Australasian Institute of Emergency Services

David Parsons ESM CESM FAIES
Director / National President

David is a Lecturer at the Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security Studies at Charles Sturt University, the Deputy Director Training with Response and Recovery Aotearoa and an educator with the Australian Centre for Investigation and Incident Management Solutions.

Previously David managed Sydney Waters Emergency Management and Counter Terrorism Program. After 9/11 David represented the Australian Water industry on the Australian Governments Critical Infrastructure Advisory Council for 14 years. David also served on the National Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Workgroup for following 9/11. David’s next role was regulating emergency management in the NSW mining sector with the NSW Resources Regulator.

David is a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Emergency Services, a Fellow of the Business Continuity Institute, a Fellow of the Emergency Management Academy New York, a Life Member of the NSW State Emergency Service and a member of the International Association of Emergency Managers.

David holds a Masters in Emergency Management, and Degrees in Social Science and Education. David has completed an Emergency Management Fellowship with the Emergency Management Academy in New York and the Leadership in Crises Program with the Harvard Kennedy Business School.

David was awarded the Emergency Services Medal in 2023 for his contribution to Emergency Management in Australia.

Rebecca Hunt MAIES - National Vice President

Rebecca began her time in Emergency Services from the age of 20, and remains an active volunteer. She was with the SES for 13 years and changed to CFS 3 years ago. She has held administrative roles with both, being the Unit Finance Officer for SES and now the Administration Officer for the State Support Operations Brigade for the CFS.

After leaving a role in the SA Government, Rebecca studied a Bachelor of Medical Science, and commenced her career in the Medical Industry. she enjoys a faced paced environment, where her negotiation skills and lateral thinking can be challenged.

Rebecca is an experienced Practice Manager, holding a Diploma of Business and a Diploma of Leadership and Management, as well as recently completing her Diploma in Nursing whilst on Parental Leave. She understands the nature of volunteering within Emergency Services, and particularly for those that balance a professional career with young children.

Stephen Jenkins FAIES
Immediate Past President

Stephen is a Fellow of the Institute and was elected National President in 2015. He stepped down from the role in 2021 after having served two three-year terms, the maximum allowable under the Institute's Constitution. Previously he had held the positions of Vice-president then President of the Queensland Division. Stephen is also the Institute's representative on the Australian Emergency Management Volunteers Forum (AEMVF), a Commonwealth government advisory body, and sub-editor of the National Emergency Response journal.

Stephen has extensive experience in the emergency management having serviced as a police officer in Queensland for almost 35 years prior to his retirement in 2017. During his policing career, Stephen performed a variety of duties, including: general duties; criminal investigations (appointed Detective); officer-in-charge of varying sizes stations and sections including rural, remote and Indigenous communities; District Inspector; Regional and District Duty Officer; and manager of a variety of information and communications technology related programs and projects including implementing a service-wide online incident and disaster management system, and preliminary work that resulted in the development of the Government Wireless Network that now delivers secure digital communications and other capabilities for police and emergency services across southeast Queensland. Stephen also performed specialised forensic crash investigations, search and rescue coordination, and disaster management officer duties.

Presently, Stephen is performing project-related activities with an Australian government department. He is also a local government Councillor, and volunteer fire-fighter and brigade captain with the NSW Rural Fire Service. Stephen has multiple university qualifications, including six Master's degrees (various disciplines including emergency and disaster management), a Bachelor in Social Science (Emergency Management), and two Graduate Diplomas.

Stephen has been awarded numerous awards, citations and medals, including:

• National Emergency Medal for Sustained Deployment during an Approved Natural Disaster (QLD 2010-11).
• National Police Service Medal for Service in an Australian Police Force.
• National Medal (1st and 2nd Clasps) for Service.
• Queensland Police Service Medal (and 30-year Clasp) for Ethical and Diligent Service.
• 2010 - 2011 Queensland Flood and Cyclone Citation - Group citation for all police and emergency service personnel involved in responding to the flood and cyclone events.
• NSW Premier's Bushfire Emergency Citation - 2019-20 bushfires.
• Queensland Police Service - Assistant Commissioner's Certificate Corporate and Support for his contribution to the QPS and Fleet Assets Service Group from 2013 to 2017, in particular for providing high level project management and support.
• Queensland Police Service - 2013 Award for Excellence in Corporate and Support Services, Information and Communications Technology Award, Computer Aided Dispatch Project.
• Queensland Police Service - QPS Sesquicentennial Citation
• Queensland Police Service - G20 Citation
• Personal Letter of Appreciation for service from The Honourable Mark Ryan MP, Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services and Minister for Corrective Services, Queensland Government - 2017.
• Personal Letter of Appreciation for service from Commissioner Ian Stewart APM, Queensland Police Service - 2017.
• Personal Letter of Appreciation from Assistant Commissioner Katarina Carroll APM - Far Northern Region (QPS) - 2012 for contribution to policing of the Tully area during the disaster response following Tropical Cyclone Yasi in 2011.

