Melissa Maurer
Director
Bachelor of Communication (Public Relations/Journalism), University of Newcastle
Certificate IV in Business
Certificate IV in Frontline Management
NSW Construction White Card
Rail Industry Worker Accreditation
IAP2 Accreditation
Melissa has 15 years’ experience working in media, communications and stakeholder engagement. Melissa specialises in community and stakeholder engagement for major infrastructure projects, including greenfield projects. Melissa has managed communications and engagement activities for more than 25 major infrastructure projects across New South Wales, with individual values up to $500 million.
Angela Felton
Director
Bachelor of Communication (Honours), University of Newcastle
NSW Construction White Card
Rail Industry Worker Accreditation
IAP2 Accreditation
Angela is an IAP2 award-winning engagement specialist with a professional career in community engagement, communications, media and government relations and academia across more than 25 years.
Angela is a recognised leader within the community engagement industry and has extensive experience in planning, managing, and implementing community engagement and communications programs for high profile projects. She has extensive experience with on-the-ground community engagement on large scale State significant projects and works with clients to develop engagement programs from the commencement of environmental and social impact assessments, through to the start and completion of construction. Her recent projects include Snowy Hydro’s Hunter Power Project, TfNSW’s Kangy Angy New Intercity Fleet (NIF) Maintenance Facility, Hunter Water’s Chichester Trunk Gravity Main (CTGM) relocation and Newcastle Light Rail.
Through her experience in local, state and federal government as a media advisor, speech writer and chief of staff, Angela has a comprehensive understanding of the political and media environment, and has strong relationships across many sectors. Along with Melissa Maurer, Angela has built a team of highly experienced senior communication and engagement specialists at Spectrum Comms.
Natalie D’Arcy
Associate Director
Bachelor of Science (Honours) – Psychology
Graduate Certificate in Marketing
Advanced Diploma of Management
Graduate Diploma in Primary Education
IAP2 Accreditation
NSW Construction White Card
Rail Industry
Worker Accreditation
Natalie has more than 20 years’ experience in community engagement, communications and market and social research.
She takes pride in advocating for the community in organisational planning and decision making. With a knack for distilling complex information into easy to understand materials, Natalie has held several senior communication and engagement roles over the past 11 years on some of the biggest infrastructure projects in the Hunter region including Newcastle Light Rail, the New Intercity Fleet, M1 Pacific Motorway upgrades, Belmont Desalination Plant, and the Lower Hunter Water Security Plan.
Prior to this, Natalie worked in market research for almost a decade providing actionable consumer insights to clients across a range of industries in Australia and South East Asia.
Felicia Harford-Fletcher
Senior Communication and Engagement Consultant
Extensive vocational training in project management and B2B and B2C marketing and communications
Formal accreditations with ADMA, AANA and IAP2
Felicia is one of our communications, engagement and marketing gurus, with more than 20 years’ experience across private and government sectors in project management and communications roles.
Felicia has extensive experience working with high-profile clients on major infrastructure projects including Transport NSW’s Parramatta Light Rail project, Transport Access Program and Towards Zero Campaign.
Michael Leach
Senior Communication and Engagement Consultant
Bachelor of Science (Computer Science), University of NSW
Master of Business Administration, Sydney University
Advanced Management Program, Harvard University, Boston USA
Graduate - Australian Institute of Company Directors
Michael has more than 25 years’ experience in strategy, customer engagement, marketing communications, brand management, public relations and sponsorship in the financial services sector.
Michael brings a strong consumer marketing and community focus to deliver reputation-building project outcomes within a highly compliant regulatory and environmental framework.
Alexis McLaren
Senior Communication and Engagement Consultant
Master of Arts: Journalism, Charles Sturt University
Bachelor of Arts: Public Relations and Organisational
Communication, Charles Sturt University
Certificate in Professional Editing and Proofreading, Open Colleges
Alexis has more than a decade of experience working in reputation management, publicity, corporate communications and community engagement.
Her experience spans working with water authorities, local government, community services, security, agriculture and the arts industry; managing the communications and engagement activities for a wide range of environmental, financial and socially sensitive projects.
She is passionate about ensuring her community consultation is authentic, and her communications is in plain English.
Paul Jackson
Senior Communication and Engagement Consultant
Bachelor of Arts (Communication), Charles Sturt University
Certificate IV in Frontline Management, Wesley Vocational Institute
Advanced Diploma of Tourism (w Distinction), TAFE NSW
Diploma of Tourism (w Distinction), TAFE NSW
Construction White Card
Paul is a seasoned communications and public relations professional who has worked within the industry for more than 25 years. He has variously held roles within high profile government organisations (all levels) and ASX-listed companies, with duties covering almost every function found within the discipline.
Paul has accordingly developed a broad understanding of strategy and execution, adapting readily to each situation and audience. With job-refined practical skills in journalism and media management, collateral (print and digital) development and production, social media coordination, event management, internal communication and liaison, and issues/crisis resolution, Paul is equipped to provide clients a ‘holistic’ service in achieving their goals.
For the past 12 years, Paul has been recognised as a stakeholder engagement and external communications leader within the extractives industry. Seamlessly moving from executive advisor to front line operative, Paul’s strength in establishing meaningful connection with all types of stakeholders opens ‘doors’ for his colleagues.
Sally Thompson
Senior Communication and Engagement Consultant
Bachelor of Arts - Communication Studies, University of Newcastle
Sally has more than three decades of public relations, marketing and advertising experience, gained in both the private and public sectors. Her career includes roles with major national and international private corporations, large advertising/communication agencies, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and, for the past 14 years, running her own consultancy.
Having worked with a wide assortment of industries and government agencies, Sally can call on an impressive breadth and depth of knowledge across multiple key corporate communication functions. She has extensive experience and expertise in public relations, publicity, corporate communication, public affairs, media liaison, large scale event management, community consultation, crisis communication, marketing, advertising and social media management.
Claire Bailey
Senior Communications and Engagement Consultant
Bachelor of Arts (Public Communications), University of Technology Sydney
IAP2 Accreditation
NSW Construction White Card
Rail Industry Worker Accreditation
Recipient of the NSW Premier's Award (2019), for Building a Strong Economy (Revitalising Newcastle)
Claire has more than 15 years’ experience in communications spanning a range of disciplines, including community and stakeholder engagement. She has worked at leading financial organisations in the UK and Australia, and most recently in the NSW Government sector at Transport for NSW.
Claire has extensive experience managing community and stakeholder engagement on complex, high profile infrastructure projects in both Sydney, Newcastle and regional NSW. Her experience extends across multiple project delivery sectors including: rail, road, maritime, active transport and integrated precincts.
Meredith Whitworth
Engagement and Communications Consultant
Bachelor of Arts (Social Work), University of Newcastle (2000-2003)
Meredith has more than 15 years’ experience in administrative and office manager roles, with proven capability in Customer Relationship Management.
Meredith’s experience has seen her manage a roster of 83 creative artists in Hollywood, California, and recently completed consultation and coordination of the property dilapidation surveys for Parramatta Light Rail.
Her range of experience has seen Meredith manage multiple CRM systems, including Consultation Manager and booking systems such as SimplyBookMe.
Meredith is an enthusiastic and clear communicator who has excellent people skills, having dealt with a diverse range of artists, academics, service providers and community stakeholders.