Kitty is the CEO of the Regional Chambers of Commerce and Industry of WA. Kitty has previously held the positions of Presidents of both the RCCIWA (2005 – 2010) and the Kalgoorlie-Boulder CCI (2003-2005) and has owned two small businesses in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, the first one at the age of 21. Kitty’s involvement with a regional Chamber of Commerce began in 1991, and she is a strong and driven advocate for regional business communities. Kitty is a past Chair of the board of the Small Business Development Corporation and currently sits on the General Council of CCIWA.

Tim Day is the Asset President of Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO). Prior to this appointment, Tim held a global role as VP for the Resource Centre of Excellence and Legacy Assets, based in Perth. Tim has an extensive understanding of the resources industry with 25 years of experience in iron ore and coal operations, mine planning and technical, resource engineering, maintenance, new mine design, construction, and site commissioning. A major focus of his working career has been integrating technology into operations to improve safety and productivity. Tim has held multiple Vice President and General Manager roles within BHP and has started two mine sites within the iron ore sector. He is passionate about creating strong, high performance work cultures with demonstrated delivery of results and a bias towards excellence in productivity. Tim was born in Queensland and graduated from the University of Queensland in 2000 with a Bachelor of Engineering, Mining Honours.

Bernie began her career with Rio Tinto in 2005 and has held a variety of roles across Procurement and Communities. Since 2020, she has been a key contributor to the Winu Project, where she leads negotiations for Land Use Agreements with Traditional Owner Groups. As Manager of the Communities and Social Performance team, Bernie plays a central role in fostering strong partnerships and driving regional economic development through community engagement and sustainable outcomes.

Lily Meneghel is General Manager of Dampier Salt Limited (DSL), a Rio Tinto business and one of the world's largest solar salt producers. With almost 20 years' experience in mining and resources, she has held leadership roles across operations, technology, remote operations and business strategy. Having built a diverse career spanning technology, operational and leadership roles, Lily is passionate about combining operational excellence with a focus on people, innovation and inclusion. In 2024, she received the CME WA Women in Resources People's Choice Award in recognition of her contribution to the industry. Today, she is focused on developing future leaders, fostering inclusive workplaces and building high-performing teams that deliver lasting value for business, communities and the resources sector.

Mayor Jacinta Behrend has lifelong involvement across local arts, sport, education and health, and was awarded the Town of Port Hedland Active Community Citizen Award in 2025. Jacinta is Chairperson of the Hedland Well Women's Centre, bringing strong governance, accountability and community leadership. She holds qualifications in law and business studies and is an AICD accredited board professional. Jacinta is guided by purpose, integrity, and accountability, and believes good leadership starts with listening and follows through with action.

Dale Stewart has more than 40 years’ local government experience serving diverse and complex communities across Western Australia. He has led four local governments as CEO and held senior executive and consultancy roles across the sector, bringing exceptional capability in governance, financial management, strategic planning, and organisational development. Mr Stewart is recognised for delivering major capital works programs, long-term financial plans, award winning community initiatives and robust organisational reforms. He joined the Town of Port Hedland from Shire of Narrogin, where he was CEO for the past seven years.

Lee Furness has decades of experience in Government and non-Government organisations developing and implementing strategic planning initiatives. Project planning, governance and project management are her key areas of expertise. Her strengths are in developing innovative strategies to deliver quality outcomes and a commitment to collaboration to achieve strong results. Lee has been the Town of Port Hedland’s Director of Infrastructure since December 2019. With substantial experience in project planning, governance and project management, Lee drives the Town’s delivery of key strategic infrastructure projects. Lee’s team has successfully completed infrastructure projects worth hundreds of millions and is now planning for the next phase of growth with substantial capital investment planned over the next 15 years.

Neil has more than 38 years’ experience in the planning, design, construction and project management of major private and public sector assets. His career spans building and social infrastructure - including schools and law courts - as well as main roads, land subdivision, underground rail, mine development, mineral-processing facilities for gold, copper, iron ore and vanadium, marine works, remote Aboriginal housing, and renewable energy projects. He is currently CEO of the Australian Renewable Energy Hub Project in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. The project will develop a vast portfolio of wind and solar generation assets to deliver up to 26 GW of renewable energy and produce green hydrogen.

Kate Spencer is a Business Development Principal (West/Central) for the BHP Local Buying Program with C-Res, specialising in stakeholder engagement, supplier capability development and regional economic participation. She works closely with small, local and Indigenous businesses, as well as industry, government and community organisations to strengthen regional supply chains, increase local participation in major projects and create sustainable economic outcomes for regional communities. Known for building strong partnerships and connecting businesses with opportunities, Kate brings extensive experience in business development, strategic relationship management and facilitating collaboration across diverse stakeholder groups. She is passionate about supporting regional businesses to grow, build capability and contribute to the long-term prosperity of communities across the Pilbara and Western Australia.

