President’s Report

Craig Murrell

This is my last report as President after six years on the Board: two years as CQ Branch President, two years as Vice President and two as President.

As many of you would be aware, the Board comprises eight volunteers who meet four times per year to receive reports and plans from the CEO plus updates from key members of the IPWEAQ and QWD teams, and presentations from various team members on developing initiatives. We have been fortunate as a Board that the Institute has been in great hands only requiring the quarterly endorsement of those reports and plans.

I was fortunate enough to join the Board in 2015 when the then new CEO, Leigh Cunningham joined the Institute early September 2015. The appointment of the CEO is an important role of the Board as this is the person who makes the thousands of daily decisions which accumulated deliver the Institute to a place of strength and growth, or not.

The Institute under Leigh’s leadership has become an organisation which has exceeded expectations and as a Board member since the start of Leigh’s term, I had a bird’s eye view of how extensive this achievement has been. Most members would be unaware of the dire financial situation as it was back in 2015 which Leigh rectified then established a sound foundation for future growth. The Institute has also exceeded the expectations of our founding Presidents, several of whom have visited us at the new premises in Eagle Farm.

The new facilities in Eagle Farm will certainly go down as one of Leigh’s defining legacies and like most visitors, when the Board arrived at the new premises for the first time, we were blown away by what Leigh had created. Every element of the new facilities was chosen by Leigh from the floorboards to each piece of furniture to each of the 44 pieces of Aboriginal art, which will be featured in an art exhibition in November.

Further evidence of the growing stature of the organisation was witnessed at this year’s Board elections with 14 nominations received for seven positions (with the President traditionally unopposed, with the Vice President stepping into that role). I was fortunate during my three terms on the Board to have been elected unopposed as in the past, volunteers would step forward to fill any vacancies. It is great to see more members coming forward wanting to be involved in what is now a thriving organisation.

As Chair of the current Board, my role was similarly made easy with a governance framework and supporting policies which enabled effective oversight. Seren McKenzie, the immediate Past President set the benchmark for the conduct of meetings with a disciplined Board, focussed deliberations and with all meetings finishing on time, which I did my best to emulate.

I leave the Board with an Institute that has seen growth in membership of between 10-12% each year for the past six years, six years of net profits, a staff of almost 30 up from 10 when Leigh arrived, revenue now in excess of $4.5 million, and an extraordinary facility in Eagle Farm. I would love to lay claim to all of this since it just happens to coincide with my time on the Board, however I was merely an observer with a front row seat. So it is with pleasure that my final task is to announce that we have renewed the contract of our CEO for another three years so my successors can also enjoy the view from the Chair.

I appreciate the opportunity that presented to become an IPWEAQ President. And thank you to my fellow Board members and to our staff.

with Glenda Kirk, NQ Branch President.