Other Letters of Appreciation and Favourable Comments:

• Gold Coast City Council - for facilitation of a pre-conference workshop at the 5th Australasian Natural Hazards Management Conference.
• Doomadgee Aboriginal Community Council - for his intervention and efforts in restoring police / community relations.
• Australian Federal Police - for assistance provided during multi-agency operations.
• Judge Trafford-Walker (Cairns Circuit Court) - Favourable comments during sentencing of an accused following a protracted multi-agency operation re the purchase and cashing of weaponry and ammunition for shipment to Irian Jaya for use by militia groups against Indonesian National Forces.
• Victoria Police, Australian Federal Police and Australian Customs Service (Joint Operation) - Appreciation of assistance provided during a multi-jurisdictional covert operation into drug importation.
• Australian Airlines Security - Appreciation for the management of an operation into drug cultivation and use at the airline's island resorts in North Queensland resulting in multiple arrests.

Shane Bolton CStJ, CESM, CBCI, FAIES, MIAEM
Director / President South Australia and Western Australia Division

Shane brings 30+ years of emergency management leadership across government and private sectors, specialising in crisis response, risk management, medical and safety services for high-risk events, and organisational resilience.

As Assistant Director with the interim Australian CDC's Health Emergency Management Branch, he leads the Preparedness Team developing national capabilities through policy frameworks, training, exercises, and reviews.

Shane commanded organisational responses to major disasters, including the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires and the 2011 Brisbane floods. His international experience includes representing Australia in Timor-Leste as part of an Australian Government Regional Capability Development program and at national exercises, including the Asia Pacific Earthquake Response Exercise (2023) and Exercise Aurora (2024).

With qualifications spanning business management, volunteer management, leadership, nursing, critical care, aeromedical operations, and crisis/emergency management, Shane holds Business Continuity Institute certification (CBCI with merit) and is recognised as a Certified Emergency Services Manager and Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Emergency Services.

A published author and international presenter, Shane has dedicated 40+ years to community service, including 35+ years with St John Ambulance Australia from operations to board level. As Commander of the Order of St John, and continues his volunteering with various community and youth organisations, guided by his core values of integrity, authenticity, and empathy.

Jenny Crump JP(Qual), FAIES
AIES National Treasurer

Jenny has been with the SES for the past 19 years and is currently with Northern Group within the Brisbane City SES Unit. During this time Jenny has been on a number of deployments throughout the State where she has assisted with disaster recovery in many regional communities. In the Brisbane region, Jenny has been on many activations over the years assisting with storm damage, searches, rescues, forensic searches and community events.

Jenny holds a TAE and spends a most weekends during the year training other SES members and new recruits.

Since 2010, Jenny has received the following awards, citations and medals.

• 2010-2011 Queensland Flood and Cyclone Citation
• 2010-2011 National Emergency Medal and Clasp
• 2011 QFES 5 year Meritorious Service Certificate
• 2014 G20 Australia Citation
• 2015 SES Northern (Wednesday) Group Member of the Year
• 2016 QFES Meritorious Service Medal
• 2016 QFES Assistant Commissioner's Certificate of Appreciation
• 2016 SES Brisbane Unit Trainer of the Year
• 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games Citation
• 2019 Qld Women in Fire and Emergency Services Award for Outstanding Female Leader – Volunteer
• 2020 Australia Day Achievement Award
• 2021 AIES National Medal of Excellence
• 2021 QFES 15 year Meritorious Clasp
• 2021 SES Week Award
• 2021 National Emergency Medal TC Debbie 2017 Clasp
• 2021 National Emergency Medal Nth Qld 2019 Clasp
• 2021 SES Brisbane Unit Trainer of the Year
• 2021 SES Brisbane Unit Operational Member of the Year
• 2022 National Medal

Jenny joined the AIES QLD/NT Division in April 2010 and was elected to the position of QLD/NT Treasurer which she held for 4 years. In 2014 Jenny was then elected to the position of QLD/NT Secretary/Treasurer and has held that position for the past 11 years.

