About Us - Membership

The State Training Board is comprised of members, appointed by the Minister, for their industry expertise and their ability to make a high level contribution to the strategic direction of the State's vocational education and training system. The following people have been appointed to the State Training Board by the Minister for Training for a period of three years, with the Chair for a period of five years.

	Chair: Mr Keith Spence, FAIM Mr Keith Spence has been reappointed for a second term, up to a five year period. Keith is currently on several other Boards and Committees, including Skills Australia and the Critical Skills Investment Fund Advisory Board, which are directly related to the training sector. Keith is a Non-Executive Chairman of Clough Ltd, Geodynamics Ltd and a Non-Executive Director of Verve Energy. With over 30 years experience in the oil and gas industry, including 18 years with Shell, Keith has a broad knowledge of the industry. Keith retired from Woodside in 2008 after 14 years in top executive positions in the company including Chief Operating Officer and Acting Chief Executive Officer. Keith is a member of the National Carbon Capture and Storage Council and also Chairs the Board of the National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority, the Australian Institute of Management (WA), and the Industry Advisory Board of the Australian Centre for Energy and Process Training. Keith is also member of the Curtin University council.
	Member: Mr Mike Deeks, CSC MMgmt, BA, FAICD Mr Mike Deeks had a long and successful naval career retiring from the Defence Forces in January 2005. Mike then became Chairman of a West Australian based resources and defence technology company. In addition, he has undertaken consultancy work for the WA Government in the area of marine and defence industry development. Mike is currently employed as Western Australia's Site Executive for Raytheon Australia. He is the Deputy Chair of the Challenger Institute of Technology Governing Council.
	Member: Ms Simone McGurk Ms Simone McGurk is the current Secretary for UnionsWA with a long association with the union movement in Australia. Simone was one of the first women to be elected as an office bearer for the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union. Simone has also had experience in media, working as a radio producer in the city and in regional WA.
	Member: Ms Audrey Jackson Ms Audrey Jackson has had a long career in secondary education including 14 years in the position of Principal of Saint Mary’s Anglican School in Karrinyup. Most recently she was Executive Director of the Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia, a position that she held for 11 years. Audrey has served on a number of Boards and governing bodies including the Council of Curtin University as both a member and Pro-Chancellor, the Council of West Coast College of TAFE and the Board of SCITECH of which she was Chair for four years. In addition to her membership of the State Training Board, Audrey is Chair of the Country High Schools Hostels Authority.
	Member: Ms Jane Coole Ms Jane Coole is the current Director, External Relations at Curtin University providing strategic, innovative leadership and management in the development of relationships between the university and the government, community and industry sectors. Jane brings to the Board a strong focus on regional education as she is involved with regional and remote communities to develop community capacity building projects which target education and employment outcomes to address regional skills shortages. From 2001 – 2005, Jane held the position of Campus Manager of Curtin University’s Goldfields Campus.
	Member: Dr Greg Lewis Dr Greg Lewis is a clinical and educational psychologist who has worked in the disability employment and training field since 1979. In 1984, Greg established EDGE Employment Solutions Inc., the first and one of the largest disability employment agencies in Australia. From 1987 to 1995 he served as Director of Country Services and Local Area Co-ordination with the WA Disability Services Commission. In 1996 he established My Place (WA) Pty Ltd, an individualised accommodation service for people with disability. Greg currently serves as Executive Chairman of My Place (WA) Pty Ltd and Executive Director of EDGE Employment Solutions Inc. He is also adjunct Associate Professor at the Centre for Research into Disability and Society at Curtin University.
	Member: Ms Kelley Yeats Ms Kelley Yeats is presently General Manager of Apprenticeships Australia, a WA-based apprentice and trainee consultancy service and GTO run through the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA. Kelley's qualifications are in geology but has spent a considerable part of her career in financial services, publishing and marketing roles.
	Member: Ms Vanessa Davies Ms Vanessa Davies is an Aboriginal woman who has traditional links to Wongai and Noongar people in Western Australia. Vanessa is currently Assistant Director with Serco Asia Pacific working on the Acacia Prison contract with the WA State Government. Vanessa was previously Chief Executive Officer of the largest Aboriginal Medical Service in Australia, Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service Inc. In her current and previous roles Vanessa has worked at executive management level in government relations, justice, employment and education, health, community and Indigenous relations with various companies, organisations, governments and community groups in WA and throughout Australia.