Your Board

Clubs Queensland is governed by a Board who oversee the administration of the association, in trust, for its members.
 
There are currently eight (8) members of the Board including the President who is the primary conduit with Clubs Queensland Management. There are elections for the positions of the President and the Board annually based on the expiry of individual’s tenure to ensure continuity of business and Board policies.

Gavin Lyons, President

p: 0419 712 917 e: [email protected] (holds office until 2022)

Prior to his retirement, Gavin was employed in local government in Townsville since 1974 and spent the final 20 years as a Director. He has been heavily involved with Brothers Townsville and spent 21 years playing for the club before finishing in 1984. He became President of Brothers Townsville Football Club in 1985 until 1993 and joined the Board of the Leagues Club in 1987 and has since continued on the Board. He was elected Chairman in 1998 and currently still hold that position. Gavin was awarded the Clubs Queensland Club Director of the Year in 2008 and is also a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.  Gavin is a strong advocate for community clubs and the benefits they bring to our local communities.

Clint Williams, Northern Region  

GENERAL MANAGER, COWBOYS LEAGUES CLUB
p: 07 4724 8000
e: [email protected]
(holds office until 2021)

Clint was born and raised in Townsville. In 1998 he commenced a Management Degree at James Cook University, however soon realised that the lecture hall wasn’t for him. After only 6 months he dropped out and commenced a Hospitality Traineeship at the Brothers Leagues Club, where he was appointed to his first managerial role as a Duty Manager in 1999. In the year 2000, Clint moved to Brisbane for a Duty Managers Role at the Aspley Hornets, where he would spend the next 5 years and eventually be promoted to Operations Manager. In 2005 he participated in the then Fosters Leadership Academy. Soon after was appointed to his first General Managers role at the Moreton Bay Sports Club where he spent 2 years, before moving to the Norths Devils Leagues Club, where he was General Manager for nearly 4 years. In 2011, Clint returned to Townville to commence his current role as General Manger of the Cowboys Leagues Club. In the last 9 years, the Club has invested nearly $20 million through renovations, building acquisitions and diversification initiatives to consolidate the long-term success of the Leagues Club and ensure its continued support of the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys. In 2015, he received the award for Club Manager of the Year at the Clubs QLD Awards. Clint believes he received this award and any other success he has had because of the efforts of those who he works with. He takes the same approach to his appointment to the Board and hopes his efforts can contribute to helping Clubs Queensland achieve success. 

Vacant, Northern Region

vacant
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Tony Castro, Central & Western Region

SECRETARY, THE WAVES SPORTS CLUB p: 07 4152 1531
e: anton[email protected]
(holds office until 2023)

Tony is married to Lisa and has two children, Elizabeth who has a degree in forensic science and is a police officer, and Jonathan who is an optometrist.  Tony was born and bred in Bundaberg and owned a sugar cane farm as part of a family company which was sold in November 2017.  Tony is a member on the Management Committee of The Waves as secretary and has held that position for the past 28 years. He also has a position on the Club’s corporate governance sub-committee. Tony was appointed to the Bundaberg Region Sport & Recreation Advisory Group by the Bundaberg Regional Council since November 2011. The role of this advisory group is to assist the Council with its strategic planning and development of sporting and recreational facilities within its regional boundaries.

Other commitments include being a director of Bridges Health & Community Care, Queensland Thunder Netball Club (Sunshine Coast) and the most recent appointment on Regional Business HQ.

Karen Evans, Central & Western Region

GENERAL MANAGER, TOOWOOMBA SPORTS CLUB
p: 07 4636 0888
e: [email protected]
(holds office until 2023)

Joe Kelly, South East Region

CEO , BRISBANE BRONCOS LEAGUES CLUB LIMITED
p: 0412 745 586
e: [email protected]
(holds office until 2023)

Joe has been working in clubs since 1993 commencing at Logan Diggers Club whilst studying his Bachelor of Hotel Management & Bachelor of Business.  Upon graduating in 1997 he joined the management ranks and by 2002 he was the Marketing & Gaming Manager.  In 2005 he accepted his first General Managers role at Cazalys Cairns.  In 2008 he moved to the Cowboys Leagues Club where he was General Manager and then CEO at Arana Leagues Club between 2011 and 2018.  He is currently the CEO of the Broncos Club where they have just finished their $6 million renovation. 

Joe is passionate about the club industry and has previously been the President of the Brisbane Zone of the Club Managers Association and is currently on the Board of Leagues Clubs Australia. The Broncos nominate him to run for the Board of Clubs Queensland as he wants to be proactive in creating a strong industry voice and bringing the industry back together after a very disjointed decade. With his strong background in gaming & marketing he wants to ensure gaming regulatory change is at the forefront of Clubs Queensland agenda.  He believes the best way to achieve this is to join the organisation at a Board level rather than rather commentating on the sideline.

Justin Hall, South East Region

GENERAL MANAGER, THE LION RICHLANDS
p: 07 3271 3636
e: [email protected]
(holds office until 2021)

Growing up with a father who worked as general manager for Coca-Cola, Justin recalls travelling from state to state and helping out at friends’ pubs and venues from the tender age of 13. When school was out it was straight to work. Justin started at The Broncos Leagues Club as a trainee manager in 1991 and hasn’t looked back since. Justin was Gaming Manager at The Broncos for nine years from 1992, before a short stint as a Gaming Manager in Newcastle assisting with the amalgamation of clubs under the ClubNova Panthers banner. He arrived back in Queensland to take over as General Manager at the Ipswich Jets Rugby League Football Club in September 2002. He left after 11 years with the club trading stronger than ever and well placed for future growth. Justin then joined the team at The Lion Richlands, as General Manager in December 2013 and it is a role he continues to hold to this day. On the top three priorities Justin sees for the year ahead, he lists regulatory changes that help and support club sustainability, the need to continue to foster and build a united voice for the industry, and the need to strengthen relationships with Government and relevant regulatory bodies.

Steven Gagel, South East Region

DIRECTOR, BRISBANE RACING CLUB
p: 0414 777 660
e: [email protected]
(holds office until 2023)

Steve is a Chartered Accountant and Director of Prosperity Advisers Group, with 25 years of experience and has had the opportunity to work on many clients within the hospitality industry; from cafes, restaurants, pubs, clubs and associated parties supplying the industry. This work lead to the appointment as Director to the Brisbane Racing Club Limited (“BRC”) in 2013 and subsequent appointment as Chairman of the Finance Governance and Risk Subcommittee in 2014. Steve is actively involved in delivering a $1.2B master plan to release capital to future-proof the BRC to enable the realisation of its constitutional goals.

During the term of his directorship at the BRC, the BRC board has had a challenging time in converting the traditional racing club model into a multi-experience venue with broad income streams, including the recent purchase of Souths Sports Club at Acacia Ridge. Steve considers the role as an honour to serve on the board of a club that has history dating back to 1863 and considers himself a custodian of the club to ensure it survives well into the future. With any dramatic change, as has occurred at the BRC, there are plenty of road blocks and obstacles that must be overcome to achieve the original plan for the good of our members and the industry. Steve is aware that many clubs are under similar pressure to reinvent themselves and brings to the Clubs Queensland board this experience and understanding from a racing background.