno@consultclarity.org.

3. David Janetzki

David Janetzki has served as the Member for Toowoomba South since 2016, and since November 2024 he has been the 52nd Treasurer of Queensland in the Crisafulli LNP Government. Born and raised in Toowoomba and educated at the University of Queensland, Janetzki brings a dual career in law and banking to the role. Before his elevation to Treasurer, he served as Shadow Treasurer, as Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 2020 to 2022, and as Shadow Attorney-General from 2017 to 2020.

His policy positions on economic development, energy pricing, and regional infrastructure carry direct implications for the Toowoomba and Darling Downs economy, including decisions on Inland Rail investment, hydrogen projects, and the region's agricultural supply chains. His presence in the state's most senior economic portfolio gives Toowoomba direct representation at the highest level of Queensland government.

4. Cr Edwina Farquhar GAICD

Councillor Edwina Farquhar is one of the most publicly active members of the Toowoomba Regional Council, with a strong LinkedIn presence that documents her engagement across rural infrastructure, agricultural leadership, and regional economic development. She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and brings an agribusiness-informed perspective to her council role.

In 2025 and 2026, she has been visible at forums including the Bush Summit hosted by News Corp and Sky News in Toowoomba, and has championed investments in local water infrastructure, athletic facilities, and road safety projects across the Darling Downs. Her posts on LinkedIn connect local government issues to the realities of agribusiness and regional enterprise in a way that gives her a distinctive voice among Queensland local government members.

5. Rebecca Vonhoff

Rebecca Vonhoff serves as Deputy Mayor of the Toowoomba Region, a role she has held since July 2023. She has been closely involved in the council's zone-based community engagement model and has represented the region at formal civic events alongside Mayor Geoff McDonald, including the announcement of winners at the 2025 Toowoomba Chronicle Garden Competition. Her civic role as Deputy Mayor makes her one of the most senior public officials in the region.

6. Dr John McVeigh

Dr John McVeigh is the Executive Director of Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE), overseeing operations from 28 October 2024, and the Chancellor of the University of Southern Queensland. He stepped into the TSBE Executive Director role after a period of leadership transition at the organisation, and TSBE Chair April Cavanagh described him as an experienced campaigner and highly respected leader in the community.

McVeigh's background spans Queensland state and federal politics, having served as a member of the federal parliament and in state government. His dual role at TSBE and UniSQ means he bridges the region's two most significant economic development and educational institutions, a combination that gives him unusual reach across the Toowoomba leadership community.

7. April Cavanagh

April Cavanagh became the first female Chair of TSBE in October 2024, following a year in which she served as Acting CEO following the departure of the previous CEO. She brings more than 20 years of experience spanning financial services, agribusiness, and manufacturing, having worked in Brisbane, Sydney, and London before returning to regional Queensland. Her role at Suncorp as national head of agribusiness gave her deep networks across the sector.

She is also the Chair of Manufacturing Skills Queensland, the body overseeing the state's manufacturing training and investment priorities. Her combined roles place her at the intersection of the region's two most economically significant sectors and give her a platform that extends well beyond Toowoomba into Queensland-wide policy discussions on regional industry and workforce.

Category 2: Health, Welfare and Social Impact

The leaders building the health systems, community safety nets, and social enterprises that hold the Toowoomba region together.

8. Annette Scott PSM

Annette Scott has been the Chief Executive of Darling Downs Health since her appointment to the role, and her tenure has been shaped by some of the most demanding leadership challenges the Queensland health system has faced. As COVID-19 Health Incident Commander for Darling Downs Health, she led the region's entire pandemic response and the rollout of the COVID vaccination program across the area, work recognised with a Public Service Medal in June 2021. She also received a Queen's Birthday Honours award that year for her leadership of the regional COVID response.

Her professional background is in allied health, particularly physiotherapy and health practitioner workforce development, and she has been recognised for implementing innovative telehealth-enabled clinical services including the Premier's Award-winning Telehealth Pre-admission Clinic at Toowoomba Hospital. Darling Downs Health operates 29 facilities across a 90,000-square-kilometre service area, and the Chief Executive role carries responsibility for one of the most geographically dispersed health services in Queensland.

9. Rachel Phillips

Rachel Phillips was appointed Executive Director of Toowoomba Hospital in 2023, bringing more than two decades of Queensland Health experience as a clinician, professional leader, and executive across acute care, primary care, and mental health services. A Clinical Psychologist by training, Rachel also serves as Chair of the Psychology Board of Australia, which makes her both an operational health leader and a national governance voice for the profession.

Her leadership philosophy is grounded in safe, effective, and innovative models of care that improve outcomes for patients and communities. Toowoomba Hospital is the region's largest hospital and main referral facility, providing emergency, maternity, surgical, mental health, and specialist outpatient services across the Darling Downs region.

10. Jude Wills

Jude Wills is the Chief Executive Officer of the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation, the charity that raises funds to support the life-saving and life-changing work of Darling Downs Health across 29 hospitals and health facilities from Toowoomba to Taroom. In this role, she oversees a fundraising and community engagement organisation that directs 100 per cent of donations to patient care.

