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.
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

Dr Mike Stephens

Prue Bentley

Ross Furness

Jane Valpied

Paula Nicholson

President
Dr Mike Stephens
Mike Stephens, the founder of Meridian Agriculture, has almost forty years’ experience in directing, managing and advising small and medium sized agricultural businesses. He has developed and directed industry projects, and consulted extensively on succession and transition in business. Before establishing Meridian Agriculture Mike worked as farm manager and managed very large holdings.
Mike holds a Diploma of Farm Management, an MSc, and a PhD (Farm Business Succession.) He is a Fellow of Ag Institute Australia and the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Churchill Fellow.
He lives at Yendon with Jo, his wife, where they are regularly visited by their four children who bring interesting grandchildren, stimulating conversation and good red wine.

Vice President
Prue Bentley
Prue is a public broadcast media professional with more than 15 years’ experience in radio and news production. Originally from western Sydney, she has worked for the ABC in 4 states and territories across Australia, but now calls Ballarat home working as the Chief of Staff at ABC Ballarat and Southwest Victoria. Prue believes in the power of conversations to bring people together on important issues, and the value of local communities to make meaningful change for the better.

Secretary
Ross Furness

Board Member
Jane Valpied

Board Member
Paula Nicholson
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.
Paula returned to live in Ballarat over 25 years ago, and has been active in the Not for Profit sector in Fundraising, Events, Community Engagement and Governance for over 15 years across a range of local organisations.
Having a long-term connection with Ballarat, she attended Ballarat College as a Boarder for the final two years of her secondary education, then completed a Science Degree at Melbourne University majoring in Psychology. Paula went on to subsequently work in Business Analysis, Human Resources, Customer Service and Management, in Melbourne and Singapore for multi-national Dunn and Bradstreet.
In 1996 she returned to Ballarat where, with her husband, they purchased the generational family business, Nicholson Construction. Having grown up in the small regional community of Nhill, Paula has an understanding of the way smaller communities can work together to create opportunities for advancement, investment and growth. She believes that Ballarat is a wonderful and unique place to live and one where those who wish to, can make a real difference to the future of this prosperous regional centre by getting involved and making and leveraging connections of their own.
To this end, she sees herself as a Community Builder and is committed to utilising her experience and large network to encourage the broader community to be involved with both the heritage and future of the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute.