Our Board

Greg Wilson, Chair

Mr Wilson brings to CFA significant knowledge and experience in forest fire management, bushfires and cross-agency emergency response through his previous role as Secretary of the Department of Sustainability and Environment, as well as overseeing the operation of Emergency Management Victoria as Secretary of the former Department of Justice and Regulation. Mr Wilson is also Chair of the Transport Accident Commission and the Victorian State Emergency Service and has extensive emergency management sector experience as well as a background in governance, industrial law, public policy and financial management.

Michelle McLean, Deputy Chair

Ms McLean is the Chief Commissioner of the Victorian Building Authority. She is also a Director of East Gippsland Water, a Board member of Frontier, and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

Previously, Ms McLean was Managing Partner and CEO of the law firm Cornwall Stodart (now Cornwalls). She has also been President of the Australian Legal Practice Management Association (where she is a life member), an Advisory Board member of the Melbourne University Business School, an Executive Council member of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and a Board member of the Mercy Health Foundation, the Overnewton Anglican Community College and Acom International.

Beth Davidson OAM

Ms Davidson is a community advocate with extensive experience in community capacity building and good governance processes. Beth’s passion for making a difference in community is demonstrated in three key areas: neighbourhood houses, local government and emergency management services, particularly CFA. Her focus is on making a systemic difference that supports good governance and community resilience.

Ms Davidson has served at local, regional, state and national level. Surf Coast Shire Council for more than a decade including four consecutive terms as Mayor (2001 – 2004); also, President of Victorian Local Governance Association, Founding Director G21 Geelong Regional Alliance, National Seachange Taskforce. President Neighbourhood Houses Victoria & Neighbourhood Houses Barwon.

Ms Davidson has been involved in all three categories of CFA: Board (2004 – 2007) and again now, staff (Fire Ready Tourism Coordinator) and volunteer (non-operational member since 1983). She was awarded the Centenary Medal and OAM for her contribution to local government and community.

Dawn Hartog

Ms Hartog is an experienced senior manager with a background in public safety, emergency and incident management and planning and community engagement. She has worked across a range of emergency services including the Country Fire Authority, Emergency Management Victoria and Forest Fire Management Victoria and is currently Senior Manager, Water Emergency Management within the Water and Catchments Group at the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP).

Dawn has been a CFA staff member (2005-2018), CFA volunteer (operational since 2012) and CFA Board Member (since 2019) and is also an accredited Level 3 Public Information Officer.

Dawn has a long history of working with community groups having been a committee member of Kinglake’s Bollygum Park, and committee member and President of Kinglake and District Neighbourhood House.

She is currently Captain of the Toolangi Fire Brigade and Deputy Group Officer for the Yea Group of fire brigades.

Peter Shaw, AFSM

Mr Shaw is the Group Officer of Knox Fire Brigades Group and has been a volunteer firefighter since 1974. He has a long history in police with experience in leadership and management, particularly in the fields of emergency management, critical incident management, major collision investigations and protective security.

Mr Shaw has corporate and business planning experience and holds tertiary qualifications in public sector management, with significant exposure to change management, project management, training and assessment, and has auditing experience. As a volunteer with CFA he has previously been brigade captain, and is currently a level 3 Incident Controller.

Ms Pam White PSM, GAICD

Ms White has over 30 years’ experience with the Victorian Public Service and was the State Recovery Coordinator at the time of the 2009 bushfires. She led the recovery operations of the Department of Human Services and in 2012 was the CEO of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction. She also worked on the Review of the Victorian Floods.

Ms White holds positions on several Government committees and bodies and was the Inaugural Chair of the Commonwealth Emergency Medal Award Committee. She was awarded the Centenary Medal, the Emergency Services Medal and the Public Service Medal for her services to emergency management and her work on vulnerable families. In early 2016 she was appointed Chairperson of the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority.

Tony Peake

Mr Peake is currently a non-executive director of Domino's Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX:DMP), Bakers Delight, Central Highlands Water Corporation, Scanlon Capital, the Melbourne Fashion Festival and is Chair of Monash Gallery of Art. Prior to this, Mr Peake was the COO at PwC Australia and was a Senior Partner with over 25 years board level experience across the public, commercial and not for profit sectors, with particular experience in Retail & Consumer, Education and Government. Mr Peake is a GAICD, Fellow of CAANZ, and holds a B.Bus from RMIT University. He is a Victorian Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia and Fellow of Leadership Victoria’s Williamson Community Leadership Program.

Ms Rachel Thomson

Ms Thomson has been a non-executive director of the Central Highlands Region Water Corporation since 2015, an independent member of the Risk and Audit Committee at DELWP since 2019, and an independent member of the Risk and Audit Committee at V/Line Corporation since 2021. Ms Thomson held various positions at XL Insurance between 2002 and 2013, including national head of Professional Lines from 2012 to 2013 and product management from 2009 to 2012. Ms Thomson holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Melbourne

Ross Coyle ASFM

Mr Coyle was previously a member of the Authority from 2010 to 2016. He has extensive experience in emergency management leadership, from operational to corporate governance. Mr Coyle was a councillor at Wodonga City Council from 2002 to 2005, where he was the council representative on all Fire Prevention and Emergency Management Committees. Mr Coyle is an operational wildfire and structural firefighter and was an officer and captain of the Wodonga West Fire Brigade from 1996 to 2018. Mr Coyle has also run a family farming operation in Wodonga since 1989.