Her Majesty the Queen has recognised the skills and commitment of a wide range of staff members in the Queensland Public Service this Australia Day rewarding them with honours for their outstanding service, achievements, leadership and innovation in serving the people of the State.
The honours were released on Her Majesty’s behalf by the Governor-General, his Excellency General David Hurley, and include among other awards the PS-only honour, the Public Service Medal.
The honoured PS staff on Australia Day 2021 include:
PUBLIC SERVICE MEDAL (PSM)
Gordon James BUCHANAN PSM
For outstanding public service to the transport sector in Queensland.
Mr Buchanan’s career with the Queensland Public Service spans two decades and he has always had public transport customers at the forefront when leading projects.
In 2017, with less than one year to go until the 2018 Commonwealth Games, he assumed the lead role of coordinating and operationalising Transport and Main Road’s Commonwealth Games transport plan for spectators and workforce. He took on this role aware that there were a number of critical activities which were behind schedule, or yet to be agreed on and implemented. He led by example and helped deliver an outstanding result.
In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic began to impact the transport network and its customers, he volunteered his expertise to lead TransLink Division’s coordinated public transport response. He again demonstrated his commitment to the Queensland community through leading this complex project in a never before experienced crisis.
Mr Buchanan’s dedication to the Queensland Public Service, and to the wider community, throughout his long career has been exemplary.
Suzanne COXON PSM
For outstanding public service to child protection and family violence policy development in Queensland.
Ms Coxon joined the predecessor of the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women in 1987. Since that time she has provided dedicated service in the areas of child protection and domestic and family violence policy and program development, as well as frontline child protection work.
Her efforts in developing Queensland’s responses to domestic and family violence are worthy of particular attention. She has worked tirelessly to reduce the impacts of violence on women and children and to hold accountable those who have perpetrated the violence.
She has acted as a steward for the development of the domestic and family violence service sector, and since 2009 in her current role she has managed the design and implementation of violence prevention responses.
She has sustained a high level of performance over the course of her service, and particularly since 2015 she has led the commissioning of an additional $100 million in new domestic and family violence services, including innovative program design to trial and evaluate a number of new approaches to improving service responses.
Ms Coxon has provided exemplary dedication and commitment to the Queensland Public Service, and to the vulnerable in the community, for over 33 years.
Shannon Lee GIBBS PSM
For outstanding public service to local government in Queensland through financial management roles.
Ms Gibbs began her service to the Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council as Finance Manager in 2008 and in 2011 she assumed the position of Director of Finance for the Council.
As a result of her determination and strategic thinking she has been instrumental in transforming the Council from an organisation with difficulties in operating sustainably and meeting its statutory reporting obligations into one which is now a prime example of sound financial management and is help up as an example to other councils in the state.
Her efforts have enabled the Hope Vale Aboriginal Council to significantly reduce its reliance on grants and increase employment and training opportunities in the Hope Vale Shire. Additionally, through her innovative approach to resource management, Council is now able to pursue numerous important priorities including the provision of housing and other services.
She has shared her skills and experience with Hope Vale locals and, at the request of the Department of Local Government, Racing and Multicultural Affairs, also with a number of councils around the Cape York Peninsula.
For the past eight years she and the team of Indigenous only employed finance staff, have achieved considerable distinction by having the Queensland Audit Office signing off on the financial statements she has compiled. She has achieved this distinction ahead of other Indigenous councils, and mainstream councils, who are better resourced both technologically and in terms of personnel numbers than Hope Vale.
Ms Gibbs has demonstrated exemplary dedication and commitment to local government financial management, and to the community of Hope Vale, during her Queensland Public Service career.
Anthony Martin O’DEA PSM
For outstanding public service to rural and industry financial assistance in Queensland.
Mr O’Dea has more than 35 years of experience in rural lending and the administration of government financial assistance schemes and, in particular, he has served the now Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority since 1995.
During that time he has held several senior management roles and has led the successful delivery of a wide range of State and Federal Government grant and loan schemes including for drought, natural disasters and industry adjustment measures. He currently serves as the General Manager of Program Strategy and Delivery for the Authority.
Most recently he oversaw the design and delivery of the Government’s $1 billion COVID-19 Jobs Support Loan Scheme for small businesses and non-profit organisations financially impacted by the pandemic. The Scheme has seen almost 7,000 Queensland businesses receive much needed financial assistance within a matter of a few months, supporting some 85,000 local jobs.
His extensive knowledge and experience of administering financial assistance schemes for rural and regional Queensland is highly regarded, not only within Government circles, but also among fellow banking and finance professionals and primary industry groups.
Mr O’Dea has demonstrated exemplary commitment and dedication to the Queensland Public Service, and to the rural community, throughout his career.
Peter Anthony SHADDOCK PSM
For outstanding public service to Corrective Services in Queensland.
Mr Shaddock commenced his career with Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) in 1984 as a Custodial Officer at the Rockhampton Correctional Centre. He is currently Assistant Commissioner for the Central and Northern Region Command.
He has served in a number of roles within the Custodial Operations Directorate, including the management of low and high security correctional centres with male and female prisoners, as well as in leadership roles in the QCS Headquarters.
His notable achievements include improving the management of female and transgender prisoners, providing spiritual support to prisoners of the Islamic faith, and the management of the closure of the Darling Downs Correctional Centre. Additionally he was instrumental in coordinating QCS’ involvement in the 2014 G20 Leaders Summit in Brisbane, as well as QCS security assistance for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
He has remained at the core of Custodial Operations through numerous machinery-of-government changes, and under the leadership of different Commissioners and Directors-General due to his ability to embrace change and continue to lead Custodial Operations with passion and resilience.
Mr Shaddock has demonstrated exemplary commitment and dedication to Queensland Corrective Services, and to the wider community, throughout his more than 36 years of service.
Josephine Louise WHITEHEAD PSM
For outstanding public service to health care in northern Queensland.
Miss Whitehead is a passionate healthcare leader, who effectively advocates for the residents of the Mackay Hospital and Health Service area, as well as residents of northern Queensland.
She has been a driving force in the establishment of the ‘Northern Collaborative’ (the Collaborative), which comprises the Hospital and Health Services in northern Queensland. The Collaborative aims to better understand, prioritise and improve the health and wellbeing of rural and regional Queenslanders, delivering equitable access to safe and reliable care as close to home as possible.
As a state-wide service, Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service (CHQ HHS) is a participant in the Collaborative, and she has skilfully worked to improve communications, and establish meaningful partnerships and networks of rural and regional health providers.
Her leadership and contribution has also been demonstrated in her role as the Co-Chair of the Queensland Hospital and Health Services’ Chief Executive Forum, a peak leadership group in the Queensland public health system. As the Co-Chair, she has worked tirelessly to advocate for system improvement through partnership and collaboration. This work has been key in ensuring Queensland’s readiness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Miss Whitehead has provided exemplary commitment and dedication to the health sector in northern Queensland throughout her public service career.
