Keynote Speakers

Dr Ben Rossiter, Executive Officer, Victoria Walks

Ben has a background in cross sectoral partnerships, research, policy and program development, community development and health promotion. He has a long interest in walking, sustainable communities and urban environments. He has presented papers and published articles and book chapters on walking and urban experience. The theme of his doctoral dissertation was walking in cities.

Ben is an avid walker who particularly likes the adventures and chance encounters that can occur while walking in ordinary neighbourhood spaces. He has been a member of the Victorian Bicycle Advisory Council and is currently a member of Hoddle Street Study Stakeholder Advisory Group (VicRoads) and the Station User Panel (Department of Transport).

Dr John L. Crompton, Texas A&M University

John L. Crompton holds the rank of University Distinguished Professor of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences, and is both a Regents Professor and a Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence at Texas A&M University. He received his basic training in England. His undergraduate work was in physical education and geography at Loughborough College.

In 1970, he joined Loughborough Recreation Planning Consultants as their first full-time employee. When he left as managing director in 1974, LRPC had developed into the largest consulting firm in the United Kingdom specializing in recreation and tourism, with a full-time staff of twenty-five which was supplemented by a number of part-time associate consultants.