[Image: Miguel Schincariol/Getty Images]

Football South West Queensland has announced the appointment of Trevor Jacobsen as Zone Referee Development Officer as part of a strengthened refereeing department.

The former Queensland State League referee was chosen for the newly-created role following a series of interviews.

He will be responsible for developing and implementing a strategic plan and will work closely with clubs in the South West Queensland Zone to ensure functioning lines of communication.

Jacobsen, who holds Level 2 accreditations as both a referee and instructor, will be joined in the restructured refereeing department by Janelle Robb and Sunny Afshar.

Robb has held the position of Zone Referee Coach since 2008 and takes on an expanded role with a view to developing and coordinating an elite referee training program.

The program will be targeted towards referees currently on the talent identification panel and those involved in the PlayStation® 4 National Premier Leagues.

Additionally, Sunny Afshar has been appointed to the new position of Futsal Referee Coordinator and will help to develop a refereeing structure for futsal in South-West Queensland.

Football Queensland’s State Referee Development Officer David Wiebe believes the expanded department is a significant boost for the Zone’s current and future officials.

“These appointments represent an exciting future for refereeing in the South-West,” he said.

“The new structure is in line with the template implemented at state and national level and will provide the best education and development opportunities for referees in the region.”