Andrea Brown
Chair
After thirty years in the finance sector with personal focus on private label corporate vendor relationships, it was time for a change for both career and location. Moved to East Gippsland to create Lakes Entrance Helicopters and restore a property in Eagle Point now named La Riva. I am a ... read more
Patrick Carson
Deputy Chair
Patrick has been working in the construction industry for over 30 years, commencing in commercial Interior Design in Sydney and London, before relocating to East Gippsland to commence at Slap Architects in 2010. Working primarily in the commercial sector and specialising in Hospital/health ... read more
Chris Banson
Treasurer
Managing Director of Saltwater Hotels & Resorts. Saltwater is a family owned, second-generation specialist hotel and resort management company with over 1400 keys under management. Over 300 of which are in East Gippsland. Saltwater employs more than 500 employees.
Chris grew up in ... read more
Fiona Forsyth
Secretary
In 2020, Fiona relocated from Latrobe Valley to Toorloo Arm and became co-owner of The Cure Renovations, which now operates exclusively in East Gippsland.
Fiona's leadership experience is broad, encompassing government, private and community sectors. She has been a strong presence in the ... read more
Chris Martin
Having worked at King & Heath for over 35 Years, Chris has developed a strong and loyal client base. Over the years he has worked in all facets of the business from property management, residential sales and now specialises in commercial sales and is also the Managing Director of King & ... read more
Darren Beggs
Darren has deep roots in East Gippsland, having moved to the region with his family in the 1980s. With over 20 years of experience in industry management, he has worked across diverse sectors, including oil and gas and employment services.
Currently, Darren serves as the Employment ... read more
Ally Anderson
Ally moved here as a child in 1977 and is now married with four children, three grandchildren. After 20 years in retail moved to a career in finance, currently works part-time as an office admin as well as her own bookkeeping/BAS agent business.
Ally is an active member of community ... read more
Belinda Stewart
Belinda is a proud Bairnsdale local with over 35 years of experience in the construction industry. Her career began in the structural sector, and in 2010, she launched her own building design and thermal assessment company, 3875 Design & Drafting.
A key strength of her business is its ... read more
Rajantha Dissanayake
Rajantha brings over a decade of experience in the marketing industry, backed by a strong academic foundation with a Bachelor’s Degree in Management and Marketing, and a Master’s Degree in International Business.
In 2022, he relocated to East Gippsland and has since made Bairnsdale his ... read more
Shaun Massie
Shaun brings more than two decades of experience in finance, operations, and leadership across the banking and hospitality sectors.
After a successful career in mortgage broking, Shaun and his wife Jodie made the move to East Gippsland to take the reins of the historic Kalimna Hotel — ... read more
Barry Mcilwaine
East Gippsland has always held a special place in my life. Having visited the region since childhood, I’ve developed a deep appreciation for its people, landscape, and opportunities. Over the years, my family and I have built strong ties to the area, owning properties on the silt jetties near ... read more
Bryan McCormick
Bryan is the Head of Government Relations and Policy at Amplify Alliance, the peak body for not-for-profit organisations delivering human and social services across Australia. Since joining Amplify Alliance in 2023, he has led advocacy and policy development on key issues affecting members and ... read more
Vanessa McLeod
After living interstate and abroad for several decades, Vanessa moved to East Gippsland with her two sons ten years ago. She is currently a District Business Manager with the Country Fire Authority and supports East Gippsland’s 1400 volunteer members. Through her work with CFA Vanessa has built ... read more
