The Team

Marg (Manager Events)

Joycee (Events Business Development Coordinator)

Joycee was the original and, at one stage, the only “Urban” team member and has been involved in the planning and delivery of the event from its humble beginnings. With the event, and team, growing to such huge proportions she can no longer refer to it as her baby. (Sadly says she!).  She believes having a sense of community spirit has played a part in the festival being the iconic event that it is today.  The 2000 Olympic Torch Relay saw Joycee jump head first into events from where she has never looked back.  She has been fortunate to visit most major festivals in Australia from which she thoroughly enjoys poaching ideas! Strangely, Joycee has always preferred sport (physical action) to music although did attempt (somewhat ordinarily) to play the guitar and also sang in a choir.  However, deep in her heart she’s still……..Hey True Blue……

Kathy (Events Coordinator)

Kathy has been planning community events since 2001, which included a Centenary of Federation celebration where she experienced her first live country music concert that featured John Williamson and Troy Cassar-Daley.  Nine years later she is excited to return to the country genre as part of the Urban Country team.

Kelli (Senior Events Officer)

Kelli lives and breathes music and has been a festival lover since she could walk. Four years in London resulted in her spending every last well earned pence on festival and concert tickets. 5 days of dancing in the mud at the Glastonbury Festival with 150,000 other smelly people has been described as the best days of her life. She also managed to organise a few events herself while she was in London. Moving back to Brisbane in 2004 to organise conferences was definitely not her cup of tea and she is thrilled to finally have a job where she can put her dancing shoes back on.

Graeme (Senior Events Officer)

A newcomer to the Urban Country Music Festival, Graeme adds some extra brawn to the team. A hopeless dancer, Graeme loves a bit of toe tapping and head bopping to live music. A novice guitar player, Graeme is looking forward to seeing some of Australia’s best guitarists and country performers strumming their 6- strings over the May long weekend. Graeme has worked in the events and sports industry since 2000, landing gigs with the 2000 Sydney Olympic Torch Relay, Octagon Sports Marketing, Griffith University and the former Pine Rivers Shire Council. Graeme is ‘Mr Infrastructure’ for the festival so when you are sitting back relaxing on a hay bail or chair, he is the person to thank!

Brett (Events Officer)

Thanks to Graeme, Brett is now not the only guy in the team (finally!) Only being recognised for his brawn and not his brain, Brett is often called upon for lifting and fixing things. He's a solid unit, dedicated to everything country! On a serious note, he grew up in Caboolture and has seen the area change immensely over the years. His working life has been '5 star' all the way, planning many large events in well-known venues and hotels in Brisbane. He then took time out from events and moved to Japan. Here he travelled this amazing country and taught kids to say things like "G'day Mate" and "Ow are ya?" and introduce them to everything Aussie. Brett is dedicated to all things going on in Town Square, including organising all the food and market stalls.  Brett is also here to show Graeme the Urban Country ropes and teach him how to deal with the chicks!

Bridget (Events Officer)

The 2010 Urban Country Music Festival will be Bridget's second experience working on the event.  Bridget works on the Beaut Ute Competition held at Centenary Lakes and ever since working on the event for the 2009 festival, she can't help but notice how many beaut utes travel the streets of Caboolture and surrounding area's. Bridget would love to see Centenary Lakes jam packed with hundreds of utes on 1 May 2010!

Bronte (Events Officer)

Bronte is a back of house kinda gal. While exploring life she discovered music at a very young age, mostly on the radio in the cow shed as she helped her Dad milk the cows. By accident rather than design, she influenced her younger siblings by buying them guitars, and now her four sisters and two brothers all share a love of music and have similar musical styles, which of course includes country. Bronte is proud to be the older sister of 80’s pop diva JENNY MORRIS and of contemporary country singer and 1998 ARIA Award winner of Best Australian Country release and nominee for three Golden Guitars at the 1998 Tamworth Country Music Awards - SHANLEY DEL.  Bronte’s family grew up in a very creative environment and music and art are in the DNA they got from their parents, who were both excellent singers and artists.  So wherever there is a festival, there Bronte will be, either backstage working, or out front in the crowd, listening to music.  “It will be my pleasure to work on the 2010 UCMF and I look forward to seeing your face in the crowd”

Colleen (Events Support Officer)

Colleen is quite possibly the most passionate country music fan in Australia. She has been involved in the festival since the first year and is greatly involved in developing new talent in the industry. Working in the events office and organising the festival is a dream come true for Colleen. In her own words…"my learning curve to date resembles that of Mt Kosciusko! It is a privilege to have met, and been mentored by, some of the key players in the country music industry and I look forward to a long and rewarding career with the events team." One day we will learn to bottle Colleen’s enthusiasm and retire on the profits.

Erin (Events Support Officer)

Erin may look all sweet and innocent but she can bootscoot with the best of them. Growing up with a Mid West American father and a crazy Garth Brooks loving mother, she was always going to be a little bit country. Erin has been in the Events Department at Council for almost 5 years and is excited this year to get her teeth into UCMF. Working closely with Colleen, she will be learning the ins and outs of the artists that make this festival great. Also, Erin will be organising the Voice of Urban Country Talent Search, so if you are a budding singer or musician obtain your entry form now. She can’t wait to find the next Voice of Urban Country!!!

Raelene (Finance Officer)

Raelene was lured from Customer Service to greener pastures by the excitement of events. She is a fantastic score for the festival team and we are thrilled to have her. An average day in the office for Raelene involves, in no particular order... 1: make sure we have enough money to run the festival, 2: organise the fun and social life of the events team and 3: keep the rest of the events team sane. Needless to say, where would we be without Raelene?

Belinda (Events Cadet)

Belinda’s earliest memories listening to country music would be listening to it with her country loving dad, grandma and aunty at Gladstone. Inspired by the likes of the American greats Allan Jackson, Tim McGraw and the Dixie Chicks; Belinda has been thrusted into the world of Australian country music and couldn’t be happier. The 2010 festival will be Belinda’s second with her co-organising the Beaut Ute show and annoying the many businesses in the region to dig deep and sponsor this great festival. Belinda is looking forward to finishing off her cadetship with the events department and learning so much from her talented co-workers.

Jaki (Volunteer Coordinator)

Jaki is our newest member to the team and we welcome her with open arms as our Volunteer Coordinator 2010.

Jaki grew up in Caboolture and just like Brett has seen many changes over the years. An avid music lover she is always humming or singing or playing her guitar and piano, not at the same time mind you, there is no stopping her. Jaki has been involved in community groups, choirs, charity organizations and volunteer work from the tender age of 14 and in her own words “without the amazing commitment of volunteers in our community the world just wouldn’t go round”. She is very excited to be part of the UCMF team and we are super excited to have her onboard. 

(Plus all the vollies seem to love her, so thats a bonus!  Keep those vollies in line Jaki, they're a wild bunch!)