At our June 2026 AGM, PIANC AU-NZ welcomed three new members to the Board and farewelled three others.
Warm Welcome To Our Three New Board Members
Davena Bond is one of two new EA National Committee on Coastal and Ocean Engineering (NCCOE) representatives on the Board. She is currently Principal Engineer, Northern Beaches Council.
Davena has 25 years’ experience in coastal, maritime and waterway engineering across Australia and internationally. She has worked across local and state government, as well as in consulting and construction. Her experience spans major port and marine infrastructure, dredging, coastal protection works, and strategic coastal and estuary management. with a focus on practical, integrated solutions that balance engineering, environmental, stakeholder and community considerations.
Davena also has significant international experience in the UK, New Zealand and the Middle East, including leadership roles such as Chair of the Engineers Australia branch in Qatar.
With over 30 years of experience across a variety of industrial sectors, Dr Sam Mazaheri is a Fellow of Engineers Australia, and a Chartered Professional Engineer in Structural, Civil, and Asset Management Engineering. He has extensive experience in industries such as mining, ports and offshore terminals, rail and transportation, and water management, and has been involved in the design, construction, and management of complex and critical infrastructure projects.
Sam has been an energetic leader of the PIANC AU-NZ Queensland regional chapter since 2021, leading the Chapter in hosting a variety of technical, networking and outreach events. In addition, he holds key positions in various national and international organisations, including Engineers Australia, Ports Australia, Standards Australia, and the Australian Network of Structural Health Monitoring (ANSHM).
Our second new NCCOE representative is Paul Prenzler, Principal Coastal Engineer at Moffatt & Nichol. Based in Queensland, Paul has over 30 years of experience of coastal management and protection in Australia and the South Pacific, ranging from solving immediate problems such as erosion to drafting long-term policy.
Paul has been deeply involved in the evolution of QLD coastal management policy, and is a strong proponent of sustainable development that respects natural boundaries. He also has a successful track record of bringing industry and community together, because, as he says, “Coastal management is a balancing act. Government, industry, and community stakeholders often have competing interests, and the stakes—our coastline—are incredibly high.”.
Farewell and Thank You!
We farewell (for now) and thank departing Board members Rhys Jones, Claire Treeby and Lisa Wynne who are busy taking up new roles in their lives.
Rhys has crossed the ditch to bring his expertise and experience to New Zealand’s northern-most deepwater port, Northport while both Claire and Lisa are currently on maternity leave from their professional work roles.
Rhys has ably managed our mentoring program for the past two years, Claire was a major talent in establishing, organising and inspiring regional chapters and Lisa led our Young Professional Commission.
We thank all three for their service to PIANC and warmly wish them all the best in the future, and hope to see them again!