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TOP Committee

Leif Cocks:  Position - President

Leif is the founder of The Orangutan Project and has been the President since its inception. He has worked at Perth Zoo for 25 years as a curator managing a wide range of animals, including the most successful colony of orangutans in the world. In respect to his professional, animal, human and financial management skills, Leif has been an Australasian Species Management Program Committee Member; a Quarantine-Approved Assessor; Australasian Husbandry Adviser; Zoo Accreditation Officer; UN GRASP in-country point of contact, an International Species Coordinator and Chair of a World Aquarium and Zoo Association global mconservation program.

Leif has several academic qualifications, including a Masters of Science studying orangutans. He lectures at universities, is a seasoned public speaker, supervises university students and regularly publishes papers on orangutans in peer reviewed journals. Leif also has enormous field experience in protecting rainforest, rescuing and releasing orangutan (including the first two ever captive-born orangutans).

Leif’s years in the field have earned him respect within the conservation field. He has been a key player in developing conservation plans for orangutans and influencing positive change for orangutan protection and survival. This respect has given The Orangutan Project world standing in conservation, and allows Leif to successfully negotiate conservation agreements with the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry and other government officials. It has also allowed The Orangutan Project to attract major sponsors.

Troy Kenah: Position - Vice President

Troy has been an active member of TOP for over 8 years and on the committee for the past 5 years.

Troy’s primary role within TOP centres on the organisation’s information services and graphic design. He developed the existing website and is currently responsible for managing all information services, such as the other TOP websites, email services and the member database. Troy also manages the graphic design for the organisation and was the creator of the TOP logo. In addition to these responsibilities, Troy was instrumental in the development and implementation of the TOP Adoption Programme.

Troy’s professional background is based primarily in the world of computing and management of computing services. Over the past 25 years he’s worked in New Zealand, Australia, Germany and the UK with companies such as Mitsubishi, MCI WorldCom, Ozemail, the NSW Treasury and Research International.  With more than 10 years experience in statistical analysis of social and marketing research, he has a very good understanding of markets, people and attitudes.

Troy’s main goal is to help strengthen TOP as an organisation through consistent management, cohesive policies and processes in order to enable TOP to grow and function efficiently.  He feels this type of good governance is crucial to a non-governmental organisations like TOP. Like other members of the current committee, Troy sees the common values that bind the existing active members of the organisation together as a key factor to the fantastic success and growth of TOP.

Bill Waterer:   Position - Acting Treasurer

Bill has been an active member of TOP since 2003, W.A. State Representative since 2005 and National State Coordinator since 2006. During this period he has assisted all states to reorganise and adopt management procedures that have seen a substantial increase in state’s performance.

Since 2007, Bill has also had responsibility for merchandise sales and management with the resulting sales increasing Australia-wide. A semi-retired management consultant with hands-on experience in running companies with up to $15 million per annum turnover, Bill is well experienced in marketing and market research. One of the main activity areas Bill has focussed on has been a school visits program, where school children are involved in the discussion about orangutans. Bill believes this work is vital, because of his firm held belief that the future of orangutans and other wild species rests with the youth of today. Bill also actively assists the Silvery Gibbon Project, The Asian Rhino Project and the Jane Goodall Roots and Shoots program. Currently Bill devotes around 25 to 30 hours per week to the TOP.

Bill is passionate about the future of the TOP, and is confident in its ability to protect the orangutan population under the current committee. He looks forward to continue to build the TOP into a greater force in orangutan conservation and seeks the support and goodwill of members so that together, these goals can be achieved.

Kylie Bullo:  Position - Ordinary Committee Member

Kylie has been an active member of TOP since 1999 and has held a committee position since 2001, first as secretary and now as Conservation Project Coordinator. This position involves being in regular contact with TOP’s conservation partners about funding requirements, devising a project budget based on needs of conservation projects, writing funding agreements, sending funds overseas, obtaining and editing update reports and keeping the committee and TOP members informed about TOP’s projects. 