She is an active public presence in Toowoomba, serving as MC at the 2025 Toowoomba Chronicle Garden Competition as part of the Carnival of Flowers celebrations, and representing the Foundation in media and community events across the region. Her leadership of the Foundation connects the private philanthropy community with the public health system in a way that shapes the region's capacity to fund medical equipment, research, and patient care programs beyond what state funding covers.

11. Todd Williams

Todd Williams is a proud Koa Wakka Wakka man appointed Director of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Services at Darling Downs Health in 2025, bringing extensive experience in health equity, strategic leadership, and culturally responsive service delivery. Before joining Darling Downs Health, Todd was Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Kambu Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Health and Director of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health at the Darling Downs West Moreton Primary Health Network.

The Director role at Darling Downs Health is also the Chairperson and founding member of Bi-Yanga, the Toowoomba Local Decision-Making Body, with board experience in the Dalby Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The work advocates for person-centred care and ensuring that First Nations communities receive the right care in the right place at the right time.

12. Ryan Salzke

Ryan Salzke is the Chief Executive Officer of Vanguard Laundry Services, a Toowoomba-based social enterprise that runs a commercial laundry business processing approximately 50 tonnes of linen per week for hospitals, aged care facilities, and hospitality clients while providing approximately 80 new transitional employment opportunities per year for people facing significant barriers to work.

Born and raised in Toowoomba, Salzke returned to lead Vanguard from a previous role as Chief Operating Officer at Orange Sky Australia. Ryan holds a Bachelor of Commerce and an MBA from UniSQ. The work at Vanguard is recognised nationally as a model for how social enterprise can create dignified employment pathways. For those interested in the broader social enterprise and impact leadership landscape, social enterprise leadership voices across Australia and New Zealand explores similar leaders working at this intersection.

13. Tiffany Spary

Tiffany Spary is the co-founder of BASE Services Inc., Toowoomba's not-for-profit community development organisation serving individuals and families in need across Toowoomba and surrounding communities. Together with Nat Spary, she has built an organisation from a grassroots volunteer operation into a multi-program service covering the Basement Soup Kitchen, the 2nd Shot employment and hospitality training program, Operation Shopping Trolley, Backpack Beds for the Homeless, and Christmas Hampers.

Tiffany was recognised as the 2024 Businesswoman of the Year at the Toowoomba Chamber Business Excellence Awards, acknowledging the sustained social impact of more than two decades of work. Tiffany holds professional qualifications in social work and brings both technical expertise and personal commitment to her leadership of BASE Services.

14. Nat Spary

Nat Spary co-founded BASE Services alongside Tiffany Spary, and his ongoing contribution to the organisation has been central to its sustained community impact over more than 20 years. He is best known publicly for participating in BASE Services' annual fundraiser Homeless for a Week, during which Nat lives rough in Toowoomba to raise awareness and funds for homelessness prevention. The organisation has estimated that on any given night, approximately 800 people experience some form of homelessness in the Toowoomba region.

His willingness to use personal storytelling as an advocacy tool has made BASE Services one of the most recognised not-for-profit organisations in the Toowoomba community and has attracted government partnership, community donations, and extensive media attention to the region's homelessness challenge.

Category 3: Education and Learning

The leaders shaping how Toowoomba educates the next generation, from early schooling to postgraduate research.

15. Professor Paul Mazerolle

Professor Paul Mazerolle commenced as the sixth Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Southern Queensland in March 2026, bringing more than three decades of senior academic and executive leadership experience across Australia and Canada. Professor Mazerolle joins UniSQ from the role of President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of New Brunswick, where an extensive period of organisational renewal included significant growth in research activity, student enrolments, and community engagement.

Professor Mazerolle is an internationally recognised criminologist whose research focuses on violence prevention, life-course criminology, and justice reform, and the founding co-editor of the Journal of Developmental and Life Course Criminology. Prior Australian roles include senior leadership positions at Griffith University and The University of Queensland. The appointment gives UniSQ fresh international academic leadership at a time when the university is developing its 2026 to 2030 strategic plan.

16. Madonna Sleba

Madonna Sleba is the Acting Executive Director: Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Toowoomba, a role in which system-wide leadership spans 32 Catholic schools and colleges serving 9,000 students with more than 1,700 staff. The previous Executive Director completed seven years of service before this acting appointment.

An active educational leader with a consistent LinkedIn presence, the focus is on evidence-based teaching, learning improvement, and instructional coaching. Posts on oracy frameworks, school improvement systems, and curriculum leadership reflect a commitment to both practical professional development and the scholarship behind it.

17. Jenni Butler

Jenni Butler is the Chief Academic Officer of TAFE Queensland, a role that places her at the head of the state's vocational education system's academic direction. She sits on the TAFE Queensland Academic Board as its chair and has spent more than 28 years in the Vocational Education and Training sector across roles as an educator, senior manager, Executive Director, General Manager South West region, and Chief Academic Officer.

