POWER 100: WE COUNT DOWN OUR MOST INFLUENTIAL RESIDENTS
THESE are Toowoomba’s most influential people, the men and women who make our city what it is today. Some of the faces you will know, others might come as a surprise. Over the next two weeks, The Chronicle will count down our 100 most powerful people, online and in print. Power and influence are a subjective thing, so you might not agree with everyone we have put, or haven’t put on the list. Email who you think should be on the list and why to news@thechronicle.com.au.
90. Emma Mactaggart
Emma Mactaggart is a local author and mental health activist.
She has run the Child Writes program for 15 years, teaching the craft of writing to children and adults, the success of which saw the launch of the charity The Child Writes Fund.
She also runs a small publishing business, which is the largest publisher in the world on Amazon of children’s picture books written by children for children.
In 2018, along with Lifeline Darling Downs, she organised the Unleash the Beast mental health symposium which attracted hundreds of people to the region to talk about mental health.
Recently, she was one of two founders of the TLC for TRC Facebook group, a group which encourages acts of kindness in Toowoomba.
This is Emma’s first appearance in the Power 100.
89. Peter Roberts
Peter Roberts has operated his Honda dealership in Toowoomba for over 36 years.
He is also one of the longtime sponsors and supporters of the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.
He’s donated cars, money and more to the annual festival for years to make sure it’s a successful event every year.
This is Peter’s first appearance in the Power 100.
88. John and Jacqui Armstrong
John and Jacqui Armstrong are the powerhouse behind Armstrong Auto Group, one of Toowoomba’s major car dealerships.
John is the managing director of the group, the primary dealer in town for several huge global brands such as BMW, Jeep, Ford and Suzuki.
Jacqui is the Chief Financial Officer of the dealership and has co-ordinated the company’s sponsorship of high profile fundraisers, including raising funds for BASE Services.
John and Jacqui Armstrong placed 79 in the 2018 Power 100.
87. David Russell
David Russell is the principal dealer and director at Toowoomba’s largest new car dealership, Wippells Auto.
Wippells is the primary dealer for Subaru, VW, Audi, Land Rover and Jaguar in the region.
He is also a board member of the It’s a Bloke Thing foundation and has previously served as chairman of the foundation.
David Russell placed 82 in the 2018 Power 100.
86. Paul King
Paul King’s battle against the New Acland Coal Mine stage three expansion can only be described as a David vs Goliath battle.
And it is one that keeps going on, and on, and on.
Mr King, a unionist and environmental lawyer, is the head of the Oakey Coal Action
Alliance, the main organisation fighting the mine’s expansion.
Mr King is also a member of the Darling Downs Environmental Council.
Paul King placed 49 in the 2018 Power 100.
85. Brian Hewitt
Brian Hewitt has been theCarbal Medical Services CEO since 2015.
In that time the Aboriginal health service has grown to offer more and more services for its clients, most recently it received $690,000 from the Federal Government to run the game-changing Timely Allied Health for Mob trial, which will provide on-site access to allied health professionals across podiatry, chiropractic, physiotherapy, exercise physiology, nutrition, dietetics, non-dispensing pharmacy, audiology, optometry, occupational therapy, speech pathology and diabetic education.
Under Mr Hewitt’s watch, Carbal has also run a successful COVID-19 testing clinic in Kearneys Spring.
This is Brian’s first appearance in the Power 100.
84. Lizzie Adams
One of the leading Indigenous health advocates across the Darling Downs, Mrs Adams has been the CEO of Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement for several years.
A proud Mardigan woman from southwest Queensland with a background in nursing, she has been involved Indigenous
affairs since she was a teenager.
Mrs Adams’ life was turned upside down in 2013 when her son Jaydon was killed in a car crash, which she this year turned into the Jaydon Adams Memorial Foundation to support other Indigenous youth.
She was instrumental in lobbying to successfully establish an Indigenous advisory committee to help consult with the council, and made a run for the TRC in this year’s election.
This is Lizzie’s first appearance in the Power 100.
83. Damian Platts
The newest member of the
Toowoomba Regional Council’s executive team, Mr Platts oversees the council’s water and waste department.
A veteran public servant who has served in organisations across Australia, Mr Platts was hired in 2017 to rectify the council’s ageing infrastructure and ensure longterm water security.
Among his many achievements in the role, he has been instrumental in developing the roll out of the council’s upcoming smart water meter program.This is Damian’s first appearance in the Power 100.
82. Rex Zeeman
Rex Zeeman took over as chairman of the Toowoomba Rugby League prior to the start of the 2020 season.
With decades of administrative experience in the game, Mr Zeeman has had to make some big decisions in his first year at the helm.
This includes cancelling the TRL season for the first time in its 100 plus year history, due to a once in a lifetime pandemic.
Plans are already underway to make up for lost time next year, with Zeeman looking to lead the league into the postCOVID era.
This is Rex’s first appearance in the Power 100.
81. Stephen Payton
Stephen Payton is the founder and director of the Toowoomba Film Society and has brought high-end films that otherwise would never have been screened in Toowoomba to the city.
The screenings were initially in the backrooms of community venues, but now attract hundreds at the monthly event at The Strand Cinema.
Stephen is also the brains behind Banter Coffee Kitchen on Margaret St, having previously run the coffee shop at Bunker Records.
This Stephen’s first appearance in the Power 100.