Kylie has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology (with Distinction) and First Class Honours in Primate Behaviour. As the Senior Orangutan Keeper at Perth Zoo, Kylie oversees the behavioural, diet, enrichment, health and breeding management of the colony. Kylie was the keeper in charge of the release of the first ever zoo-bred orangutan back into the rainforest of Sumatra in 2006, and regularly visits the site to check on 'Temara'. Kylie has extensive knowledge and experience in the care and management of orangutans including husbandry techniques captive and wild behaviour, ecology and diet, reintroduction and release. Kylie regularly fills in as Primate Supervisor at Perth Zoo where she manages the primate section including animals, 8 staff members, rostering and budgeting.

Marion Wall:  Position - Ordinary Committee Member

Marion was a founding member of TOP in 1998 and has worked at committee level for the past 5 years in the roles of National Coordinator, or Internal Communications Coordinator. During Marion’s role as National Coordinator she gained TOP representation in all States and Territories, helping to raise the level of public awareness about orangutan conservation. Marion’s drive and enthusiasm is evident as she celebrates her 8th year in the role as Queensland Representative establishing teams in the Gold Coast/Northern NSW area, Sunshine Coast and Mackay. Marion has seen firsthand the devastation occurring in Indonesia and communicates this in her education talks at schools.

As Editor, Marion has developed the quarterly newsletter to its current standard and implemented the ‘News in a Nutshell’ document for communication between committee, state reps and volunteers.

• Company Director for 10 years of Austuk Graphics P/L
• TOP’s Newsletter Editor for 2.5 years - Member of WSPA and Wildlife Warrior
• Attended TOP 2006 Workshop in Borneo - Member of ONARR and registered Carer
• Actively volunteered at the OFI Care Centre for a short period
• Certificate in Native Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation
• Organised displays and merchandise at the GRASP Tour in Melbourne and Sydney in 2005
• Volunteered in the OF-UK program for 6 weeks at Camp Leakey, Borneo in 2004

Marion lives in Brisbane where she volunteers at the RSPCA Desex Clinic and is a Flying Fox (fruit bat) rescuer and carer. Recently she has illustrated a published children’s book about an orphaned orangutan called ‘Finding Sheeko’.

In her present role Marion will continue to expand her activities to grow and increase orangutan awareness throughout Australia and is proud to be a member of the TOP team.

Kris Descovich: Position - Ordinary Committee Member

Kris Descovich joined the TOP committee for the second time in June 2010.  In her previous committee position she worked as the TOP membership coordinator and national fundraising coordinator, and managed the quarterly newsletter. Kris has travelled to Indonesia twice to work with orangutans in a professional capacity, firstly as a veterinary nurse and secondly to conduct behavioural research and through this work, has built a strong interest for establishing grassroots organisations in developing countries. Kris has extensive experience in animal behaviour and welfare, having worked as a zookeeper, animal shelter attendant and veterinary nurse, and recently published a scientific paper on orangutan behaviour in rehabilitation with the International Journal of Primatology. She is currently in her final year of her doctorate degree with the University of Queensland, which focussed on captive wombat behaviour and welfare. 

 

 

Conservation Fund Managers

Also, as we are non-partisan and work with all other NGOs, our funds are always spent in the most effective and efficient ways to help orangutans. We have a panel of Conservation Fund Managers, who are all experts with unique and complimentary expertise.

Leif Cocks

TOP Founder and President, Zoo Curator, Primate Husbandry Advisor, Zoo Accreditation Officer, Animal Population Biologist, Masters of Science studying orangutans, and over 25 years experience working with orangutans.

 

 

 

Kylie Bullo

TOP Project Manager, Honours Degree studying primates, Senior Orangutan Keeper – Perth Zoo, extensive experience as Acting Supervisor of Primates - Perth Zoo and over 10 years experience working with orangutans.

 

 

 

Clare Campbell

President Silvery Gibbon Project, Vice President Asian Rhino Project, Supervisor of Primates - Perth Zoo and over 8 years experience working with primates.

 

 

 

Colin Groves

Professor, School of Archaeology & Anthropology, Australian National University, world’s leading primatologist and author of modern orangutan taxonomy.