She joined the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce Board as a member, bringing her VET perspective to the region's business advocacy body. Growing up in regional and remote Queensland, Jenni consistently champions the role of vocational education in those communities. She holds a Bachelor of Vocational Education and Training and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

18. Casey Robinson

Casey Robinson is a school principal in the Toowoomba Catholic Schools network who has built a public profile as an advocate for evidence-based teaching and instructional coaching. Casey was the recipient of the ACELQ Emerging Educational Leadership award in 2022, recognising a contribution to educational leadership in Queensland.

The LinkedIn presence, active since at least 2025, demonstrates a commitment to the scholarship of teaching: an educational podcast series explores how teachers can use evidence to improve their practice, and writing on curriculum leadership, science of learning, and teacher development reflects sustained engagement with the field beyond the immediate school context.

19. Professor Linda Deravin

Professor Linda Deravin is the Pro Vice-Chancellor (First Nations) at the University of Southern Queensland, one of the most senior First Nations leadership roles in Australian higher education. As part of the executive leadership team at UniSQ, strategic direction on the university's engagement with and obligations to First Nations students, communities, and knowledge systems sits at the core of this role.

The appointment reflects UniSQ's commitment to strengthening its presence in the First Nations communities across southern Queensland, with the university acknowledging the First Nations of southern Queensland and their ongoing connection to Country, lands, and waterways as a foundational element of its institutional identity.

20. Patrick Donnelly

Patrick Donnelly is a senior educational leader within the Toowoomba Catholic Schools network, with an active LinkedIn presence focused on the intersection of Catholic identity, leadership development, and school improvement. Patrick was part of the principal induction events for newly appointed and transitioning principals in early 2026, and the public writing reflects sustained engagement with educational leadership practice and the formation of school leaders within the Catholic tradition.

The public commentary addresses leadership reflection, the challenges principals face with critical incidents, and the importance of distributing leadership across school communities, bringing a perspective shaped by both the specific culture of Catholic education and the broader scholarship of educational leadership.

21. Sarah-Jane MacDonald

Sarah-Jane MacDonald is the 2026 Deputy President of the Queensland Law Society, a family lawyer based on the Darling Downs whose election to QLS leadership positions reflects a commitment to ensuring regional Queensland practitioners have a genuine voice in professional governance. She has served as President of the Downs and South West Queensland Law Association for three years and sits on the QLS Domestic and Family Violence Policy Committee and the Practice Management Committee.

Her advocacy focuses specifically on access to justice for vulnerable regional Queenslanders, and she has served as a special witness before the Legal Affairs and Justice Committee in relation to amendments arising from the Hear Her Voice Reports. The QLS has 13,000 solicitor members, and her role as Deputy President gives Darling Downs legal practitioners a direct line to the peak body's leadership.

Category 4: Building, Infrastructure and Enterprise

The founders, builders, and operators who have physically shaped the Toowoomba region and the infrastructure its economy depends on.

22. Gary Gardner

Gary Gardner is the Executive Chairman of FKG Group, one of Queensland's most significant Tier 2 construction and civil engineering companies, which he has led for more than 45 years since beginning his career as a carpenter. FKG Group was established in 1977 by the Gardner family and now employs more than 1,000 team members across Queensland, New South Wales, and the Northern Territory, delivering construction, civil, development, and support services across government, resources, infrastructure, and property sectors.

Under his leadership, the company has maintained its Toowoomba base while expanding its project footprint nationally and internationally. On LinkedIn, Gary Gardner writes regularly about Toowoomba's development trajectory, including CBD parking, local infrastructure decisions, and the region's energy policy. His long tenure gives an institutional memory of the city's growth that few business leaders in the region can match.

23. Nick Gardner

Nick Gardner is the Managing Director of FKG Group, the Toowoomba-based construction and civil engineering company, working alongside Executive Chairman Gary Gardner to maintain the family values at the centre of an organisation that has grown to more than 1,000 employees. The appointment as Managing Director represents the continuation of family leadership at an organisation built over nearly 50 years of operations.

FKG Group's project portfolio spans property, resources, infrastructure, and government sectors, with offices throughout Queensland, New South Wales, and the Northern Territory. As the operational head of the business, Nick Gardner oversees the execution of a diverse project pipeline that includes major civil, construction, and development projects across regional and metropolitan Australia.

24. John Wagner

John Wagner is the Chairman of Wagner Corporation, the family-owned infrastructure and property development company that owns and operates Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport, the Wellcamp Business Park, and the Pinkenba Wharf on the Brisbane River. John co-founded Wagners in Toowoomba alongside his father Henry and brothers Denis, Neill, and Joe in 1989, and the company's growth from one concrete plant to a publicly listed multinational with an 1,100-strong workforce is one of the most significant entrepreneurial stories in regional Queensland.

Wagner Corporation built Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport, Australia's first privately funded greenfield public airport, which opened in 2014. The airport has since attracted international cargo services, the Qantas Group Pilot Academy, and a growing trade and export hub. As a prostate cancer survivor, John Wagner co-founded the It's A Bloke Thing Foundation, which has raised more than $13 million for prostate cancer research and education since 2010. Wagners was inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame in 2018.

