your board

Clubs Queensland is governed by a Board who oversee the administration of the association, in trust, for its members.
 
There are currently eight (8) members of the Board including the President who is the primary conduit with Clubs Queensland Management. There are elections for the positions of the President and the Board annually based on the expiry of individual’s tenure to ensure continuity of business and Board policies.

don seccombe AM, president

PRESIDENT, REDLANDS SPORTING CLUB

p: 07 3207 1133
e: president@rsc.asn.au
(holds Office until 2019)

Don Seccombe AM was a foundation member of the Redlands Sporting Club Inc. when it was formed in 1980, elected as the inaugural President, holding Membership No 1.

Coming from a corporate business background where he was responsible for some 400 employees directly in his position as National Sales Manager for Incitec Ltd., he has been part of big business for many years.  Incitec sales at that time were approximately $700 million.

Utilising this background when the Club was formed, Don was instrumental in producing policies and procedures including all financial parameters under which the Club operated. Throughout the years that followed, Don has led the strategic planning, various feasibility studies, building and expansion plans, and project management to what the Club has become to-day. The most recent of these expansions was completed in early 2007 at a cost of $12.3 million.  A testament to Don’s success is the fact that this expansion was completed without borrowing any funds – i.e. totally from cash flow and the Club remains debt-free under his leadership.

As well as the role of President of the Redlands Sporting Club, Don was elected as Mayor of Redlands Shire in 2001, then re-elected in 2004 until 2008. His commitment to community via the mayoralty has been widely acclaimed and is also demonstrated by his leadership at Club level, ensuring that the Club is a major community provider. With Don’s guidance the Club provides unconditional voluntary contributions annually in cash of over $360,000 to sporting, community and charitable organisations. 

As Mayor, Don was involved widely in regional affairs, being Chairman of the Southern Regional Organisation of Councils; Chairman of  various committees and reference groups. This level of involvement with regional and state elected representatives and departmental personnel is seen as a distinct strength for Club’s Queensland.

john mccallum OAM, northern region  

GROUP EXECUTIVE MANAGER, BROTHERS LEAGUES CLUB, (CAIRNS) LTD
p: 07 4053 1053
e: john_mac@@bigpond.net.au
 (holds Office until 2021)

gavin lyons, northern region

p: 0419 712 917
e: gavjl@outlook.com
(holds Office until 2022)

Prior to his retirement, Gavin was employed in local government in Townsville since 1974 and spent the final 20 years as a Director. He has been heavily involved with Brothers Townsville and spent 21 years playing for the club before finishing in 1984. He became President of Brothers Townsville Football Club in 1985 until 1993 and joined the Board of the Leagues Club in 1987 and has since continued on the Board. He was elected Chairman in 1998 and currently still hold that position. Gavin was awarded the Clubs Queensland Club Director of the Year in 2008 and is also a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.  Gavin is a strong advocate for community clubs and the benefits they bring to our local communities.

will schroeder, central & western region

CEO, YARALLA SPORTS CLUB
p: 07 4979 8270
e: will@yaralla.com.au
(holds Office until 2022)

Will became involved in the club industry over 11 years ago, as the Marketing Manager at Tamworth Services Club and later served as Sub – Assistant Manager at South Sydney Leagues Club from 1998-1999. Will is committed to continuing with the Zone’s current efforts to achieve a higher profile for clubs in the Capricornia Zone, to improve communication throughout the zone and to ensure that all clubs, irrespective of type or size, are effectively represented on the Board of Clubs Queensland.

tony castro, vice president & central & western region

SECRETARY, THE WAVES
p: 07 4152 1531
e: acastro3@bigpond.com
(holds office until 2021)

Tony was born and bred in Bundaberg and owns a sugar cane farm as part of a family company. Tony is a member on the Management Committee of The Waves as Secretary and has held that position for the past 20 years. He also has a position on the Club’s corporate governance sub-committee. Tony has also been appointed to the Bundaberg Region Sport & Recreation Advisory Group by the Bundaberg Regional Council for a period of two years from November 2011. The role of this advisory group is to assist the Council with its strategic planning and development of sporting and recreational facilities within its regional boundaries. Other commitments include being a director of Bundaberg CANEGROWERS  Ltd and the Queensland Cane Growers Organisation Ltd. Both bodies are grower representative bodies that act as a lobby group to governments on members’ behalf.

michael callaghan, south-east region

GENERAL MANAGER, SUNNYBANK RUGBY UNION CLUB INC T/A SUNNYBANK COMMUNITY & SPORTS CLUB

p: 07 3323 9601
e: michael@sbru.com.au
(holds office until 2021)

Michael was born and raised on a grain farm 20 miles east of Dalby and after boarding school in Toowoomba worked on farms in and around Dalby for 15 years. Michael moved to Darwin to run the Rugby facility and coach the Northern Territory Rugby team. The highlight was coaching this team to a 17 – 16 win over the touring Scottish National Rugby Team in 1992. Michael moved to Brisbane to marry and started working as a grounds person for the Sunnybank Rugby Union Club Ltd through to his current role of General Manager.  

2017 is Michael’s 25th year at the club which is now a multi-million dollar community facility that is a focal point for community & sport in Sunnybank. His family and the Sunnybank Club are a passion for Michael along with the club industry in Queensland which has many great stories to tell and great reasons to fight for a stronger club industry that local and state governments take notice of. 

kelvin patch, south-east region

CEO, CABOOLTURE SPORTS CLUB INC
p: 07 5497 9711
e: kelvin@cabsports.com.au
(hold office until 2020)

Kelvin commenced his employment in the hospitality industry at the age of eighteen (18) throughout a number of venues in his home town of Tweed Heads. In the year 2000 he ventured north to Queensland and was appointed Secretary Manager of the Blue Fin Fishing Club, in 2004 he was employed as the Secretary Manager of the Caboolture Sports Club and later as the club’s Chief Executive Officer.

He has a business degree obtained at Southern Cross University and a commitment to ensure that the Queensland Community Club sector is united in it’s objective for the provision of each and all disciplines  and the wider community. 

DIRECTOR, BRISBANE RACING CLUB
p: 0414 777 660
e: sgagel@brc.com.au
(holds office until 2020)

Steve is a Chartered Accountant and Director of Prosperity Advisers Group, with 25 years of experience and has had the opportunity to work on many clients within the hospitality industry; from cafes, restaurants, pubs, clubs and associated parties supplying the industry. This work lead to the appointment as Director to the Brisbane Racing Club Limited (“BRC”) in 2013 and subsequent appointment as Chairman of the Finance Governance and Risk Subcommittee in 2014. Steve is actively involved in delivering a $1.2B master plan to release capital to future-proof the BRC to enable the realisation of its constitutional goals.

During the term of his directorship at the BRC, the BRC board has had a challenging time in converting the traditional racing club model into a multi-experience venue with broad income streams, including the recent purchase of Souths Sports Club at Acacia Ridge. Steve considers the role as an honour to serve on the board of a club that has history dating back to 1863 and considers himself a custodian of the club to ensure it survives well into the future. With any dramatic change, as has occurred at the BRC, there are plenty of road blocks and obstacles that must be overcome to achieve the original plan for the good of our members and the industry. Steve is aware that many clubs are under similar pressure to reinvent themselves and brings to the Clubs Queensland board this experience and understanding from a racing background.