In August 2022, the FRDC Capability and Capacity Steering Committee was formed to strategically guide the capability and capacity building plan.  

The committee is expertise based rather than representative and will add value through integration with existing fishing and aquaculture structures. The committee will meet four times a year and members will provide oversight of measurement and evaluation to enable visibility of progress, identification of challenges and review of capability and capacity building initiatives.  

Committee members are: 

• Dr Kate Brooks (independent chair): Non-Executive Director, KAL Analysis Pty Ltd, Chair, SA Allocation Review Committee, and previous FRDC Director and FRDC HDR program founder.  

• Veronica Papacosta: CEO, Seafood Industry Australia (SIA), Managing Director of Sydney Fresh Seafood (Aust) Pty Ltd; Non-Executive Director of East 33 Ltd, Agriculture Industry Advisory Council member; National Fisheries Advisory Council member and a passionate advocate for the Australian seafood industry. 

• Dr Heidi Mumme: Owner/director of MI-Fish Consulting, Program Manager of the National Seafood Industry Leadership Program, President and Tasmanian director of Women in Seafood Australasia (WISA), Seafood Maritime Training Tasmania Board member; FRDC Safety and Wellbeing Committee member, FRDC Research Advisory Committees (RAC) Chair for Tasmania and Northern Territory.  

• Andrew Sullivan: Owner/director of Fish Focus Consulting, and recently departed Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Fisheries Association (CFA). Andrew left the CFA to embark on a PhD through the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (UTAS) entitled ‘Novel Governance for a Changing Ocean’, examining the complex intersection of governance, policy, science, and development.