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University Council leadership
Chancellor
John M Dobson OAM
Leads the University Council and presides at Council meetings
John M Dobson OAM has been the Parish Priest of Caloundra Parish since 1982, and the Dean of the North Coast Deanery within the Catholic Church since 1992.
His contributions to the community include founding privately-funded residential care facilities for the aged and for people with intellectual disabilities; and co-funding a retirement village.
Mr Dobson has also contributed to the establishment of a comprehensive college (in partnership with the United Church); and has been responsible for creating dedicated support groups for prisoners and their families.
Mr Dobson has been a member of the University Council since 1997, and was elected Chancellor in March 2007 for an inaugural term from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2012.
Deputy Chancellor
David Jeffries
BCom Qld., FCA, FAICD, FFin
Acts as Chancellor in the absence of the Chancellor or when the office of Chancellor is vacant.
David Jeffries completed a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Queensland before studying in several business and finance-related programs, including the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.
He held senior executive positions in the financial services sector for more than two decades, most notably eight years as Deputy Chief Executive of Bank of Queensland Limited, and from July 1999 to November 2000 as Chief Executive Officer of First Australian Building Society.
Mr Jeffries was State Chairman of The Institute of Chartered Accountants 1991/92 and the Australian representative on the Financial and Management Accounting Committee of the International Federation of Accountants 2000 to 2002.
Since 2001, Mr Jeffries has served in a variety of directorial and advisory roles, including as a director of Peanut Company of Australia Limited and Dole Australia Pty Ltd, the Australian subsidiary of US food conglomerate, Dole Food Company Inc.
Mr Jeffries was appointed to Council in August 2006 and was a member of the Foundation Board in 2008 and 2009. He has been a member of the Planning and Resources Committee of Council since August 2006 and was appointed chair of the committee at the start of 2010.
Appointed as Deputy Chancellor in 2010, he is a member ex officio of the Chancellor's Committee.
Mr Jeffries is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia; the Australian Institute of Company Directors; and the Financial Services Institute of Australasia.