25. Denis Wagner

Denis Wagner is a co-founder of Wagners and Non-Executive Chairman of Wagners Holding Company Ltd, the publicly listed construction materials and mining services company that grew from one concrete plant in Toowoomba in 1989 into a multinational operation. Denis holds Fellowships of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Institute of Quarrying Australia.

Wagner Corporation, the separately held family infrastructure and property vehicle, developed the Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport and Wellcamp Business Park. Denis's contribution to the Toowoomba region's infrastructure landscape extends across four decades of building, manufacturing, and developing the physical assets the regional economy depends on, from concrete to composite fibre technology to aviation.

26. Neill Wagner

Neill Wagner is a director of Wagner Corporation and leads the development of the Qantas Group Pilot Academy at Wellcamp Business Park and Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport, one of the most significant aviation infrastructure investments in regional Australia in recent years. The Qantas Pilot Academy represents a $35 million infrastructure investment that will create more than 100 direct and 300 indirect jobs, connecting Toowoomba directly to the national aviation talent pipeline.

A qualified pilot, Neill brings a personal connection to aviation leadership that shapes the approach to the academy project. The role also involves championing mental health awareness initiatives within the Wagner organisation and its broader community.

27. Blair Batts

Blair Batts is the General Manager of InterlinkSQ, the intermodal freight and logistics precinct west of Toowoomba, a role held since 2014. More than 23 years of experience in project management, strategic planning, and development oversight across civil, transport, and logistics sectors informed the career path, beginning at Bornhorst and Ward consulting engineers before joining InterlinkSQ. Blair sits on the TSBE Board as a Director, appointed in October 2024.

The work at InterlinkSQ involves coordinating with government agencies including Queensland Rail, the Department of Transport and Main Roads, and the Australian Rail Track Corporation on major infrastructure projects including the Inland Rail. The precinct's development is central to Toowoomba's positioning as a logistics hub connecting the port of Brisbane with the agricultural and resource regions of Queensland.

28. Catherine Ardi Brennan

Catherine Ardi Brennan is the General Manager and Beneficial Shareholder of Excavation Equipment Group, an equipment and operations business active across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia, and Manager of Helicopters Australia. She joined the TSBE Board in October 2025 and also serves as the Founder of The Know Skin, a skincare brand, and the Owner and Investor of the Brenardi Group, a diversified commercial and industrial investment portfolio.

Her career began at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, where she worked as a Business Banker supporting small and medium enterprises across Toowoomba and Brisbane, earning two CEO Awards for Excellence including recognition for her leadership response during the Queensland floods. Her companies have been recognised with the AFR Fast 100 and Toowoomba Chamber Business of the Year, and she has been named Downs Business Woman of the Year and Future Leader of the Year in her own right.

Category 5: Agriculture and Agribusiness

Toowoomba sits at the heart of the Darling Downs, one of Australia's most productive agricultural regions. These are the leaders building and connecting its food and farming industries.

29. Stephen O'Brien

Stephen O'Brien has been the Chief Executive Officer of Mort and Co since January 2020, becoming only the second CEO in the 27-year history of the business founded by Charlie Mort. Mort and Co is a vertically integrated agricultural business servicing Australia's largest privately owned feedlot at Grassdale, west of Toowoomba, with a fleet of prime movers, a cotton seed processing facility, and a portfolio of award-winning Angus and Wagyu beef brands exported internationally.

Under Stephen's leadership, the company grew to employ more than 300 staff and generate annual revenue exceeding $400 million. In April 2026, Mort and Co announced it would go to market for sale, with Stephen O'Brien describing it as a highly respected agricultural business with a reputation for quality and trusted values. His career began as an apprentice with Defiance Milling in Toowoomba and has spanned the food and beverage industry across domestic and international markets. Stephen also sits on the TSBE Board as a Director.

30. Tim Ford

Tim Ford founded Feed Central in Toowoomba in 2002, with a vision to move hay and fodder marketing from a limited regional activity to a national platform connecting buyers and sellers across Australia. The company has since become Australia's largest online feed platform and the developer of the only nationally recognised system for hay quality assessment, working with more than 10,000 active buyers and a team of inspectors operating across the country.

Tim holds a Bachelor of Business (Agribusiness) from the University of Queensland (Gatton) and brings family farming experience from southern New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland to a business that serves as the digital infrastructure for Australia's fodder industry. The LinkedIn activity reflects sustained engagement with agricultural market conditions, grain and hay pricing, and agribusiness leadership issues.

31. Wayne Bradshaw

Wayne Bradshaw founded Jefo Australia in Toowoomba in 2005, an import and distribution business for feed additives serving the agriculture industry across Australia and New Zealand. More than 44 years of experience in the Australian livestock industry span livestock auctioneering, vaccine sales management, and animal nutrition. Wayne joined the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce Board as a member, advocating specifically for the agricultural sector.

Having moved to Toowoomba 25 years ago, Wayne has built the business from a family-based enterprise into an established supplier to the feedlot, pig, grain, and egg industries across Australia and New Zealand. His perspective as both a long-term Toowoomba resident and a specialist in the feed additive space gives a practical view of the region's agricultural supply chain grounded in daily commercial reality.

