BMI Board Members
The Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute is a not for profit organisation, with a Board comprising of community members, usually for a period of three years, with the option of applying for reappointment. A position on the Board is voluntary, with members receiving no remuneration. The Board is responsible for governance and, within its financial limitations, has developed a strategic direction for the management of the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute.

Dr Mike Stephens

Jane Valpied

Peter Dowling

Ross Furness

Paula Nicholson

Prue Bentley

Paulene Barton

President
Dr Mike Stephens
Qualifications:
- Diploma Farm Management – Marcus Oldham
- Master of Science – Swinburne University
- PhD Candidate, University Of Melbourne
- Australian Institute of Company Directors (Fellow)
- Ag Institute Australia (Fellow)
- Churchill Fellow
Profile:
Following experience as a jackaroo, stockman with a Stock and Station Agency and as a Snowy Mountains Scheme worker, Mike graduated from Marcus Oldham and commenced working as a Property Manager in 1967. The largest business he managed ran nearly 80,000 sheep and lambs and produced 2000 bales of wool annually. During the late 1970’s Mike continued to work on farms as well as a Shift Supervisor at the McCain Australia Ballarat plant.
From 1983 Mike has been a Director of Meridian Agriculture (formally Mike Stephens and Associates), which is a broad based agricultural consulting company, providing advice, training and services to farmers, agribusiness and government. The company has a team of twelve consultants plus support staff.
Mike has had a strong commitment to community and industry organisations throughout his working life. He and his wife Jo have lived at Yendon since the early 1980’s. Their four children, who in the past visited and ‘borrowed’ food, clothing, vehicles and workshop equipment, now bring drinkable red wine, interesting conversation and lovable grandchildren.

Vice President
Jane Valpied

Treasurer
Peter Dowling
Peter has been involved with not for profit and charitable organisations for some 20 years. This includes being a board member and chair of The Kirribilli Centre in Sydney and treasurer for the BMI since late 2019.
He was educated in Melbourne with degrees in Arts, Commerce and Real Estate and Valuations from Melbourne University and RMIT.
Peter worked in his family’s real estate business for 12 years before running his own business. He was general manager of a number of companies involved with finance, machinery and computer systems prior to starting his own business consulting group with offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, offering services to medium size businesses.
Peter spent over 20 years as an officer (retired as a Lieutenant Commander RFD) in the Navy Reserve.
For over 20 years he has been the secretary of the RAAFA Sunderland group whose members were ex WW2 crew. He is currently also Secretary Treasurer of the Ballarat Air Force Association.
Peter looks forward to assisting the board and staff of the BMI in the years to come in assuring the continuing success of this wonderful organisation.

Secretary
Ross Furness

Board Member
Paula Nicholson
Paula has always had a keen interest in all things community. She has been involved in the Not-for-Profit sector in Ballarat as a Board, committee, working party member and volunteer for many years, including The Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute, The Ballarat Arts Foundation, Sovereign Hill and Her Majesty’s Theatre Fundraising Committee.
Paula has lived in Ballarat with her husband and family for over 20 years, having initially attended Ballarat College for Year 11 and 12 in the 1980s after growing up in Nhill, a small country town in the Wimmera. Post-secondary education, she completed a Science Degree at Melbourne University, majoring in Psychology. Her career then took her into business analysis, customer service, and management along with roles in human resources mostly in Melbourne, until she and her husband returned to Ballarat to purchase the family building business in the mid-1990s.
Through voluntary community-based activity, she gained extensive experience in fundraising and event management. She enjoys using her skills to bring people together in community engagement utilising the wonderful resources that exist in Ballarat, including the built environment the long-standing community spirit and resourcefulness that identify Ballarat as having huge potential as a desirable place to live and work in the future.
Paula believes her membership of the BMI Board allows her to assist in the facilitation of the maximum usage of this iconic facility in the CBD, inspiring collaboration with organisations concentrating on education, research, heritage, information dissemination, and community building.

Board Member
Prue Bentley
Prue Bentley is the Chief of Staff for ABC Ballarat and Southwest Victoria, overseeing the development of broadcast and digital content for two regional Victorian bureaus.
As a broadcaster and reporter of 12 years, Prue has produced and presented local radio programs across Australia and news programs syndicated to the Asia-Pacific.
Prue believes in the power of conversations to bring people together on the important issues, and the value of local communities to make meaningful change.
She has recently joined the board of the Ballaarat Mechanics Institute with the aim of showing more people this wonderful community resource.

Board Member
Paulene Barton
Institute Patrons
The Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute nominates and invites people within the community to become a patron of the organisation. These patrons change regularly, and include the ‘Mayor-of-the-day’ and any other notable people who have contributed to the Institute or wider community.

Cr Daniel Moloney

Dr Phil Roberts OAM

Mayor - City of Ballarat
Cr Daniel Moloney
Daniel Moloney is the Mayor of the City of Ballarat and North Ward Councillor (since 2016).
He is a public relations and stakeholder relations professional who brings to his role as Councillor more than 20 years of high‐level policy experience advising and working with corporate directors, councils, government departments and ministers.
Cr Moloney served in the 2016-2020 Council term and in October 2020 was re-elected for the 2020-2024 Term.
He was also elected Mayor of Ballarat from October 2020 to October 2021.
His strong background in tourism includes work as a board member of Ballarat Regional Tourism and as a marketer with V/Line; his communications experience includes work advising Victorian Government agencies, a London-based charity, and as a suburban Melbourne-based journalist.
Cr Moloney’s extensive business experience includes management of Victorian Government campaigns, work for the Victorian Office of Fair Trading and Business Affairs (now known as Consumer Affairs Victoria), and the establishment of his own small business, a Ballarat and Melbourne-based public relations company.
He has worked for some of Australia’s biggest transport and infrastructure companies; he is passionate about public transport and as one of the thousands of Ballarat residents who regularly commute by train to Melbourne to work, he is determined to see public transport services continue to improve.
Cr Moloney has a BA (Journalism) RMIT, MBA (Federation University Australia), Dip Business; he was made a Fellow of the Public Relations Institute of Australia in 2016 in recognition of his achievements in the industry.
Cr Moloney grew up in Ballarat and returned to raise his two children.
He remains active in the community in volunteer roles in addition to his elected representative role.

Past President
Dr Phil Roberts OAM
Qualifications:
- Qualifications: BA, MEd, PhD
Former school teacher and Principal, Phil is the author of 15 local history books, member Ballarat Golf Club, Royal Tennis Club and a keen cyclist.
His extraordinary knowledge of the BMI continues to be invaluable.
Past President 2004-07