Executive leadership
Clare O'Connor
Director-General
Clare O’Connor is the Director-General of the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy. This is her seventh year as a Director-General, having successfully led two other Queensland Government Departments since 2015.
The Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy has played a key role in the Queensland Government's pandemic response, providing a range of essential frontline and support services. These included delivery of vital information to Queenslanders through the 134COVID, 13HEALTH and Community Recovery hotline and rollout of the Check In Qld app and Border Pass system. The department has continued to provide critical frontline housing and homelessness support during the year and was instrumental in mobilising the Care Army to support people in need and provide support for the state's vaccine rollout.
Clare is the Government Champion for Cherbourg Aboriginal Community.
Robert Willmett
Deputy Director-General, First Nations Strategy Unit
Robert has extensive experience in implementing complex government initiatives and reforms. He has a proud record of working effectively across government at all levels, the non-government sector and with First Nations communities and stakeholders.
Prior to joining the department in August 2022, Robert was Group Manager responsible for leading the National Indigenous Australians Agency’s operations and delivery in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.
Robert is focused on driving the department’s strategic approach to reframe the relationship with First Nations peoples and communities. This includes leading CHDE to support the First Nations reform agenda, particularly Tracks to Treaty and Closing the Gap, which place First Nations peoples at the centre of our work.
Robert is a descendant of the Kuku Yalanji and Waanyi and people of Far North, and North West Queensland. He started out as a trade qualified compositor in print media before completing a Bachelor of Arts degree and Graduate Diploma of Public Policy from Central Queensland University.
Mary-Anne Curtis
Associate Director-General, Housing and Homelessness Services
LL.B., BCom.
Mary-Anne joined the department in January 2022 as Associate Director-General, Housing and Homelessness Services.
Mary-Anne is an experienced leader in the Queensland public service. Before joining the department Mary-Anne served as Associate Director-General for Queensland Health, and before that in executive roles with several other Queensland Government departments, including Seniors and Disability Services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships; Employment, Small Business and Training; and Queensland Treasury.
Mary-Anne has led the development of strategic policies and advised on fiscal and economic issues, particularly in relation to social policy portfolios and inter‐governmental financial relations. She will make a strong contribution to housing and homelessness service delivery and strategic policy development in Queensland.
Belinda Drew
Deputy Director-General, Communities
Belinda is responsible for leading a dedicated team of professionals delivering across a diverse portfolio of community services, community recovery and state archives.
Belinda has a Bachelor’s Degree in Teaching, Arts, Social Work (Hons) and is a Postgraduate for studies in Family and Community Services, is Pre-Law and Harvard University qualified in Executive Development.
Most recently, Belinda was the Chief Executive Officer at Community Services Industry Alliance, representing community service providers and supporting social and economic inclusion across the community, Belinda has made a significant contribution to the social services sector through her contribution to a range of boards including the National Affordable Housing Consortium, Social Enterprise Finance Australia, and the Queensland Government Portable Long Service Leave Scheme.
Prior to this role, Belinda was Chief Executive Officer at Foresters Community Finance Ltd, a Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI) providing finance and investment capital to the community sector in Australia.
Chris McLaren
Chief Customer and Digital Officer
Chris is the Chief Customer and Digital Officer and is focussed on driving Queensland’s Digital Economy, delivering better citizen-centric services and optimizing Queensland Government’s investment and use of technology.
Chris is a globally experienced senior executive with a successful 25-year track record leading, growing, transforming and advising technology, telecom, utility, energy, services and software organizations including multi-nationals and start-ups. Chris specializes in digital enablement and transformation, customer experience, operations improvement and technology innovation. Chris has an Honours degree in Electrical Engineering from UTS and has completed studies in Governance at AICD and Digital Strategy & Transformation at MIT.
Dallas Stower
Deputy Director-General Transformation and Enabling Technologies
BBus(Comp), Grad Cert (PSM)
Dallas has over 30 years' experience in the ICT industry across a range of senior leadership positions. In his role as Deputy Director-General Transformation and Enabling Technologies, Dallas leads the development and implementation of initiatives that strengthen Queensland's ICT service delivery.
Dallas is responsible for CITEC Enabling Services, CITEC Integration & Enabling Technologies, Data and Information Services, ICT Strategic Sourcing, Transformation Projects and Office of the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).
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. His senior leadership roles in Queensland include Assistant Director-General, Strategic ICT, General Manager, CITEC, Executive Director, Telecommunications and Digital Economy Coordination Office and Chief Information Officer, Queensland Rail.
Andrew Spina
Deputy Director-General, Services Delivery and Operations
BSc (Comp)
Andrew has worked in the Queensland public sector for more than 35 years and has extensive experience in leading the delivery of digital transformation, digital service delivery and shared government services.
Andrew has undertaken a number of Deputy Director-General and Chief Information Officer roles providing strategic digital leadership in the Department of Communities, Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation, Department of Public Works and Housing; and roles in CITEC and Treasury.
Matthew Nye
Deputy Director-General, Strategy and Corporate Services
Master of Business (Professional Accounting), Bachelor of Business (Public Relations)
Matthew has more than 25 years’ experience in the Queensland Public Service, working in corporate services, shared services and service delivery roles. Matthew is responsible for all corporate functions of the department including finance, human resources, communications, and governance.
Matthew has extensive experience and skills in business strategy, service delivery, planning, and project delivery to lead organisations through transformational change. Matthew has held senior leadership roles as Assistant Director-General, Corporate Services at the Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors, General Manager at Smart Service Queensland and, Executive Director, Finance Services at Queensland Shared Services.
Kirsten Herring
Deputy Director-General, Arts Queensland
Kirsten oversees the Department’s investment and policy activities in the arts. This includes the Queensland Government’s investment in the Queensland Cultural Centre; the funding of the state’s major arts companies; corporate governance support for the state’s arts statutory bodies and government owned companies; and the delivery of the arts investment funding programs.
- Last updated:
- 20 October 2022