In 2016 Jenny joined the Qld SES Volunteers Association and in 2017 was appointed to the position of Merchandise Officer. In 2024 Jenny was appointed to the position of State Secretary and currently retains both positions.

In 2017 Jenny was appointed as the AIES National Treasurer and currently remains in that position.

Kate Goldsmith CESM FAIES MIAEM
Director / Vice President Victoria Division

Kate Goldsmith is an experienced Emergency Management professional with a strong background in Victorian local government. She has led the planning, coordination, and evaluation of emergency management activities across multiple municipalities, applying a risk-based, all-hazards approach to the identification, management, and delivery of Council’s emergency management responsibilities.

Kate played a key role in coordinating a regional local government response to the October 2022 flood event and was invited to speak at the subsequent Parliamentary Inquiry into the flood response. She remains an active contributor to local emergency management planning committees and supports the ongoing development and review of emergency management plans.

Drawing on her earlier career in hospitality and business development, Kate brings strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills to her emergency management work. She currently serves as the Deputy Unit Controller – Community Engagement and Resilience at Cobram VIC SES, where she was instrumental in establishing the unit’s Community Engagement Team.

Her passion for community resilience is further demonstrated through the co-creation of the First 72 Hours community resilience program, now adopted by several local governments across Victoria.

In recognition of her contributions, Kate received the 2024 AIES National Award for Excellence for exceptional innovation in emergency management. She is a Certified Emergency Services Manager (CESM) with AIES and is proud to serve as Vice President of the AIES Victorian Division and as an elected member of the AIES National Board.

Kate holds a Bachelor of Emergency Management from Charles Sturt University, where she was twice awarded the Executive Dean’s Award for academic excellence. She also serves on the university’s External Review Committee for the emergency management curriculum.

She is an active member of several professional networks, including the Australasian Women in Emergencies Network (AWE) and the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), and remains committed to building safer, more resilient communities through collaboration and innovation.

Dr Brett Henderson CESM MAIES
Director / President New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and International Division

Brett is a retired Senior NSW Police Officer, with experience as a Local Emergency Operations Controller (LEOCON) in Sydney's inner and outer Western Suburbs. In retirement Brett has completed a Masters Degree in Emergency Management and most recently, a Doctor of Public Safety.

Brett is a member of the NSW State Emergency Service and has been deployed to Western and Far Western NSW, responding to major flooding and also to Western Australia as part of the NSW contingent responding to flooding. Brett has been actively involved in training, focussing on incident command and control (AIIMS). Brett was previously a member of the AIES NSW Division Board.

Brett continues to engage with other emergency managers nationally and has expanded on that experience through engagement with emergency management practitioners in the Pacific, Canada and the US. As a part of this expanded engagement, Brett also attended the Massey University's Emergency Management Institute week in Wellington, New Zealand in March 2023.

John Moy MAIES
President Queensland and Northern Territory Division

John Moy is currently the Business Operations Manager at the Queensland Combined Emergency Services Academy (QCESA) within the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES). He previously established the Volunteer Emergency Services Training Command (VESTC), as its inaugural Executive Manager and has worked in QFES and its previous iterations, in volunteer and paid roles for over 30 years.

John commenced his career as a Special Education teacher working with youth who had severe behavioural and learning difficulties. Around the same time John joined the Queensland State Emergency Service (SES) as a volunteer. He served in multiple training, operational, leadership and management roles over his 25-year career with the SES. John also worked for 6 years in the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) Community Education division, as a first aid trainer/assessor.

He has a passion for 'life-long learning' and holds numerous formal qualifications including Bachelor of Social Science (Emergency Management), Graduate Certificate of Public Sector Management, Graduate Diploma of Community Service Management, and an MBA. John is currently completing his Professional Doctorate through Charles Sturt University (CSU) researching a national, sustainable volunteer emergency services model. John has presented on leadership and management topics, as well as his ongoing research, at various national conferences. He was recently accepted as a presenter and Chair of the 'Volunteer and Aid in Disaster Contexts' session, for the International Sociological Association (ISA) World Congress in Melbourne, 2023.

