Meet Our CEO

Tess Bishop

Chief Executive Officer

Tess Bishop is an accomplished senior leader with more than 20 years’ experience across Commonwealth, state and local government, professional services and advisory roles.

Before joining LGMA Queensland, Tess was Deputy Secretary, Strategy, Enterprise and Engagement and Chief Operating Officer at the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, where she led significant organisational reform, strengthening financial sustainability, governance, culture and performance.

Her career has included senior roles in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Queensland Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Queensland Health and the Department of Local Government. She also established the Office of Rural and Regional Queensland and worked closely with councils and the LGAQ during Queensland’s COVID-19 response.

Tess brings extensive experience in policy, advocacy, governance, stakeholder engagement and professional development. As CEO of LGMA Queensland, she is committed to strengthening the capability, connections and voice of local government professionals and supporting them to lead their organisations and communities with confidence.

Meet Our Facilitators

Kristen Mead

Manager Training and Development

Kristen is a dedicated Training and Development Specialist and Facilitator with more than 20 years of experience across training, management and leadership. Her background spans vocational education, programme development, and organisational training, enriched by significant roles with Council, Forsythes Training and Novaskill. Kristen excels at designing and delivering comprehensive learning programmes that align with organisational goals, comply with industry and legislative standards and strengthen workforce capability.

Kristen is passionate about supporting people to grow, perform, and reach their potential. Known for her ability to contextualise information for clearer understanding, she communicates with clarity and effectiveness across all levels of experience, sharing personal insight and a comfortable space for all to learn.

Andrew Madams

Organisational Development Specialist

Andrew brings more than 20 years’ experience across global business, consulting and leadership roles in the public and private sectors. He began his career in international shipping before moving into consulting, where he worked extensively across the Pacific, Asia, the United Kingdom and Europe.

His experience combines operational leadership, corporate management and consulting, giving him a strong understanding of the challenges organisations and leaders face in complex environments. Andrew is known for his practical, outcomes-focused approach and his ability to translate strategy into meaningful action.

He is passionate about developing people and works with leaders and teams at all levels to strengthen capability, performance and collaboration. Andrew has a particular interest in supporting executive leaders to build effective leadership teams and create sustainable organisational performance.

Cassie Van Beek

Facilitator

Cassie is an experienced educator and facilitator with more than eight years’ experience across international education, skills training, academic coordination, resource development and compliance.

She specialises in designing and delivering practical, engaging programmes that respond to the needs of diverse learner groups. Cassie takes a people-centred approach to learning, creating supportive environments that build confidence, strengthen capability and help participants apply new skills in practical settings.

Cassie is passionate about helping people achieve their professional goals and encourages a growth mindset, supporting participants to embrace challenges, learn from experience and continue developing their capabilities over time.

Drawing on her educational expertise and strong understanding of how people learn, Cassie delivers relevant, accessible and outcomes-focused programmes that support meaningful and sustainable professional development.

Home
About Us
Meet Our Team

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software