32. Jeff Schultheiss

Jeff Schultheiss is the founder of Darling Fresh Smoke Haus, a specialty smoked meat and food business in Toowoomba, and the founder of Darling Fresh Consulting. Jeff has been involved with the Toowoomba Chamber's Food and Agri Network Advisory Group and served as a Business Excellence Awards judge. The business was recognised as an Innovation and Microbusiness finalist and two-category winner at the 2022 and 2023 Business Excellence Awards.

An earlier career includes a role as General Manager at the family business Birch and Waite Foods in Sydney, where significant growth was led through strategic planning, a business rebrand, factory relocation, and channel diversification into major retailers. With a food technology background from UNSW, Jeff has focused entrepreneurial energy on the Toowoomba region's food industry.

33. Erika Brayshaw

Erika Brayshaw has been General Manager of the Toowoomba Chronicle since June 2020, overseeing the newspaper that serves as the record of regional life across Toowoomba and the Darling Downs. Erika joined the TSBE Board as a Director in October 2024. An earlier career included eight years as General Manager for APN/News Corp publications across the Surat Basin, covering Dalby, Chinchilla, Roma, St George, and Charleville.

Award-winning teams have been led across Pacific Area Newspapers Publishers Association, International News Media Association, and Queensland Country Press Association categories, and the recognition reflects a reputation for building resilient teams in remote media environments. The role at the Chronicle makes Erika one of the most significant editorial figures in the region, with the newspaper's coverage shaping how Toowoomba understands its own story and advocates for its interests.

34. Louise McMahon

Louise McMahon is a General Manager of Strategy and Business Development at MFE Pty Ltd, a mining and contracting business, with more than 17 years of experience in the sector. She is a Certified Practising Accountant and leads digital transformation, ISO accreditation, and strategic growth at the organisation. Louise joined the TSBE Board in October 2025 and also contributes to the Queensland Manufacturing Advisory Council and the Chinchilla Community Commerce and Industry Board.

Her breadth of governance roles, across the resources sector, state manufacturing advisory, and regional community commerce bodies, gives a multi-sector perspective that is relatively rare in the Toowoomba business community. A background in resources and mining connects the Toowoomba and Surat Basin economy to the broader Queensland energy and extraction landscape.

Category 6: Finance, Professional Services and Consulting

The advisers, accountants, lawyers, and consultants who provide the professional infrastructure for Toowoomba's business community.

35. Chris Black

Chris Black is the founder of Purpa, a Toowoomba-based business management consultancy, and the Chairman of Momentum Mental Health, a Queensland mental health organisation. Chris is an active angel investor, mentor, and speaker on leadership, business, and mental health, and a former Vice President of the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce.

The Financial Standard recognised Chris as one of Australia's most influential financial advisers before his financial planning business, Fortress Financial Solutions, was acquired by an American Fortune 500 company. Chris founded Darling Downs Angels, an angel investor network for the region, and has been a finalist in the University of Southern Queensland Alumnus of the Year awards. The LinkedIn presence is substantive and consistent, combining business commentary with personal advocacy for mental health awareness.

36. Myfanwy (Myf) Rigby

Myf Rigby is a Director at Accession3 Business Advisers and a Certified Practising Accountant, as well as Vice President of the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce. Myf has been running her own business in partnership since 2009 and specialises in strategic planning, business growth, cash flow management, and succession planning for small and medium businesses in the Toowoomba region.

Previous service on the board of Toowoomba Anglican School and community roles in Goondiwindi reflect sustained civic contribution beyond the professional sphere. As Chamber Vice President, Myf is directly involved in the governance and direction of the organisation representing Toowoomba's business community, and an accounting background gives a grounded view of the financial pressures and opportunities that define the regional business environment.

37. Peter (Pete) Rowe

Pete Rowe is an Associate and Equity Partner at Power Tynan, one of Toowoomba's established accounting and business advisory firms, where work with small and medium businesses has spanned almost 15 years. Specialising in strategic planning, business growth, compliance, and succession planning, Pete joined the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce Board as Treasurer and is part of the Chamber's Future Leader Advisory Group.

Pete was a finalist in Rising Star of the Year and Young Accountant of the Year at national accounting awards, and a finalist for Future Leader of the Year at the 2022 Business Excellence Awards. The combination of technical accounting expertise and community engagement makes Pete one of the emerging business voices in the region.

38. Julie Whitcombe

Julie Whitcombe is the Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary of EMC Limited, a company exploring for copper in Nevada, United States, and a TSBE Director. Her career has spanned executive roles across the energy and resources sectors, including General Manager Strategy and Development at CleanCo, the Queensland Government-owned energy corporation, and CEO of RDO Australia Group, a John Deere and Vermeer dealership business, as well as various roles at Senex Energy.

Resources sector experience gives Julie a particularly relevant perspective for a region that sits at the intersection of the Surat Basin's gas and energy projects and the broader Queensland energy transition debate. More than 20 years of executive and director experience spans listed, private, and government-owned organisations.

