After almost five years as Chair of the Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI), having helped to guide the joint venture partnership Board through the Kimberley and Dredging Science Node projects and the Blueprint for Marine Science Initiative, I’m stepping down as Chair.      

I’m exceptionally proud to have been here during the Kimberley Marine Research Progam (KMRP) and the Dredging Science Node (DSN), to have been a part of the fabulous science that has been done and was shown at the 2017 WAMSI Research conference.

I’d like to pay tribute to Patrick Seares, who was CEO during the bulk of this time, for his strategic thinking, huge energy and enthusiasm and I know that the current CEO Dr Luke Twomey will use his considerable skills in guiding WAMSI well into the future.

It’s been a pleasure working with all the WAMSI partners. I greatly respected their ideas and considerable support for the notion and realisation of the marine science collaboration that is WAMSI.

A huge thanks also to the staff of WAMSI, who are the real backbone to facilitating the smooth running of this Institution. I give particular acknowledgement to Linda McGowan who has managed the WAMSI finances and contracts for many years. Her commitment to detail is invaluable.

I’d like to express my admiration to all of the scientists involved in the dredging and Kimberley science nodes and in particular the Node Leadership teams: Ray Masini, Ross Jones, Kevin Crane and Kevin McAlpine (DSN); and Stuart Field and Kelly Waples (KMRP).

As WAMSI moves forward, I’m leaving the Institution in very good hands with Peter Millington, who  is taking over as Chair from the first of January 2018.

As a long-standing WAMSI Board member and CEO of Chemcentre and previously Acting Chief Executive Officer of Fisheries, Peter is well known to most in the Western Australian marine science field.

I wish Peter and everyone else involved in WAMSI a long and successful future.

Naomi Brown
Chair WAMSI