The following Australian Web Industry Association members have been nominated for positions on the 2010/2011 Australian Web Industry Association Committee. Please read through each nominee’s short statement and consider their suitability to sit on the AWIA steering committee before voting at the AGM.

Alex Graham

I’ve been involved with the web in one way or another since 1996. I established Cadmium Design & Development in 2002 and have been on the AWIA committee in the role of Website Manager, more recently steering the Website Sub-Committee, since 2006. In the last four years I have been involved in the establishment of the Association’s website, maintaining and overseeing work on AWIA’s many online projects, administrating the Port 80 forums and more recently overseeing the redevelopment of AWIA’s own website.

I am passionate about the web and enjoy the challenges of helping bring the Australian web community together. It is a very exciting time for the web industry right now, with a number of things on the horizon that will take both the Association and the industry further and I would love the opportunity to continue working with the AWIA committee over the next two years to help make these things happen.

Helen Burgess

My Name is Helen Burgess and I am a lecturer at the Central Institute of Technology where I am responsible for the coordination of the web design and development courses.

I’ve been a committee member since 2006 and my current role is that of Education Liaison Officer. In this role I have been putting input into the latest National Training Package qualifications for our industry as well as putting a work based training model into place for Diploma students with AWIA member businesses. I have also been researching a code of conduct for the association to adopt in the future. Pas part of the Web site sub-committee and I have been involved in a re-design that will be revealed in the future.

This year I am Chairing of the Australian Web Awards committee after being the Judging chair for the inaugural Australian Web Awards in 2009. Previously I was Judging Chair Assistant for the WA web Awards (2006, 2007) and appointed the Judging Chairperson for 2008 awards and have been involved in the organisation of the awards since 2006.

I have been involved it the IT industry for over 20 years in various roles, which gives me a unique perspective on how the Web Industry is fitting into the nebulous, ever changing domain of Information Technology.

I may not write for a publishing company or own a web development company but my passion for the web as well as the emergent technologies borders on the fanatical, as does my passion for educating students who would like to enter this industry. I really enjoy being involved with the Australian Web Awards and AWIA.
Therefore I tender my re-nomination to the Australian Web Industry committee.

Adam Fitzgerald

Having spent the past 8 years as Managing Director at The Frontier Group, a Perth based Web Design, Development and Online Marketing company, I have accrued a wealth of experience both in leading web development teams and growing businesses. Our focus is developing enterprise grade Ruby on Rails applications, and delivering our projects using Agile principles.

The Frontier Group runs the Perth Ruby on Rails Meetup and the Perth Agile Meetup.

Personally, I’m passionate about improving the state of the web, and I attempt to do this both in my day to day role at The Frontier Group, as well as being a part of the Achieve More Online workshops.

Ruchir Punjabi

Ruchir Punjabi is the Managing Director of Langoor, a digital agency based in Sydney. He has consulted and worked on more than hundred web-based projects for Politicians, ASX Listed companies, NGOs and Small Businesses alike.

Ruchir is also:
• Chair of the Australia India Business Council Young Professionals
• Member of the Australian Interactive Media Industry Association (AIMIA) NSW Committee
• Member of the International Advertising Association Australia Young Professionals Committee
• A member of various other Boards

Ruchir is running for an election to:
• Increase representation of NSW and non-WA members
• Drive more activity and events beyond Perth
• Increase policy involvement and influence of AWIA on a national level

Steven Taylor

– Lead Architect, NGIS Australia (Creative Nature Communications)

With approximately 20 years’ experience working in IT, Steven has been on the ground floor of web-related and internet technologies through involvement with AARNET and Usenet, right up to the present day. Having a strong focus on software development and architecture in a web-based world, Steven has operated at the cutting-edge of technology leading development teams in the areas of Content and Document Management, eCommerce, Online Marketing, Social Media, Financial Advisory Tools, and Business Reporting Dashboards. Steven has also held senior and lead software engineering roles with leading firms such as Maptek, Immersive Technologies, Coventry Group Limited, WMC and Rio Tinto / Hamersley Iron.

Myles Eftos

I have been involved in the Web Industry for 10 years, working in a
freelance capacity, and then forming two twenty - a collaborative working
space in Leederville.

I’ve been on the Australian Web Industry Association committee since its
inception 8 years ago. During my tenure, I’ve been the Event co-ordinator,
which saw me leading the Edge of the Web, Web Awards and Idea’s event
committees, and this year I’ve been the vice-chairperson.

AWIA is important to me, and I’d like to see it grow to the next stage, and
become a truly national organisation. This will include more events
nationwide, and events aimed at different areas of the web - events that are
not only focused at coders and designers, but also marketeers and business
developers.