POWER 30: Gympie's Most Influential 21-17
Who are Gympie's most influential people? Here are six that made the list
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#21 Anthony Lanskey
ANTHONY Lanskey has been helping the region's youth as Gympie State High School's principal for more than two years.
But his influence in helping Gympie's future generations tackle their problems extends well beyond that.
Working his way down the Queensland coast throughout his life, from far north Queensland to Bundaberg and then to Gympie, Mr Lanskey has nurtured a passion for youth rugby league across the state.
He has held positions including chairman of the Wide Bay School Sports Board (which has helped grow the sport from Gympie to Kingaroy and Bundaberg) and president of Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League, (a position which he took one year ago), and Central Division Juniors Board Independent Director (from 2012-2014).
He has also played an important role as member of the the Queensland Rugby League Central Division Board.
Overall, it is a career involvement in regional rugby league of more 20 years.
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Off the sporting field, Mr Lanskey has been equally passionate about helping students achieve their dreams through the education system.
Along with his regular role at GSHS, he has also become an active part of helping grow education through the Gympie State Schools Administration alliance, an organisation comprised of other principals from across the region.
#20 Sue Manton
WHAT began as a nursing career for Sue Manton has turned into a highly influential role in a not-for-profit organisation that has an expanding and huge footprint in the Gympie region.
As the business manager of Little Haven Palliative Care and Cancer support, Ms Manton has impacted the lives of many families.
Under her 14-year leadership, Little Haven team of nurses and volunteers has grown from supporting 40 palliative care patients a year to more than 220, along with an equal number of bereaved.
An AIM Qld Rural and Regional Business Manager of the Year winner and OAM recipient for her contribution to palliative care and the Gympie community, Ms Manton joined the Palliative Care Qld State Council in 2014 with a desire to improve access to palliative care services in rural and regional Qld, presenting at the 2016 PCQ State Conference.
A strong advocate for Little Haven's model of community care Sue recently travelled to Melbourne to address the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Human Services and End of Life Care.
#19 Darren Burns
DARREN Burns is not only the face of Gympie rugby league, he is its driving force.
After a career in the national rugby league that saw him play for the Broncos, South Sydney, Western Suburbs Magpies and the Roosters, Burns has provided a stable platform of motivation and inspiration to Gympie's aspiring rugby league players in a time where the game, at a regional level is struggling.
Burns has mandated the consistent presence of rugby league at a school level, which has seen a resurgence of young players enter the local junior ranks.
His mentoring goes beyond the playing field.
Burns has worked in conjunction with the Brisbane Broncos to provide education to students in everything from domestic violence to healthy eating.
He continues to provide front line leadership as president of the Gympie Devils Rugby League Football Club, stepping up to the plate after the resignation of Gympie rugby league stalwart Jim Bougoure.
It has been Burns' intricate knowledge of league administration that has helped keep the game alive in a town with a proud rugby league heritage.
It is through his dedication to local sport, that Burns earns a place in Gympie's Power 30.
#18 Craig Mathisen
CRAIG Mathisen began his Muster career cooking chips at the Webb Brothers first Muster.
It was a far cry from where he would wind up in his 35 year commitment to Gympie's iconic music festival, as he now a Board Director for the Muster, holding the Marketing and Sponsorship Portfolio in 2017 and the position of deputy chair in 2016-17.
And his lifetime spent dedicated to country music does not stop there.
Describing himself as a "very novice and frustrated blues harmonica player", he was a founding member of the Australian Institute of Country Music, eventually moving on to become a board member and treasurer of the AICM and, most recently, the organisation's president.
The dedication to music is not the only tune of Mr Mathisen's career, though.
A land surveyor in Gympie in the early 80s, he has been influential growing the region's tourism economy through the Cooloola Regional Development Bureau, and working in the Queensland public sector since 1998 to help economic development grow in the Wide Bay Burnett and South East Queensland regions.
At present, he is the regional director South East (Wide Bay Burnett and South East Queensland) for the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (Queensland).
#17 Cos Schuh
NOT content to simply rest on his laurels, successful businessman and business owner Cos Schuh is the definition of 'community-minded'.
The Schuh Group, provides several services for businesses across both the Gympie Region and South-East Queensland, including business valuations and strategy.
Currently boasting 32 clients under Schuh Groups' portfolio, it represents some $220 million in capital.
Having lived with his family in Gympie for over 40 years, there are clearly deep ties and an affection for the people and way of life here.
Reflecting his commitment to local businesses in the community, Cos and the Schuh Group have also been a major force for charity fund-raising in the region.
This year, he was a major sponsor for the recent Wishlist Jazz and Wine Festival, which saw a desperately-needed $33,000 piece of medical equipment procured for Gympie Hospital.
Originally published as POWER 30: Gympie's Most Influential 21-17
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