Committee

President– Major General Darryl Low Choy AM MBE RFD PhD

Darryl is a qualified town planner, a Fellow of the Planning institute of Australia, and Fellow of the Environmental Institute of Australia and New Zealand. A tertiary educator and researcher of 35 years, Darryl retired in 2017 as Head of Planning, Griffith University, where he is now Professor Emeritus. Darryl’s parallel military career commenced as an Army school cadet before enlisting as a Private and rising to the Rank of Major General in the Reserves. He has held all regimental appointments, culminating in command of the 7th Brigade. He subsequently held the three most senior Reserve appointments in the Army and the Australian Defence Force. Darryl retired from the ADF in 2007 after 43 years of service. Darryl has extensive industry experience, completing major secondments to State and Federal Government planning initiatives, Commissions of Inquiry and Expert Panels. He was a Trustee, Director and Board Chair of the City of Brisbane Art and Environmental Ltd. Currently Darryl is a Board Member and Director of the Society of Australian Genealogists; President of the Chinese Australian Historical Society; Patron of the Queensland Military Historical Society; and Chair of the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation’s Land and Sea Management Committee.

Vice President – Brigadier Michael Bond CSC and Bar

Michael is a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland with a distinguished public sector career working in senior positions in the Commission for Children and Young People, the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, and the Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services. In a parallel career, Michael has served 38 years as a member of the Australian Army (part time), with four operational tours of duty. In 2012, Michael was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross for his leadership of the 9th Battalion, The Royal Queensland Regiment. He was awarded a Bar to the Conspicuous Service Cross in 2017 for outstanding achievement in enhancing the operational outcomes of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. He retired in 2022 as the Director General Reserves (Army). Michael is passionate about the environment and is a Director on the Board of Queensland Water and Land Carers and a Fellow of the Australian Security Leaders Climate Group.

Treasurer – Major Michael Little CSC

Joining the USCQ in 2016, Mike is a former full time Army officer whose service began at the Royal Military College Duntroon before graduating into the Royal Australian Infantry Corp prior to transferring to the Australian Army Intelligence Corp. As a member of the Australian Intelligence Community Mike has been deployed both domestically and overseas, and resulting from these deployments he is a recipient of the Conspicuous Service Cross, the Australian Active Service Medal with Clasp, and the Australian Service Medal with Clasp. Upon leaving full time military service Mike has embarked on a successful civilian career, specialising in the field of business development, recruitment, and private equity. Mike also has an extensive background in staffing and retention policy, recruitment, workforce development and planning. Mike has also sat on numerous Boards and Committees including volunteer experience with expertise in business development, risk management, governance, member services and finance. Consolidating this experience, he holds qualifications in health administration, business, law and workforce management. Since 2022, Mike has also been a member of the USCQ’s Finance, Audit and Risk Management Sub-committee.

Committee Member – Captain Simon Bliss

Simon was educated at Churchie and is a former full time Army officer who began at the Australian Defence Force Academy and the Royal Military College, Duntroon, graduating to the corps of Engineers. After more than a decade of service Simon moved to the UK for a decade before returning to Brisbane. He has extensive experience in medium and large business. In the UK, he filled the roles of COO/CFO and Managing Director of the Mount Blake Group, a billion dollar turnover group of companies who worked globally in the wholesale and distribution area of the electronics industry. Simon has reported to boards and directed companies in a variety of sectors internationally including food (distribution, wholesale & retail), electronics (distribution & wholesale), logistics (international & domestic) and international security (products & services). Simon currently consults to organisations on very large and complex transactions including opportunity exploitation strategy, tender development and response, risk, change and program management and brings a wealth of practical commercial acumen to a board. Simon has a long involvement with the Club and has been a member for over 25 years; his grandfather, Lieutenant Harry S. Green was a member for 45 years. He has been awarded the Australian Defence Medal.

Committee Member – Lieutenant Colonel Garry Collins

A retired high school teacher, Garry has been a USCQ member since 1989. A 35-year career with Education Queensland saw Garry mainly employed as an English department head and he also had year-long exchanges to schools in the USA and Canada. For about a decade up to the end of 2017 he also taught part-time in several universities in SE Queensland, mostly in teacher preparation courses. From 1965, he served for around 30 years in the Army Reserve, mainly in infantry battalions of the Royal Queensland Regiment but also in the Queensland University Regiment which he commanded for three years at the end of the 1980s. Whilst on a teacher exchange in Oregon in 1991 he was attached to a local National Guard unit, 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment. Garry is a Life Member of the English Teachers Association of Queensland and a past president of both that organisation and its national counterpart, the Australian Association for the Teaching of English.

Committee Member – Lieutenant Don Crombie

Joining the USC in 2008, Don has served on the Club Committee since 2008 and has been Club Treasurer from 2009 to 2023. Don has served on the Finance, Policy & Property, and Finance, Audit & Risk Sub-committees, is a Director and Trustee for the Club’s incorporated company 183 Wickham Terrace Ltd, and is a Fellow of CPA Australia. Don has been a practicing accountant and tax agent in public practice since 1983, with prior experience including sheep and cattle stud overseer and rural property management.

Committee Member – Flight Lieutenant Jason Kennelly

Biography to come.

Committee Member – Commander Daniel Lord RAN

Joining the USCQ in 2016, Daniel is a current serving Navy Reservist, formally full-time, who qualified as a Maritime then Principal Warfare Officer specialised in Communications, Surface and Sub-Surface Warfare. As a Warfare Officer, Daniel has served both in Australia and overseas which has resulted in him gaining the Australian Service Medal and Operational Service Medal. Daniel's full-time service concluded in Command of the Armidale Class Patrol Boats HMA Ships Armidale, Bathurst, Maitland, Ararat and Launceston, with the first four platforms assigned in Command of the ACPB Crew "Attack Six". Since transferring to the Royal Australian Navy Reserve, Daniel has grown a successful civilian career in Operations Analysis/Data Science including Modelling and Simulation, Project Management, Strategy Management, Management Consultancy (in Capability Management), Education and Training, and Mortgage Broking. Daniel has expertise in Community Boards and Committees focusing on Risk, Governance, Compliance, Change Management, Project Management and Capability Development. Daniel is a Certified Practicing Program Manager/Project Director and holds a Masters in Leadership and Management in Education, a Masters in Project Management, and a Bachelor of Teaching/Bachelor of Arts.

Committee Member – Ms Jennifer Manners

Biography for Ms Jennifer Manners coming soon.

Committee Member – Ms Catriona McPherson

Catriona is an Assistant Crown Solicitor at Crown Law. She leads one of Crown Law’s three Workplace Law teams, and specialises in employment, industrial relations, discrimination and human rights law. Catriona has practised exclusively in those areas of law for more than 16 years, and has extensive experience advising and representing employers in all aspects of workplace law, and in matters across State and Federal jurisdictions. Catriona has also held volunteer positions at the Caxton Legal Centre and the Refugee and Immigration Legal Service, both pro bono legal advice centres. Catriona holds a Master of Laws, a Bachelor of Laws, a Bachelor of Business (Accountancy), and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice. Catriona is the sister and granddaughter of Australian and British Army officers, so she has a great affection and respect for the military heritage of our Club. Catriona is also passionate about younger member involvement and growth at the Club.

Committee Member – Brigadier Richard Peace

Biography to come.