Chair Max Shepherd stepped down at the end of his three-year term and the Board confirmed the appointment of Director Wendy Morris as Chair. Cairns South Zone representative Ross Steele was re-elected Deputy Chair.
North Queensland Airports Chief Executive Officer Norris Carter has been appointed a Director of the Tourism Tropical North Queensland Board at its meeting today in Cairns.
New General Directors Sam Ferguson and Craig Pocock were welcomed to the Board after their election at the Annual General Meeting on Friday (October 20).
Chair Max Shepherd stepped down at the end of his three-year term and the Board confirmed the appointment of Director Wendy Morris as Chair. Cairns South Zone representative Ross Steele was re-elected Deputy Chair.
Ms Morris said Mr Carter’s appointment would add a vital skillset to the Board through his extensive airline and airport industry experience with Qantas, Auckland Airport, Cairns and Mackay Airports.
“Aviation is the funnel for visitation to Tropical North Queensland and a key plank for economic success for the region,” she said.
“If the TTNQ Board can understand the drivers and nuances of aviation, we can better align our destination marketing to ensure sustainable air routes.”
Mr Carter said: “I’m looking forward to contributing to TTNQ as a Director to grow tourism into Tropical North Queensland.”
Ms Morris thanked Mr Shepherd for his service to TTNQ which he had chosen to end during his 50th year of working in the tourism industry.
“Max has been a stalwart and mentor for many in tourism, myself included, with a canny ability to think business decisions through,” she said.
“His steady hand on the wheel at world-class operations including Quicksilver and Skyrail has complemented brilliant marketing coups including President Bill Clinton’s trip to the Great Barrier Reef and the Olympic torch’s first swim underwater at Agincourt Reef.
“A humble man with a wry sense of humour, Max will be missed by every one of us, but we hope he continues to visit and make sure we’re ‘doing it right’.”
A Tropical North Queensland resident of 1974 with a degree in marine biology, Ms Morris has previously served on the TTNQ Board as well as the Tourism Port Douglas and Daintree, Tourism and Events Queensland and Advance Cairns boards.
She founded Reef Biosearch in 1986, a marine biologist-guided snorkelling operation aboard Quicksilver that continues to operate today, and remains a passionate advocate for the Great Barrier Reef who is on the Board of Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef.
Ms Morris been involved in the management and marketing of a range of mostly family owned tourism enterprises in the region including the resorts now known as Rydges Reef Resort, QT Port Douglas, Ramada Port Douglas and Crystalbrook Lodge, as well as The Wildlife Habitat, Wetherby Outback Experience, Lady Douglas Paddlewheeler and luxury charter yachts.
Also serving on the TTNQ Board are Tropical Tablelands/Remote Zone Director Ghislaine Gallo, General Director Russell Boswell, Cairns North Zone representative Sheena Walshaw, General Director Todd Parker, General Director Peter Woodward and Southern Zone Director Mark Evans.
Photo caption: Outgoing Tourism Tropical North Queensland Chair Max Shepherd welcomes incoming Chair Wendy Morris.
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