Dean Smith has been a Liberal Senator for Western Australia since May 2012. In February 2026 he was appointed to the Coalition’s Economic Leadership Team as Shadow Assistant Minister to the Shadow Treasurer and Shadow Assistant Minister for the Cost of Living. He has previously served as Shadow Assistant Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction; Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade; and Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury. From 2019 to 2022 he was the Chief Government Whip in the Senate. A proud Western Australian originally from the Pilbara, Dean has been a strong and effective advocate for Western Australia, particularly for regional communities across the State’s far north. Senator Smith was one of the earliest and strongest voices calling for GST reform and part of WA’s Federal Liberal Team that secured a fairer GST deal for WA in 2017. He continues to be an effective advocate for WA’s mining, energy and export industries, recognising their critical role in the State’s future prosperity and the Australian national economy. Over the last year his policy advocacy has focussed on the potential of FBT reforms to deliver significant social and economic dividends to communities across the Pilbara and Kimberely regions. His parliamentary committee work includes the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Northern Australia and serving as Deputy Chair of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. In 2018, Dean was awarded the McKinnon Prize in Political Leadership by a panel of eminent Australians, including former Prime Ministers John Howard and Julia Gillard. Before entering the Senate, Dean worked as a Policy Adviser to Western Australian Premier Richard Court and Prime Minister John Howard and held senior executive positions with Insurance Australia Group and SingTel Optus.

Evette Smeathers leads the management of major commercial customer accounts for Horizon Power, focusing on end-to-end customer service, business development and customer project delivery. She has held roles spanning the full energy value chain during her nineteen years in the industry, and embodies Horizon Power’s regional business model, covering Horizon Power’s entire service area from her hometown of Karratha. Prior to stepping back into the major customer accounts role, she acted as the Executive General Manager for the Customer and Community division. Evette has also held numerous board and committee roles including twelve years as a Councillor at the City of Karratha and Chair of their Audit and Risk Committee.

Paul is an experienced project executive with an extensive career in the resources industry, successfully delivering complex studies and projects in both a brownfield and greenfield environment. Paul has a strong track record leading all aspects of project management with a strong focus on safety, budget, time and delivery. Prior to joining PLS, Paul played a lead role in successfully delivering major and mega projects including Hancock Iron Ore, which at the time was the world’s largest debt-funded resource project.

Luke has been connected to the Pilbara for over 20 years, and has served many roles. He has a passion for, and significant experience in, delivering community benefits through government and business activities. He looks forward to helping Pilbara communities connect to Canberra (and elsewhere) to ensure economic growth is matched by regional wellbeing.

Alyce Cockram is the North West Regional Lead at the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia (CME), supporting advocacy and engagement across the Pilbara and Kimberley regions. Having lived in the Pilbara for more than six years, Alyce is based in Karratha, where she is raising her three children. With more than three years at CME, she works closely with industry, local government and community stakeholders to advocate for regional priorities and help inform policy development, ensuring the opportunities and challenges facing the North West are reflected in broader government discussions. Passionate about regional development and actively involved in her community, Alyce is proud to call the Pilbara home and is committed to ensuring regional voices are heard in broader policy discussions.

Jason is Manager Regional WA and South West Lead at the Chamber of Minerals and Energy. Leading CME’s regional team across the North West, Goldfields and South West, Jason provides ongoing advocacy and support to a diverse portfolio of member companies spanning a range of commodities. A passionate regional advocate with wide-ranging interests, Jason sees himself as a relationship builder providing a conduit between industry and stakeholders ensuring the resources sector maintains an engaging and resilient relationship with its host communities. Jason also ensures that regional opportunities and challenges are articulated to the CME’s policy and advocacy teams to help shape positive outcomes through Local, State and Federal governments and broader community stakeholders. A former journalist, Jason was previously Deputy Editor at the Kalgoorlie Miner where he spearheaded the daily masthead’s mining and political coverage. Jason holds a first-class honours degree in journalism from the University of Brighton.

Corey Dennis is Director Projects at Fortescue, leading the development and delivery of a diverse portfolio across energy, mining, infrastructure, and decarbonisation. He provides strategic and portfolio-level leadership, aligning projects with Fortescue’s priorities and supporting safe, disciplined delivery across the Group. Corey previously led Fortescue’s Group Project Delivery and Energy Projects function, including the development of solar, wind, transmission, thermal and battery storage assets. His project experience includes the Pilbara Energy Connect program, infrastructure for the Iron Bridge Magnetite Project, and delivery of the Eliwana Rail and Power Project, including heavy haul rail, roads and access bridges. He joined Fortescue in 2011 as Construction Manager on the T155 Expansion Project. Earlier in his career, he contributed to the T45 Port, Rail and Mine project through a Fortescue delivery partner. He brings extensive experience in complex project development and delivery across energy, mining, marine, civil and infrastructure.

Barry Thomas leads the Pilbara Housing Supply Office, a partnership between the Pilbara Development Commission and the Department of Treasury and Finance. His work focuses on addressing housing supply challenges, unlocking development opportunities and supporting sustainable economic growth across the Pilbara. Barry is focused on the important role housing plays in attracting investment, supporting industry and strengthening regional communities.

Senator Susan McDonald is a Queensland Senator for The Nationals, first elected to the Australian Senate in 2019 and re-elected in 2025. With a background in business management and government, Susan holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Economics from the University of Queensland. Susan has held several senior parliamentary roles, including Shadow Minister for Resources and Shadow Minister for Northern Australia. She is currently Deputy Leader of The Nationals in the Senate and continues to serve in both shadow portfolios, advocating for regional development, resources and the economic opportunities of Northern Australia. With extensive parliamentary committee experience and a strong focus on regional communities, Susan is a passionate advocate for the industries, businesses and people that contribute to Australia's regional prosperity.