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Kathryn has been working in the environmental management and bushfire planning field for 30 years from her experience in Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions (formerly CALM) and as a consultant in her WA business Bio Diverse Solutions.
Kathryn delivers training programs for FPAA, Local Government Agencies and the community in bushfire planning and design. She has co-authored an article with Julie de Jong on Project BAL Build – designing dwellings in bushfire-prone areas (Kinnear & de Jong, 2020). Kathryn is passionate about safety and protection of people and infrastructure in creating low fuel/Asset Protection Zone standards while being conscious of environmental values.
Her combined experience and knowledge in the environmental and bushfire planning discipline has formed a mission in her work area of combining bushfire safety and sound environmental management practic es. Her role has led to state based and national advice on bushfire and environmental issues to protect life, property and biodiversity. In 2018 Kathryn was the recipient of the FPAA Ron Coffey Award for Excellence in Bushfire Protection and in 2023 was the winner of the FPAA AV Viscogliosi Service Award to the Fire Protection Industry.
Dr Maria Kornakova is Manager Bushfire Services at FPA Australia. Architect by training, Maria completed Masters degree in Urban and Regional planning as Fulbright Scholar. She successfully completed PhD at the University of Melbourne and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Melbourne and Massey University, NZ. The key focus of her research and professional interest is bushfire risk reduction practices through building, planning and architecture. Maria transferred to the industry to practically apply skills and knowledge gained over the years of her academic career and joined FPA Australia in December 2018 as Bushfire Services Coordinator and was promoted as Manager two years later.
John was officially appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of FPA Australia in October, 2023.
John brings a wealth of knowledge and extensive leadership experience to the position, serving in senior executive roles for the past decade.
His most recent role was with Airmaster, where he was Group General Manager – Fire, where he helped to steer the organisation to be an industry leader in the HVAC maintenance and fire protection sectors.
Before that, he worked for 20 years in the materials sector, with 15 years performing various roles for CSR, with expertise in construction, building materials, civil infrastructure, contracting, and industrial services.
Those positions saw him actively involved with various associations and community non-profit organisations, such as the Australian Glass and Glazing Association, Australian Window Association, and Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance.
John holds a master’s degree in science from Northeastern University in Boston and a master’s degree in commerce from Swinburne University in Melbourne, and has been a guest lecturer at the latter, teaching undergraduate change managers and innovators.
John takes an holistic approach to innovation and efficiency and is a strong advocate for collaboration, community engagement, and the promotion and advancement of fire protection in Australia.
Mr Justin Leonard has dedicated the last 22 of his 26 year research career to the understanding of how bushfire risk to life and infrastructure can be managed. His work has built on the learning of an already established research area within CSIRO in which he was initially mentored and then inherited. The research area combines learnings from bushfire exposure experiments with post bushfire survey investigations and computer modelling of bushfire interactions with buildings.
Recent activities include the development and delivery of accreditations course on bushfire risk assessment with Melbourne University, providing technical support for the Victorian Community Bushfire Community Refuge Program, developing the bushfire planning risk maps for Queensland, development of a comprehensive life/house loss database for Australia, developing innovative ways to perform post bushfire surveys and assisting various individuals and industry groups develop novel building design solutions and related standards.
FPA Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.