Mr Jim Cavaye, BAgrSc(Hons) Qld, MRuralSc NE, PhD Wisconsin is one of Australia's leading community development practitioners and educators with 20 years experience working particularly with rural and regional communities.  He is the Director of Cavaye Community Development and an international author and speaker on the role of government in community capacity building. He earned his PhD in community development from the University of Wisconsin, is an Adjunct Associate Professor at CQUniversity's Institute for Sustainable Regional Development and at the University of Queensland's Community Service and Research Centre.

Formerly a Principal Rural Development Officer and an Industry Manager with the Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Jim has assisted over 70 towns and cities in every mainland state of Australia and also in North America with community planning and development.  He conducted community planning workshops in 11 communities as part of the Community Capacity Building Initiative in Victoria. He co-facilitated the North Australia Summit - a major national planning summit including over 300 delegates from all Australian states and territories and facilitated a major community planning workshop in Snowtown, South Australia that formed the basis for ongoing community projects.  Jim's Community Leadership programs in Victoria have included the Loddon Murray Community Leadership Program and the "Stump Jump" community leadership project.

He has also authored several policy papers discussing issues and appropriate responses for the Centre for Rural and Regional Innovation, the Rural Extension Centre and the Queensland Department of Primary Industries.