RDAT Board Members

Professor Sue Kilpatrick

Chair

Professor Sue Kilpatrick is Professor of Education at the University of Tasmania Launceston Campus.  She is also a Member of the Tasmanian Traineeship and Apprenticeship Committee. Up until the end of 2015 Sue was the Pro Vice Chancellor "Students", University of Tasmania, where her responsibilities included pre-degree programs and pathways to UTAS from schools and TasTAFE, the Aboriginal support Riawunna Centre and the English Language Centre.

Sue was formerly Pro Vice Chancellor (Rural and Regional) at Deakin University, Australia and a member of the Regional Development Australia Barwon South West Victoria Committee.

Sue has had a diverse career in higher education, including in, economics, education and rural health. She holds a PhD in the Economics of Education and a Master of Economics in Labour Economics and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

A born and bred Tasmanian, Sue is committed to working with and for the communities in which she lives. She has been a member of a diverse range of Boards in Victoria and Tasmania including, in Victoria: South West TAFE, South West Local Learning and Employment Network, G21 Education Pillar and Marcus Oldham College, and in Tasmania:  Northern Tasmania Development Corporation Board (Deputy Chair), TL3 (Tasmanian Lifelong Learning), the Early Years Foundation, FarmBis State Planning Group Family-based Care North, Australian Rural Health Education Network and headspace Northern Tasmania.

James Riggall

Deputy Chair

James Riggall is a Tasmanian entrepreneur and academic who is based in Launceston. 

James is the founder and managing director of Bitlink, a local technology education company and a senior industry fellow with the University of Tasmania where he teaches entrepreneurship.  In addition to his role with the University of Tasmania, James also travels to the United States each year to teach extended reality (virtual and augmented reality) technology at Bellevue College in Bellevue, Washington State. 

Alongside his role with the RDA Tasmania committee, James is also chair of the Queen Victoria Museum Governance Advisory Board, chair of the Pearcy Foundation in Tasmania and a director of Enterprize Tasmania.  James is a Fulbright Scholar, a winner of the Benson Award for Entrepreneurship and was one of the first Ambassadors for Public Education in Tasmania.

Shannon Wells

Treasurer

Shannon is the managing director of Airlines of Tasmania (“Par Avion”), a family-owned aviation business, focusing on Flying Training and Tourism based at Cambridge Aerodrome in Hobart. He has been working here mowing lawns or washing planes since childhood. Wanting a career as an airline pilot, Shannon flew a Cessna 172 solo at age 16, gained his private licence at age 17, however, stepped away from aviation to focus on studies at the University of Tasmania with a Bachelor of Commerce & Bachelor of Information Systems, and got a graduate role at a Big 4 bank and worked here for several years, working across all parts of Tasmania and including a period in Sydney.

With “head office” applying pressure to move to the “mainland” permanently, Shannon took up a 6 month career break to return to aviation, and 11 years later hasn’t returned.

Shannon is an advocate for tourism and aviation, being actively involved in the promotion of the state through various trade missions both domestically and internationally, he feels extremely lucky to not only be able to personally fly over this beautiful state, but also promote the state as an ideal flying training location and tourism destination and share his love of this place with others.

Shannon is a Fellow in the Financial Services Institute of Australasia, a Fellow in the Institute of Managers and Leaders and a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has a Diploma of Business, a Masters in Applied Finance, and was awarded the Tourism Ministers Young Achiever Award in 2015.

Maureen Stellmaker

Secretary & Public Officer

Maureen grew up in Northern New South Wales in a farming community before completing a Bachelor of International Business and a Bachelor of Commerce in QLD and later her Masters of Business Administration. Having worked in various areas of Australia in Mining and Government Maureen moved to Tasmania and then started her career in Real Estate, including started and running her own agency for 19 years. 

Maureen has been on the REIT Northern Branch Board and has also been heavily involved with the George Town Chamber of Commerce, being a past President and on the Executive committee for a number of years, as well as Chair of the DAP for George Town. Maureen in a strong advocate for rural Tasmania and supporting communities to achieve their potential by working collaboratively across small businesses, industry and Local and State government.

Andrew Kneebone

Board Member

Andrew stepped down from the role of CEO at Tasmanian Irrigation in May 2025 after 7 years at the organisation to practice not working full time for a while.  Andrew joined Tasmanian Irrigation in July 2018 and was appointed CEO of Tasmanian Irrigation in May 2019 after acting in the role for six months. He has more than 30 years of senior and executive management experience in the irrigation, urban water and electricity utility sectors, spanning four Australian states and territories. Recent past positions include CFO and GM Corporate Services at Central Highlands Water in Victoria,  CEO of Cradle Mountain Water in Tasmania and General Manager Commercial and Strategy  with an electricity generator, Territory Generation in Darwin. 

Andrew holds an MBA from the University of Queensland and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has extensive experience in leadership, governance, strategic planning, stakeholder management, project and program development and delivery, commercial negotiation, business finance, economic regulation implementation, operational and risk management, organisational development and change management.

Sarah Jones

Board Member

Sarah moved to Tasmania from Victoria with her family in 2007, and lives just out of Ulverstone, in the northwest of the state on a small farming property. She is an experienced facilitator with a track record of supporting businesses across a range of sectors to better collaborate and grow. 

She commenced at the University of Tasmania (UTAS) in 2018, supporting industry engagement activity as well as shaping the development and delivery of ‘demand driven’ short courses and micro credentials working closely with Tasmanian industry and community.

Prior to joining UTas, Sarah worked as a Business Facilitator for the Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) delivering the Commonwealth Governments Entrepreneurs Programme, working to build strategic supply chain alignment and support high growth businesses within Tasmania to realise their potential. 

She has also worked as General Manager, Industry Development at Clean Energy Council Australia on projects to address areas of impediment to growth and promote best practice in the renewable energy sector nationally. Sarah commenced her career in Victorian local government including working at the peak body, the Municipal Association of Victoria managing policy, corporate and governance functions. 

Sarah is a Director and the Deputy Chair of Burnie Works, and a Board Committee member of West-Northwest Working, the regional jobs hub for Northwest Tasmania.

Will Charlton

Board Member

Will Charlton is a strategic communications leader with extensive experience in stakeholder engagement across government and major infrastructure projects.

Will is currently Strategic Communications Manager at the Macquarie Point Development Corporation, where he plays a key role in shaping public engagement around one of Tasmania’s most significant urban renewal projects.

Will brings to the RDA Tasmania Board a strong background in public affairs, government relations, and cross-sector collaboration — alongside a deep understanding of how to build trust and momentum across diverse regional communities.

Stuart Crispin

Board Member

Stuart is a senior higher education leader, board director, and strategic advisor with more than two decades of experience across teaching, research, and executive management. He is the former Executive Dean of the College of Business and Economics at the University of Tasmania and a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute.

Stuart brings deep expertise in institutional strategy, international education, curriculum innovation, and academic quality assurance. He has held key leadership roles including MBA Director, Head of School, and Associate Dean (International and Learning & Teaching Performance), and played a central role in securing AACSB accreditation for the University. He has contributed nationally through the Australian Business Deans Council, previously chairing its Learning and Teaching Network.

Throughout his career, Stuart has championed educational access, regional development, and global engagement. He led the establishment of the University’s Melbourne campus in partnership with the Education Centre of Australia, oversaw operations across Tasmanian campuses, and managed offshore education partnerships in Shanghai and Hong Kong.

As a first-generation university graduate, Stuart is a strong advocate for the transformative impact of education. He now supports institutions, governments, and organisations through consulting and board appointments, bringing a pragmatic, place-based approach to policy, strategy, and innovation.