39. Tim Dodds

Tim Dodds is the Director of Procurement at the University of Southern Queensland, where university-wide transformation is being driven to strengthen governance, improve commercial outcomes, and embed value-driven decision-making. Tim joined the Toowoomba Chamber Board as a member and brings more than 20 years of experience leading procurement and commercial functions across Commonwealth, State, and Local Government, as well as Health, Defence, and Higher Education.

Before joining UniSQ, senior roles at Darling Downs Health, Toowoomba Regional Council, and the Commonwealth Government covered high-impact procurement reform and major contract oversight. Beyond professional work, Tim is an active member of the Australian Army Reserve and serves as Officer Commanding of the 13 Army Cadet Unit in Toowoomba, where a youth development program focused on leadership, service, and resilience is led.

40. Jaime McGuire

Jaime McGuire is the Business Operations Manager at E&E Waste, a Toowoomba business, and a Chartered Accountant with more than 20 years of experience across hospitality, construction, and waste management. Jaime serves as Treasurer and Board Member of Hope Horizons Inc., a Toowoomba-based cancer wellness charity providing free allied health support to locals impacted by cancer.

As a member of the Toowoomba Chamber Board, commercial expertise contributes to the region's peak business advocacy body. The combination of operational business leadership, financial expertise, and active charity governance reflects the kind of multi-sector contribution that characterises Toowoomba's close-knit professional community.

41. Ben Gouldson

Ben Gouldson is the Managing Director of Clifford Gouldson Lawyers, a Toowoomba legal firm, and has been a volunteer business mentor since 2012, participating in Queensland Government mentoring programs that support small businesses through periods of significant challenge and transition.

Ben has spoken publicly about the value of mentoring relationships for both mentors and mentees, describing how the mentoring process shifts a practitioner's thinking from matter-centric to business-strategic, and gives mentees the confidence to navigate complex decisions in family and business contexts. A long career in Toowoomba's legal sector makes Ben one of the most senior legal figures in the private market in the region.

42. Diego Tarre Moser

Diego Tarre Moser is the Managing Director of AUSCOIL, a well services company with extensive experience in technically specialised operations including well integrity, cementing, well intervention, and technology development. Diego joined the TSBE Board in October 2025 and brings international field experience spanning Indonesia, Pakistan, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Greenland, Italy, Israel, Spain, and Australia.

Deep knowledge of Coal Seam Gas well operations and challenges gives a particular relevance to the Surat Basin, which is one of Australia's most significant CSG producing regions and a major component of the Toowoomba region's broader resource economy.

Category 7: Community, Commerce and Emerging Leadership

The next generation of civic and business leaders shaping how Toowoomba operates, advocates, and connects.

43. Tanaya Treadwell

Tanaya Treadwell is the Chief Executive Officer of the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce, one of Queensland's most active regional business bodies. The Chamber represents Toowoomba's business community of more than 16,000 businesses across 14 award categories, including the prestigious annual Business Excellence Awards, and provides advocacy, events, and member connections for the region.

Treadwell's appointment follows the departure of the previous CEO, who served for five years and stepped down in February 2025. Treadwell leads an organisation whose board was refreshed in early 2026 with new officers and board members from across the region's business sectors.

44. Mikaela Smith

Mikaela Smith is Vice President of the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce and an entrepreneur with more than 16 years of experience in sales and strategic marketing, including business ownership across technical diesel fitting and creative events management. Mikaela has lived in the Toowoomba Region her entire life.

Mikaela served as Event Coordinator for the Toowoomba Chamber Business Excellence Awards in both 2024 and 2025 and was a finalist in two categories in 2024. Community involvement includes the presidency of Women on the Move, Lions Club involvement, and sustained rural infrastructure advocacy. A combination of commercial and civic leadership makes Mikaela one of the more active emerging voices in the regional business community.

45. Kathryn McKeefry

Kathryn McKeefry is the Deputy Chair of the Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise Board, a role held since 2018, and brings deep experience in health system leadership to TSBE's governance. Kathryn was the CEO of St Vincent's Private Hospital in Toowoomba from 2016, in a role where strong connections to the region's broader health ambitions were established, and has since moved into health leadership in Ipswich.

Her background spans intensive care nursing in New Zealand, the United States, Europe, and Britain, midwifery, and senior health administration roles. The ongoing role at the TSBE Board keeps Kathryn connected to the Toowoomba region's economic development and governance landscape.

46. Brad Fitzgibbons

Brad Fitzgibbons is a fourth-generation publican and the Director of Fitzy's Toowoomba, continuing a family legacy of more than 80 years in regional hospitality. Brad joined the Toowoomba Chamber Board as a member in 2026, bringing a deep-rooted connection to the hospitality and entertainment sector that is both economically significant and culturally central to the Toowoomba community.

More than two decades in the industry have been spent championing excellence, safety, and community connection within Queensland's hospitality sector. The Fitzy's brand is one of the most recognised dining and entertainment destinations in Toowoomba, and the long-established local hospitality perspective gives the Chamber board a grounded view of the pressures and opportunities facing the region's consumer-facing businesses.