John runs his own successful first aid training business and has been a representative on the Australian Resuscitation Council (Qld Chapter) for many years. John has worked for several universities, including Central Queensland University (CQU) where he is an assessor within the Emergency Services and Disaster Management program. John has been a member of the AIES for over 25 years. John continues to hone his passion for training and education, emergency services volunteering and leadership and management, hoping to make some small contribution to making the world a safer, happier place. 'Live every day as if it were your last; as one day it surely shall be'.

Dr Bodie Rodman MBBS (Adel), AICGG, CinDipPallMed, MAIES, MICDA, FRACP, FRSPH
Director / Vice President Tasmania Division

Dr Bodie Rodman was welcomed as a Director of the Australasian Institute of Emergency Services in 2025 and serving first term as Vice President of the Tasmanian Executive Management Committee.

Dr Rodman has served with St John Ambulance for nearing three decades and holds a senior commissioned officer appointment. His experiences have included emergency response and natural disaster deployments, provision of pre-hospital medical care, various teaching, leadership, and governance contributions.

Professionally, Dr Rodman is a specialist medical practitioner with expertise in internal medicine, stroke medicine, and clinical governance. He is a specialist medical practitioner for the Independent Lookback Review Committee for the Tasmanian Health Service and is a clinical Academic Titleholder with the University of Tasmania and University of Adelaide. His research portfolio currently includes Subprincipal Investigator appointments for two large international clinical trials. He is serving his second term as the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences Representative to the Alumni Council of the University of Adelaide.

His services have been recognised with awards including the Queensland citation (flood and cyclone) and the Order Service Medal of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem. His academic and professional achievements with public health have been recognised through being awarded the prestigious Fellowship of the Royal Society of Public Health. He received the Honour of being promoted to Officer of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (OStJ) in 2019.

Marilena Salvo
Company Secretary

Marilena Salvo holds an undergraduate degree in astronomy from Padua University, Italy. She spent six years at the Mount Stromlo Observatory in Canberra, where she earned her PhD in 2006. Her research field primarily focused on supernovae, and she has conducted observations using various large telescope in Australia, Italy, the Canary Islands, and Chile.

Marilena was living at Mt Stromlo in Canberra in 2003, when the Observatory and her home were devastated by the Canberra bushfires. This experience was one of the key motivators for her interest in disaster recovery and business continuity.

Following a decade in academic research, Marilena has had a diverse career in the Not-for-Profit (NFP) sector. She has managed associations spanning various domains, including Continuity Forum and the Business Continuity Institute, the Parking Association of Australia, the Australasian Research Management Society, and the Risk Management Association, among others. She was also the inaugural Secretary of the Australian Women in Security Network. During the COVID pandemic, Marilena played an important role in managing the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases. She was appointed Company Secretary of AIES in December 2023. She is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has attended the Company Directors Course.

In 2023, Marilena joined CSIRO in the role of Executive Officer, Space and Astronomy. Her unique blend of scientific expertise and NFP experience contributes significantly to her current position.

Costa Zakis FAIES MAICD MIEAust
Director & Webmaster

Costa's emergency management career started in 1983 as a volunteer with the NSW SES Blue Mountains Unit and has held numerous leadership positions including almost 10 years as Local Controller. Costa was on the AIES NSW Division Board from 1994 to 1997, was the sub-editor of the AIES National Emergency Response journal from 1996 to 2001, and was admitted as a Fellow of the Institute in 2020. He was awarded the Blue Mountains City Citizen of the Year in 2007 for services to Emergency Management.

In his professional life, Costa operates his own consultancy, where he advises on business strategy, risk management and organisational resilience. He is is an experienced company executive and risk management professional who has held domestic and international Executive leadership and company Director positions. With a background in engineering and an MBA, Costa was the previous regional consulting leader for a global risk advisory firm where he was responsible for consulting operations that included forensic accounting, actuarial services, risk engineering, claims management, strategic and people risk. Costa has worked with some of Australia's governments, largest businesses and critical infrastructure providers to understand strategic, operational and project related risk, develop and implement risk programs, assist with mergers and acquisitions, undertake risk and insurance due diligence and improve risk governance. He has been a risk advisor to two Olympic Games and had an ongoing crisis management advisory role with one of Australia's leading sporting codes for over 10 years.