Our directors are all volunteers and unpaid for the many hours of work they have each contributed. They do it for the love of their sport and recreation pursuits and for their love of the Tamborine Mountain community.

Dr. Alan Blackman MBA LLM Bond, PhD Griffith MIMC, CMC:

President, Director and co-founder

Since he founded it in 1993, Alan has been a Director and CEO of the Centre for Independent Business Research. In all, he has over 35 years general management and leadership experience. He is currently Acting MBA Director and a Senior Lecturer with Griffith Business School.

Alan has been active in community affairs since 1979 when he was awarded a Churchill Fellowship. Since that time he has initiated a variety of community ventures including as an advocate for clinical nurse specialists in Australia and as liaison to the American Association of Critical Care Nurses  from 1979 to 1982. More recent examples of his community activities include from 2000 to 2008 as Secretary, then President, of Gold Coast Junior Cricket Association. In 2004 he co-founded Cricket Gold Coast Limited and from 2004 to 2008 was a Director (Junior Cricket), and its Secretary, Treasurer and delegate to the Queensland Junior Cricket Association.  In 2001 he founded Tamborine Mountain Cricket Club Inc. and until 2008 was that body's Secretary and Treasurer. In 2007 Alan was a driving force in the creation of Tamborine Mountain Sports Association and has been that body's President since. In 2009 he was elected as a Life Member of Tamborine Mountain Cricket Club, in 2010 he was awarded Queensland Sport's and Brisbane City Council's "Volunteer of the Year" and in 2011 he was recognised in the Australia Day awards as Scenic Rim Region's "Citizen of the Year".

Prof. Paul Burton: BA (Hon) Town Planning South Bank, PhD Bristol

Vice President and Director

Paul Burton is Professor of Urban Management and Planning and Deputy Director of the Urban Research Program at Griffith University.  Previously he was Head of the School for Policy Studies and Dean of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Bristol, UK.  He has worked for over thirty years as a social researcher and policy analyst for clients in central and local government, local and international charities and international governmental bodies such as the Commission of the European Union.

Until 2007 Paul was a company director, trustee and company secretary of Support Against Racist Incidents (SARI Ltd), a Bristol-based NGO that led the way in providing victim support services in the south west of England.  In Australia he served as a member of the Gold Coast City Council Bold Future Steering Committee and is currently a member of the Gold Coast Committee of Regional Development Australia.

Mr Bret Arthur BE MIEAust (Civil College) CPEng RPEQ

Director and Secretary

Bret has  years design and supervision experience as a structural engineer on large and small Industrial, commercial and residential projects and seven years experience as a Civil design and supervision Engineer of residential and industrial subdivisions. His current position is Director of WESTERA PARTNERS PTY Consulting Civil and Structural Engineers with offices in Brisbane, Gold Coast and Kingscliff.

Bret is a member of the Tomborine Mountain Eagles Soccer Club committee member, referees co-ordinator and equipment officer. He has been associated with the soccer club for the past 9 years.

Mrs. Sari Nightingale BBus (Acc) Kurring-gai, MM UWS, FCPA

Director and Treasurer

Sari currently lectures in accounting at the international campus of CQU in Southport. With over 20 years specialising in the footwear and clothing manufacturing sector, she spent 10 years as a Financial Controller before moving into other fields including teaching, training, recruitment and consulting for small businesses,

Her family moved to Mt Tamborine in 2003 and in the following year Sari joined the Local Producers' Association (TMDLPA). She has been a committee member since 2006 and is a keen enthusiast for sustainable agriculture.

Vital to long term health is exercise and all family members are keen and passionate about their sports. Over the years all have successfully participated in individual and team activities. They have been associated with the Bushrats (junior Rugby League club) since 2007, and. Sari has been involved with TMSA since late 2008.

Cr. Derek Swanborough BCom UQ, MBA USQ

Director (ex officio)

Derek has 31 years experience in Local Government in some of South East Queensland's fastest growing councils including Ipswich, Moreton, Albert, Beaudesert and Logan City and has held Executive Management roles for 17 years in the areas of corporate, economic and community development. In his role as Director Corporate Services in the former Beaudesert Shire Council (1990-2006), and as a long term Mountain resident, Derek advised the original Tamborine Mountain sports working committee and actively participated as Council's  project  sponsor and manager for all development work associated with the project; including overseeing conduct of the original studies to determine community need ("Sports Option Study"),  the identification of available land, the purchase of the current site and preparation of a Master Plan to develop a sport and recreation complex on that site.

Derek was elected unopposed as Councillor for Tamborine Mountain Division 1 in the new Scenic Rim Regional Council in March 2008 and is Council's nominee Director to the Board of Tamborine Mountain Sports Association Limited.

Mr. John Flanagan B Soc Wk, Masters of Gestalt Therapy JCU

Director

John has been the Director of How Now Solutions a small consultancy business in the health and community services sector since 2001. He completed both a Social Work Degree and a Masters in Gestalt Therapy at James Cook University and has practiced for over twenty years, initially working with young people and their families in several communities including Logan City, Brisbane and Ipswich and has specialised in areas of adolescent development, early intervention, suicide prevention and intervention. More recently he has worked with veterans and their families in relation to trauma and relationships. John designs and delivers a range of programs and training workshops for community, government and corporate organisation across Australia and New Zealand in consumer relationships, communication, organisational development and leadership.

John has lived on Tamborine Mountain since 2001 with his wife and children. He has coached soccer for the Mt Tamborine Eagles since 2009, starting with the under 6's and subsequently coached this team in the under 7's and 8's. John also is manager/player for the over 40's Bush Rats cricket team.