Stephen Brown was appointed a Director of North East Water in October 2015. He has served as Deputy Board Chair and was appointed Board Chair in October 2023.
Stephen has held senior executive positions in the banking and finance industry with KPMG, ANZ, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, RSD Chartered Accountants and Rural Finance Corporation. He has held various other governance roles including being a director at Vision Super. Stephen is currently a director at VicWater and Bendigo Stadium Limited, and an independent Audit and Risk Committee member at City of Greater Bendigo, South Gippsland Water and Portable Long Service Authority.
Having completed a Bachelor of Business (Accounting), Stephen is a Chartered Accountant. He is a registered Company Auditor, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand, and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Stephen is a member of the board’s Audit and Finance Committee, People and Culture Committee, Opportunity and Risk Committee and the Transformation and Major Projects Committee.
Jennifer Fraser was appointed a Director of North East Water in October 2023.
Jennifer brings to the role significant board, public administration, planning, water and catchments experience. Following an extensive public sector career Jennifer has held a variety of governance roles, most recently as a Commissioner with the Victorian Environmental Water Holder from 2019 until 2023.
Jennifer was a member of the Victorian Marine and Coastal Council, a former director of the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (NECMA) and a sessional member of Planning Panels Victoria. She has also consulted for EarthEon Pty Limited on strategic water policy, planning and management issues.
In a voluntary capacity she was a Council Member and then chair of Medley Hall (now Wilam Hall), a residential college at the University of Melbourne, and a member of the board of Westside Circus (now Circus Nexus).
Jennifer is a member of the board’s Audit and Finance Committee, Opportunity and Risk Committee and the Transformation and Major Projects Committee.
Catherine Goss was appointed a Director of North East Water in October 2025.
Catherine is a Chartered Accountant with over 20 years’ experience in practise and the financial services industry, including leadership roles across finance, operations, risk, compliance, strategy and project management.
Catherine holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Queensland and is a member of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand. She is also a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is completing a Masters of Applied Finance.
Jonathan Green was appointed a Director of North East Water in October 2021.
Jonathan Green is the current board chair of Albury Wodonga Health, former board director of Murrumbidgee Local Health District, and former board chair of Northeast Health Wangaratta.
He is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria with a focus on commercial and property matters. Jonathan holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Jonathan is a member of the People and Culture Committee, Opportunity and Risk Committee and chair of the Transformation and Major Projects Committee.
Allison Jenvey OAM was appointed a Director of North East Water in October 2025.
She is a retired public practice accountant, having acted for many businesses in the region.
Allison has a strong governance background, having served on regional Boards for many years. She currently Chairs the Boards of BankWAW, Wodonga TAFE, and the Victorian TAFE Association.
She holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting), is a Fellow of CPA Australia, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Allison and her husband run a small beef cattle stud near Springhurst. Allison is a self confessed cricket tragic, and a passionate Collingwood supporter.
Leanne Mulcahy was appointed a Director of North East Water in October 2021.
Leanne holds a Master of Laws in Enterprise Governance, an MBA, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She brings extensive experience in governance, dispute resolution, and community-focused leadership.
Prior to her appointment to the Board of North East Water, Leanne served as Chair of the North East Catchment Management Authority for four years. Her professional background spans local government and the not-for-profit sector, with a strong focus on organisational governance and stakeholder engagement.
A nationally accredited mediator, Leanne provides conflict resolution and governance advisory services and contributes her expertise to several audit and risk committees across Victoria.
At North East Water, Leanne is a member of the Audit and Finance Committee, the Transformation and Major Projects Committee, and the Opportunity and Risk Committee.
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John Murray was appointed a Director of North East Water in October 2023.
Previously appointed as the Independent Aboriginal Delegate to the North East Water Board in July 2022, John was appointed by the Minister as a director in October 2023.
John is a Yorta Yorta / Duduroa man born and raised on the border. He currently works as the Program Manager, Aboriginal Partnerships with DEECA. He has extensive experience working with First Nations community across Victoria, NSW and Queensland with a background in local and state government, education and working with young people.
He is a proud father and cultural man who leads a local Aboriginal dance troupe, holds an Advanced Diploma in Community Service Sector Management, Diploma in Community Service and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
John is a member of the board’s People and Culture Committee, Transformation and Major Projects Committee and Opportunity and Risk Committee.
Victoria Schmidt was appointed a Director of North East Water in October 2019 and was appointed Deputy Board Chair in October 2023.
Victoria is a technology and transformation consultant specialising in system implementation projects, change management and culture initiatives, corporate services and customer engagement.
She has held previous board positions in the banking, public health and early childhood sectors.
Victoria holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and a GAICD qualification from the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Victoria is the chair of the Audit and Finance Committee and a member of the Transformation and Major Projects Committee and the Opportunity and Risk Committee.
Angela Verde was appointed a Director of North East Water in October 2019.
Angela has extensive executive level leadership experience within state government and the not-for-profit sector and is a former regional director of Regional Development Victoria in the Hume region.
She has worked in clinical, research, management, policy and governance roles and is currently the deputy chair of the Albury Wodonga Health Board. She was also previously a director and deputy chair on the Goulburn Ovens TAFE Board having served on the board from 2016 to 2022.
Angela’s board roles have included membership of sub-committees responsible for primary care and population health, audit and risk, remuneration and succession, people and safety, finance, governance and quality.
Angela holds a Bachelor of Applied Science and a Diploma of Business Management and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).
Angela is chair of the People and Culture Committee and a member of the Transformation and Major Projects Committee and the Opportunity and Risk Committee.
Jo Murdoch was appointed as Managing Director of North East Water in January 2022.
An experienced senior executive, Jo has a proven record of driving business transformation, innovation and operational excellence.
Jo is a Deputy Chair of the Ovens Murray Regional Partnership, Chair of the Victorian Intelligent Water Network, Deputy Chair of the Vic Water Managing Directors Forum and a member of the Water Services Association of Australia national Strategy and Policy Committee.
Prior to North East Water, Jo held executive roles at Barwon Water in Geelong and Yarra City Council in Melbourne. While in Geelong Jo was a member of the Committee for Geelong Board, and Deputy Chair of the G21 Geelong Region Alliance Health and Wellbeing Pillar. While in Melbourne, Jo served on the Board of LGPro and the Local Government Management Australia.
Jo has post graduate qualifications including an MBA, is an accredited Evolve Communities Ally, and is IAP2 certified. She was also recognised in the Institute of Public Administration Australia’s Top 50 Public Sector Women Awards for 2022 for her leadership commitment and contribution during the COVID-19 crisis.
As a North East Water Director, she is also an ex-officio member of the People and Culture Committee, Transformation and Major Projects Committee, and Opportunity and Risk Committee.