Liza Carroll
Director-General
BEd, MEd (Hons)
Liza was appointed as Director-General of the Department of Housing and Public Works in August 2015. She has over 15 years senior executive experience across the Australian and Queensland Governments. During this time Liza has delivered reforms in the areas of housing, homelessness, families, income support and communities.
Liza is the former Associate Secretary of Indigenous Affairs in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. She started her career in the early childhood education and higher education arenas.
Liza has a keen interest in public sector leadership and administration in terms of strategy and delivery for government and the community.
Christine Castley
Deputy Director-General, Housing and Homelessness Services
BA/LLB, MPA
Christine has been with the department since March 2016, bringing with her over 20 years’ experience in the public sector. In her previous role of Senior Executive Director of Social Policy with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Christine led and coordinated a wide range of whole-of-government social and justice issues. In 2014–15 in particular, Christine led the Secretariat to the Government’s Taskforce on Domestic and Family Violence. Prior to this, Christine held senior positions in the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, the Department of State Development and the Queensland Performing Arts Trust.
Graham Atkins
Deputy Director-General, Public Works and Asset Management
BA Science (Quantity Surveying), Associate Dip. of Applied Science (Building)
Graham has vast experience in the building and construction industry spanning a number of decades. Graham has contributed to the Executive Leadership Team in his role as Deputy Director-General since joining the department in July 2011. Graham has held senior executive positions within other government departments, including Deputy Director-General of the Department of Education and Training, where he was responsible for infrastructure planning and delivery. Graham holds a Queensland Open Builders Licence.
Paige Ridgewell
Deputy Director-General, Sport and Recreation Services
BLeisSt, MBA, MPPM
In this position Paige is responsible for the development and implementation of sport and recreation funding programs, delivery of programs to develop and improve skills within the sport and recreation industry, major events, sponsorships and implementation of the department’s Indigenous sport and recreation strategy. Paige has more than 30 years’ experience in the sport and recreation industry as an athlete, coach and administrator.
Since joining the Queensland Government in 1993, Paige has held positions in program development and delivery, infrastructure development, industry consultancy and capacity building, land use planning, research, governance, legislation and policy. During her public service career, Paige has worked across a number of portfolios including main roads, racing, infrastructure and planning, national parks, sport and recreation.
Prior to this role, Paige’s was the Executive Director in Strategic Policy and Racing Industry Governance, where she successfully merged her government and industry experience to develop strategic policy and strategy.
Don Rivers
Assistant Director-General, Building Industry and Policy
Dip Architecture, Grad Dip Building Project Management
Don was appointed to the role of Assistant Director-General, Building Industry and Policy in July 2013. Don is responsible for the delivery of policy development and legislative reform related to the building industry, and maintaining open and professional stakeholder engagement with the design and building construction sector on behalf of the department.
Don joined the department in 1995 after 20 years in the private sector as an architect, delivering many of Queensland’s capital works projects. Don has held a number of positions in the department’s former commercialised business unit, Project Services, including Regional Architect, Client Manager, Portfolio Director, and General Manager.
Robyn Turbit
Assistant Director-General, Corporate Services
BComm, BEcon
Robyn has worked for almost 40 years across the private and public sectors predominantly relating to accounting, auditing and governance functions. Over this career span, she has undertaken her various roles using many employment styles, viz. full-time, part-time, telecommuting, and contracting.
Robyn has worked in a number of public sector departments but for the last 27 years within the various iterations of the Department of Housing and Public Works. Robyn was appointed as the first Internal Audit Manager for the department and went on to fill a variety of positions until her appointment to the Assistant Director-General Corporate Services position in 2007.
Kimberley Swords
Assistant Director-General, Queensland Government Procurement
BVsc (Hons), MBA, GAICD
Kimberley was appointed Assistant Director-General, Queensland Government Procurement and Chief Advisor, Queensland Government Procurement in April 2017.
Kimberley has a strong public-sector background, working most recently as Deputy Secretary in the Australian Department of Environment. She has also worked in Victoria for the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, and in a number of policy and program roles across the state’s planning, transport and agriculture portfolios. Before joining the department, Kimberley was a Principal at the Nous Group, leading the public policy practice in Queensland.
Dallas Stower
Assistant Director-General, Strategic ICT
Bachelor of Business (Computing), Graduate Certificate (PSM) GAICD
Dallas commenced as Assistant Director-General, Strategic ICT in May 2014. In this role he leads the development and implementation of initiatives that strengthen Queensland’s ICT service delivery. Dallas is responsible for ICT Strategic Sourcing, CITEC ICT, Strategic ICT Projects and CITEC Information Brokerage.
Prior to his current role, Dallas was General Manager, CITEC where he implemented a range of cost reduction and efficiency measures to transform CITEC into a more sustainable business and prior to this was Executive Director, Telecommunications and Digital Economy Coordination Office where he was responsible for the Governments telecommunications and broadband strategy.
Dallas has over 30 years’ experience in the ICT industry across a range of senior leadership roles and organisations. He was the Chief Information Officer at Queensland Rail (QR) from 2001 until early 2009. As QR CIO, Dallas led the transformation of ICT to ensure it continued to support the operational and strategic needs of the business during a period of significant organisational and market change. Prior to the CIO role, he undertook a number of senior IT management roles within QR and state government agencies particularly in the areas of information technology strategy development, ICT planning, enterprise architecture and technology implementation.
Dallas commenced his ICT career with the Department of Defence in Canberra and followed up with a number of roles in the Federal Public Service before returning to his home state of Queensland.
Andrew Spina
Assistant Director-General, Digital Productivity and Services
BSc (Comp)
Andrew Spina has worked in the Queensland public sector for more than 30 years and has extensive experience in leading the delivery of Information Communication and Technology services and the delivery of government services.
Andrew has undertaken Deputy Director-General and Assistant Director-General roles providing strategic leadership to CITEC, ICT Strategic Sourcing, ICT Renewal, Smart Services Queensland, Queensland State Archives, the One Stop Shop Program and digital economy development programs.
Andrew’s previous appointments include Associate Director-General, Government ICT, Department of Public Works and Chief Information Officer, Department of Communities and Public Works and Housing and roles in CITEC and Treasury.
Irene Violet
Assistant Director-General, Queensland Shared Services
BHSc, BA (Psych), MBA, GAICD
Irene has been in the role of Assistant Director General, Queensland Shared Services since May 2015. In this role Irene is responsible for modernising and optimising the shared services used by 25 Queensland Government agencies and departments. She brings to this role a wealth of experience in customer service, digital transformation and management of high-volume processing, primarily in a commercially oriented public sector environment.
In her previous role as General Manager, Corporate Services at WorkCover Queensland, she was responsible for the contact centre, high volume processing centres and specialist advisory teams such as customer compliance. Irene also held a number of senior management roles in customer service at WorkCover.
Irene is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Leaders and Managers.