Board

The Lachlan Macquarie Internship is part of the non-profit company the Australian Christian Lobby ACN 075 120 517. It is a religious educational program and is neither denominationally nor politically aligned.

Anthony McLellan - Chairman

Anthony (Tony) McLellan is the Chairman of the Board of the Australian Christian Lobby which oversees the governance of the Lachlan Macquarie Internship.

Mr McLellan and his family lived abroad for more than 25 years where he served as the President and CEO of a number of major international corporations. Since returning to Australia, he has been appointed chairman of several public-company boards, principally in the resources area.

With a passion for the poor, Mr McLellan served as a director of Opportunity International Australia for many years, and as chairman of Habitat for Humanity Australia. He has also served as chairman of a number of other Christian NGOs. An accomplished public speaker, Tony has addressed audiences in several countries, and has also appeared frequently on American television as a commentator on family issues.

Mr McLellan and his wife, Rae, recently celebrated 50 years of marriage, and attend St Jude's Anglican Church in Bowral.

Jim Wallace AM

Brigadier (ret.) Jim Wallace AM is the Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby.

Mr Wallace left the Army as a Brigadier in late 2000 after a 32-year career which included command of the SAS Regiment, Special Forces, and the Army's mechanised Brigade of 3,000 personnel and most of the Army's fighting vehicles. He is a graduate of Duntroon in Canberra, the British Army Staff College and the Australian College of Defence and Strategic Studies.

Mr Wallace has lived overseas, including in the Middle East. He has also visited Palestinian refugee camps as an unarmed United Nations observer.

In 1984 Mr Wallace was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his services to counter-terrorism. He is a Visiting Fellow at the Australian Defence Studies Centre and was recently appointed by the Minister of Defence to the Council of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

Mr Wallace and his family worship at the Hughes Baptist Church in Canberra.

Pastor Ric Benson

Ric Benson is the Senior Pastor of Kenmore Baptist Church, a large, contemporary regional church, very much engaged with other churches in a Brisbane city-wide expression of faith.

Pastor Benson has vast experience in ministry including lecturing at Bible College, as a conference speaker, trainer-educator, Christian counsellor and Director of Church Dynamics, the church consultancy arm of Campus Crusade for Christ. He has ministered to hundreds of different churches and most denominations over the last 30 years.

Pastor Benson has a great passion to see the local church become the redemptive and prophetic community that God intended it to be, with a priority on reaching the lost and turning spiritual seekers into fully committed followers of Jesus Christ.

Pastor Benson's interest in politics began through his father, who was involved in Credit Unions, Cooperatives for a number of years in Latrobe Valley Victoria where unionism and political conflict were part of the way of life of coal miners and associated industries. He later became involved as a teacher in challenging the government of the day concerning education funding, policies and procedures.

With a background of social justice stemming from his family, later as a member of the Salvation Army involved in prisons and institutions, and more recently as a professional Christian Counsellor and Pastor involved with the needs of society, Pastor Benson has a deep interest and passion in politics, the political scene, and in influencing politicians to better our society.

Tim Kirk

Tim Kirk is the CEO and Chief Winemaker of Clonakilla Wines. He is a respected wine judge, having judged at over 40 regional and capital city wine shows over the last ten years.

Mr Kirk has a Bachelor of Theology degree and completed a Diploma in Education at the Catholic University, Christ Campus, Melbourne in 1991. He taught Religious Education and New Testament studies at Xavier College, a Jesuit School in Kew, Melbourne, for a number of years.

In late 1996, Mr Kirk moved back to the family winery, with the mission of making Clonakilla one of Australia's top wine brands.

Mr Kirk currently serves on the council of St Mark's National Theological Centre, Canberra, and on the Advisory Board of the Canberra chapter of the Australian Catholic University. A long standing member of a Catholic lay community, he has a particular interest in the principle that strong families are the cornerstone of a healthy society.

Mr Kirk's support for the Lachlan Macquarie Internship stems from a conviction that it is essential that Christians engage with the political process if the values of the gospel are to have a lasting impact on society.

Tim and his family are members of St. Augustine's Catholic parish in Yass.

Graham Packer

Graham Parker is the co-founder and owner of Packer Leather, Brisbane, a leading Australian producer of tanned hides.

Active in community affairs, Mr Packer is Chairman of the Mansfield Christian Outreach Centre, as well as being a Councillor on the board of the Christian Heritage College. He is also a Community Representative of Clayfield College which is part of the Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association which was established in 1918.

Mr Packer has been a member of the Methodist/Uniting Church for over 25 years, and was a Director of Youth for Christ for over 25 years.

Terry Winters

Terry Winters has served as Chairman and director of several Australian listed and private companies and charities. He founded Link Telecommunications Pty Ltd , and he led the creation of Optus Communications Pty Ltd, remaining on the Optus board until 1995.

Mr Winters also brings a great depth of experience in the operations and governance of not-for-profit organisations. He has spent over 17 years on various boards within the Opportunity International Network, and recently retired as global Chairman of Opportunity International Network, with operations in over 30 developing countries. He was also Chairman of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Victoria and MS Limited for 10 years.

Currently, Mr Winters is Chairman of Netcomm Limited, Australian Home Care Services, the social enterprise subsidiary of MS Limited. He is also Chairman of Converge International, a not-for-profit organisation motivated by a strong Christian heritage that provides employee assistance and emergency support programs for employees of over 300 Australian corporations and government agencies. These services are designed to deliver improved wellbeing and stability for an organisation's employees and their families.

Mr Winters is married to Merylyn. They both attend St Hilary's Anglican Church in Melbourne.