47. Barton Castley

Barton Castley is the President of the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce, a role in which voluntary governance leadership is provided to the peak business body for the region. Barton brings experience from senior management and CEO roles across the HR recruitment, retail construction, and motor vehicle industries at a national level, as well as a background as a registered minister of religion.

A seven-year history with the Chamber has demonstrated the value of connections through the organisation for professional development and business growth in the local community. As President, Barton provides the governance framework for the Chamber's advocacy, events, and member services programs.

48. Dominique Gillespie

Dominique Gillespie was recognised as the Future Leader of the Year at the 2024 Toowoomba Chamber Business Excellence Awards, a recognition that acknowledged an emerging contribution to the regional business community. The award is designed to celebrate young professionals and business leaders paving the way for Toowoomba's next generation of leadership.

Dominique represents the cohort of leaders in their twenties and thirties who are taking on visible roles in Toowoomba's business and community organisations, building networks, and contributing to the Chamber's Future Leaders program alongside peers who will lead the region for decades to come.

49. Kate Taylor

Kate Taylor is the General Manager at Vanguard Laundry Services and was named the 2025 Young Professional of the Year by the Toowoomba Young Chamber. Kate joined the Toowoomba community in 2023 and quickly became involved across multiple community platforms, including co-founding The Social Toowoomba, a women's networking group that grew to more than 1,000 members in under a year, creating a space for connection and support for women across the region.

Kate also volunteers with Rosies, a Toowoomba-based street outreach organisation that supports people experiencing homelessness, and is involved in the Toowoomba Rangers Baseball Club. The role at Vanguard Laundry connects Kate to one of the region's most significant social enterprises, and community building outside work hours reflects an approach to leadership that extends well beyond the boundaries of any single organisation.

50. Dr Dennis Campbell

Dr Dennis Campbell chairs the Darling Downs Hospital and Health Board, the governance body overseeing Darling Downs Health and its 29 facilities across a 90,000-square-kilometre service area. Dr Campbell was appointed Chair in March 2024, transitioning from the role of Deputy Chair, following an announcement by the then Queensland Minister for Health.

The board role builds on an extensive career in health system leadership, including previous chief executive positions at Toowoomba's St Vincent's Hospital, Royal Brisbane Women's Hospital, and Maryborough Hospital. Dr Campbell has been formally recognised on multiple occasions for contributions to Queensland health services and is an active participant in the governance structures that shape how Toowoomba's health system is funded, directed, and accountable to the community.

Notable Voices We Almost Included

Several leaders came very close to inclusion and deserve recognition for their contribution to Toowoomba and the Darling Downs. Alison Kennedy, the former CEO of the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation who preceded Jude Wills, was a highly regarded community figure whose tenure helped establish the Foundation's business and social enterprise model. Todd Rohl served as CEO of the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce for five years and was instrumental in growing the chamber's reach before stepping down in February 2025. Peter Lock led Heritage Bank, now People First Bank, for nearly nine years from its Toowoomba headquarters and was deeply embedded in the region's civic and financial leadership.

The Darling Downs also produces extraordinary leaders at an organisational level who operate below the threshold of broad public profile but whose work is foundational to the region's functioning. The school principals across both the Catholic and state sectors, the health executives at district and service level, and the agribusiness operators managing large operations across the Western Downs and surrounding areas represent a pool of talent that this list cannot fully contain in 50 entries.

Common Mistakes in Identifying Influential Regional Leaders

The first mistake is equating influence with visibility. In a region like Toowoomba, some of the most consequential leaders are not the ones with the largest social media following or the most public profile. Tim Ford has been quietly building Australia's largest online fodder trading platform since 2002. Annette Scott has been leading one of Queensland's most geographically complex health services through a pandemic and its aftermath. The leaders doing the most consequential work are not always the most loudly visible.

The second mistake is assuming that influence runs only through the most prominent formal institutions. In Toowoomba, some of the most significant leadership happens through the connections between them. The TSBE Board includes leaders from construction, resources, health, finance, and agriculture who share strategic information and coordinate advocacy in ways that individual organisations could not do alone. The Toowoomba Chamber Board provides a similar function for the business community. These governance networks are among the least visible but most consequential leadership structures in the region.

The third mistake is ignoring the contribution of social enterprise and not-for-profit leaders to the region's overall quality of life. BASE Services, Vanguard Laundry, Hope Horizons, and the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation are not economic footnotes. They are the social infrastructure that determines whether the region's growth translates into genuine community wellbeing. The leaders running these organisations deserve the same respect and recognition as their commercial counterparts.

The fourth mistake is treating Toowoomba as a second-tier market relative to Brisbane. The leaders on this list are running organisations and driving outcomes at a scale that would be significant in any context. The FKG Group employs more than 1,000 people. Mort and Co generates annual revenue exceeding $400 million. Darling Downs Health operates 29 facilities. These are not small-town stories.

The fifth mistake is underestimating emerging leadership. The Toowoomba Chamber's Future Leaders program, the Toowoomba Young Chamber's annual young professional recognition, and the university and TAFE pipeline are producing a generation of leaders who will be running this region's most significant organisations within a decade. Dominique Gillespie and Kate Taylor represent a cohort whose contribution to Toowoomba will deepen significantly over the coming years.

