Earth observation expert Anthony Rea has been elected president of Earth Observation Australia, an association of more than 800 specialists.
The election took place during Earth Observation Australia’s (EOA) annual general meeting on 6 November.
Rea is an internationally recognised expert, advisor and consultant in weather, water and climate, specialising in EO and data exchange and processing, utilisation and policy.
From 2019 to 2023, he served as the Director of the Infrastructure Department at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), leading the global coordination of observations, data exchange, and modelling across weather, climate, water, oceans and the cryosphere.
Currently he is an adjunct industry associate professor at RMIT University, where he obtained his PhD in satellite meteorology; he also has a master’s degree in public administration (ANZSOG).
Rea has also held various positions within the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, including Chief Data Officer and General Manager of the Observations Program, as well as a number of corporate and executive roles.
He served as convenor for the very successful Advancing Earth Observation Forum in Adelaide in 2024.
Rea succeeds Sebastian Robertson as president of EOA.
In an announcement posted on LinkedIn, EOA said that “Anthony will execute and elevate the Organisation’s new strategy that came as a result of steadfast and purposeful work undertaken by now Immediate Past President Sebastian Robertson”.
“EOA thanks Sebastian for his time, vision, and enthusiasm that built a new strong footing for the times ahead; a tremendous outcome.”
Finally, it is interesting to consider how recent movements of some senior people reflect the interdependence of segments within the geospatial sector, and with other, related fields.
In this instance, we have Anthony Rea, who has a meteorological background, becoming head of an Earth observation group.
Last month, Dr Stuart Minchin — who had served since 2020 as Director General of the Pacific Community and previously as Chief of the Environmental Geoscience Division of Geoscience Australia — became CEO and Director of Meteorology for the Bureau of Meteorology.
And at the beginning of this year, Melissa Harris — who had been Chief Executive and Registrar of Titles at Land Use Victoria — became CEO of Geoscience Australia.