Implementation Guide: How to Engage With Toowoomba's Leadership Community

If you are based in Toowoomba or considering working with the region's leadership ecosystem, the most direct entry points are the organised governance and advocacy bodies: the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce, TSBE, and the various industry advisory councils connected to them. These bodies host events, connect businesses to government, and provide the networking infrastructure through which most significant regional relationships are built and maintained.

For those with a health or not-for-profit focus, the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation's community events and the social enterprise sector convened around Vanguard Laundry and BASE Services provide access to the region's social impact leadership community. The University of Southern Queensland and TAFE Queensland both run community engagement programs that connect their leadership with regional business and civic organisations.

For leadership development across your Toowoomba or Darling Downs team, Working Genius facilitation, executive team offsites, and keynote programs build the shared language and capability that high-performing teams need. International travel for facilitation engagements is regularly far more affordable than clients expect. Hire Jonno White to deliver a Working Genius workshop, executive offsite, or keynote for your organisation. Email jonno@consultclarity.org to start the conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the most influential leaders in Toowoomba?

The most influential leaders in Toowoomba span a wide range of sectors. In civic leadership, Mayor Geoff McDonald and Queensland Treasurer David Janetzki carry significant influence at local and state level. In business and construction, Gary Gardner and the Wagner family have shaped the physical and commercial landscape of the city for decades. In health, Annette Scott and Rachel Phillips lead the region's public health system. In education, Prof Paul Mazerolle now leads UniSQ, one of Australia's most significant regional universities. This list of 50 represents the broadest cross-section of Toowoomba's current leadership landscape compiled in one place.

What makes Toowoomba's leadership community distinctive?

Toowoomba's leadership community is unusually interconnected across sectors. The same individuals frequently appear on multiple boards and advisory groups spanning business, health, education, and civic bodies. This density of connection means that decisions made in one sector tend to be tested against perspectives from others. It also means that the relationships between leaders in different domains are often deeper and longer-standing than would be typical in a capital city context, where specialisation tends to produce more siloed networks.

How is Toowoomba positioned for leadership growth into 2032 and beyond?

Toowoomba's Olympic designation as a regional host for the Brisbane 2032 Games represents a once-in-a-generation leadership opportunity. The city's leaders are already navigating the tension between using that designation to accelerate infrastructure investment while managing community expectations about growth and change. The leaders on this list, particularly those in civic government, construction, and economic development, will be central to determining whether the Olympic legacy translates into durable regional benefit.

What sectors produce the most influential leaders in the Darling Downs?

Agriculture, construction, and health produce the largest number of influential leaders in the broader Darling Downs region, reflecting the economic foundations of the area. Toowoomba as a city has also developed a significant professional services sector, an increasingly active education and research ecosystem through UniSQ and TAFE Queensland, and a social enterprise community that punches above its weight in national recognition. The most influential leaders in the region tend to be those who connect these sectors rather than those who operate within a single one.

Final Thoughts

Toowoomba is not waiting to be discovered. The leaders on this list are building significant organisations, running complex public systems, and driving the kind of community investment that shapes a city's trajectory over decades. The 50 people compiled here represent a cross-section of that work, selected because their contribution is documented, their roles are current, and their impact on the Darling Downs region is real.

The region's next decade will be shaped by infrastructure choices around Inland Rail, the Olympic Games legacy, the energy transition, and the deepening integration of its agricultural economy with global markets. The leaders navigating those transitions are people like Sal Petroccitto, April Cavanagh, John Wagner, Annette Scott, Paul Mazerolle, and Ryan Salzke. They are worth knowing. They are worth following.

If you run a team in Toowoomba or the Darling Downs and want to bring in external leadership development that builds on the kind of excellence these leaders model, Hire Jonno White to deliver a Working Genius workshop, executive offsite, or keynote for your organisation. Email jonno@consultclarity.org. Jonno works globally from Brisbane and is regularly in Queensland regional centres. International travel for facilitation is often far more affordable than expected.

About the Author

Jonno White is a Certified Working Genius Facilitator, author of Step Up or Step Out, and leadership consultant who has worked with schools, corporates, and nonprofits around the world. His book Step Up or Step Out has sold over 10,000 copies globally, and his podcast The Leadership Conversations has featured 230+ episodes reaching listeners in 150+ countries. Jonno founded The 7 Questions Movement with 6,000+ participating leaders and achieved a 93.75% satisfaction rating for his Working Genius masterclass at the ASBA 2025 National Conference. Based in Brisbane, Australia, Jonno works globally and regularly travels for speaking and facilitation engagements. Organisations consistently find that international travel is far more affordable than expected. To book Jonno for your next keynote, workshop, or facilitation session, email 

jonno@consultclarity.org.

Sources

The statistical and institutional information cited in this post draws from Toowoomba Regional Council communications, Darling Downs Health organisational materials, TSBE publications, the University of Southern Queensland leadership pages, and the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce.

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