Committe of Mangement 2008/2009

President
First Vice President
Second Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Committee Members
Public Officer

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President Jason Dawson

Business website www.beechworthsfc.com.au

First Vice President Darren Carr

Business email address darrenlisacarr@bigpond.com

Second Vice President TBA

Secretary TBA

Treasurer Kristy Howard

A little bit about Dr Kristy Howard.....
B Agric (Hons) (Uni Melb), PhD (Uni Melb)
Fellow of the Institute for Learning Practioners

Dr Kristy Howard has been designing, running and evaluating industry development and training programs for farmers in the Meat and Wool industries since 1995. In 2008 she started her own consulting business, Inspiring Excellence, focusing on business coaching and mentoring, business and leadership development for rural business women, project management and facilitation.

Kristy is passionate about inspiring and enabling people, businesses and communities to achieve their potential through professional and personal growth. She is especially passionate about working with rural and regional Australians, in particular farmers, and women seeking a balance between work and motherhood.

Originally trained as a Research Scientist in Agricultural Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kristy has made the successful transition from research to working with farmers and government to working with small business and community. She has achieved change in a variety of industries and community organisations through application of her unique blend of leadership, engagement, management, facilitation, mentoring and coaching skills.

Raised in the country, Kristy came to Beechworth in 1998 with her husband Paul (a carpenter) while working for the Department of Primary Industries at Rutherglen. They both consider Beechworth the best place they have ever lived in (and there have been a few) and live in their antique home with their 3 children, 1 dog, 1 cat, chooks and guinea pigs. Kristy is one of Beechworth’s ‘6am gym junkies’ after discovering the benefits of adding regular exercise to her life after the birth of her third child in 2006.

Kristy's main motivation for joining the Beechworth and District Chamber of Commerce and Industry was to meet and network with other local business owners so that together, they can grow and strengthen the business community of Beechworth.

Business website www.inspiringexcellence.com.au

Committee Member Jodi Goldsworthy

Jodie Goldsworthy is a fourth generation apiarist. Steven & Jodie Goldsworthy commenced as commercial apiarists in their own right in 1992.

Since 1992, Beechworth Honey has grown from a small primary production partnership producing bulk honey and selling it as a bulk commodity to a rapid growth value adding business. The brand is now one of the “majors” in the Australian honey category. Beechworth Honey is now the countries largest independently owned specialist honey company. Jodie has expanded the companies products into a range of growing overseas markets and developed the highly successful visitor education centre the Beechworth Honey Experience.

Jodie has been responsible for developing Beechworth Honey into a trusted, 100% Australian, national and international food brand. She has developed the companies Food Safety program from its beginnings and this program and the companies quality achievements were awarded a national HACCP Food Safety Award in 2007.

She holds a post graduate degree in Strategic Marketing along with a Bachelor of Applied Science and is passionate about regional business development, Australian agriculture and food and the environment.

Jodie was a member of the two previous Deputy Prime Ministers “Regional Women’s Advisory Council” from 2002 - 2007, appointed to give advice to the Australian Government about issues affecting rural and regional Australia. She was an attendee of the current Prime Ministers 2020 Summit.

Jodie has just released here first book “Cooking, Tasting, Living Honey” which takes you into a world of eating, living, sleeping and breathing honey as has been her life.

Jodie is an accomplished and highly sought after speaker and her latest projects involve broadening the publics awareness of the link between food production and worlds last remaining “Varrao free” healthy bees managed here in Australia by around 2000 commercial beekeepers.

Business website www.beechworthhoney.com.au

Committee Member Karen Nankervis

I’ve been in Beechworth for 20 years and share my life with my two daughters, my partner Graeme, his boys and my wonderful family and friends.

I grew up in Wangaratta, eldest of 3. After college, I worked for the Defense Department and Ford Motor Company and since moving to Beechworth, have worked locally at Mayday, the bakery, local primary school and currently at Beechworth Health Service.

With the arrival of motherhood, I focused on the party plan industry as my opportunity to be a full time mum and still enjoy the flexibility and benefits offered, particularly in the senior management position I maintained for over 10 years. This flexibility was very important when Leah was diagnosed with autism at age 3, and the myriad of therapies, assessments and bureaucratic b**t that followed. A strong support network of friends & family has allowed me to be the proud mother of two gorgeous girls who are both achieving in their own directions.

In 2004 I started ‘My Beechworth Secretary’. I wanted to utilise and expand the secretarial skills I had developed and provide excellent services to the Beechworth community and beyond. I am blessed with amazing clients – locally and from all over Australia – who allow me to be an integral part of their businesses and lives.

As well as running my own business, I’m active in the local community with the Business & Professional Women’s Club, Chamber of Commerce, After School Care Advisory Group, school Parents Network and Wild OATs Autism Group. My girls also dance, play hockey and do karate.

And in my ‘spare time’, I love to read, garden, do crafts and catch up with friends for a cuppa. I’m having too much fun to be bored!!

Business website www.mybeechworthsecretary.com.au

Committee Member Fiona Larkings

My parents moved to Beechworth when I was 6 months old so I suppose you would call me a local. I had the pleasure of attending school here in town and growing up as part of the local community. One of my favorite memories is doing the milk run on horse and cart in the wee hours of the morning with my father.

I moved away for eight years after completing my HSC. During this time I worked in Melbourne, travelled overseas and completed a degree. I received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Deakin University in 1995 majoring in Graphic Design. From 1996 industry experience was gained in design and installation of websites with a North East Victorian Internet Service Provider. I furthered my studies in Multimedia at Melbourne's RMIT.

In early 1998 I established WWW.ART Design Services in Beechworth. At this time I approached the Indigo Shire with an idea to produce a website for the town of Beechworth. Due to a lack of interest in the project from Indigo Shire, several key businesses in town were approached to gauge support for a town website. With the enthusiasm of Tom O’Toole, who was President of the Beechworth Chamber of Commerce at the time, I decided to take the financial risk and build a Beechworth Website. The website now promotes over 125 local businesses.

WWW.ART Design Services Pty Ltd was incorporated in March 2008 with a vision to provide clients with an entire web solution. The business now services five key areas of work:
- Website design, maintenance & marketing
- Domain name registration
- Email & website hosting
- Website & computer training
- Development of co-operative marketing initiatives

Business website www.wwwart.com.au

Committee Member Bill Bell

Business website www.goldenheritage.com.au

Committee Member Tracy McVea

Business email beechworth@newsxpress.com.au

Committee Member Sue Humphris

I grew up in Stawell, near the Grampians – we did move 8 klms to Great Western for a number of years but then moved back to Stawell.

I worked for the ANZ Bank in Stawell for almost 10 years, then moved onto becoming a qualified Travel Consultant. I married Roger in 1987 and we had two children, Ryan and Katelyn. In 1994 we moved to Cobar in outback New South Wales then in 2000 we transferred to Roxby Downs in outback South Australia. During our ‘outback stint’ I worked in various paid roles in the primary and secondary schools, was receptionist for an optometrist and in Roxby Downs I started working for the TAFE college. I also undertook volunteer positions as President of the Cobar Childcare Centre and Treasurer of the Cobar Mobile Resources Unit, which were quite involved roles (bigger than I imagined when I volunteered!!).

In 2002 we decided to move to Gawler to settle the kids into good schools and ‘stay put’ for a while. I was employed again by the TAFE College and worked my way up to Office Manager. After 5 years we decided to throw in our jobs and purchase the Lake Sambell Caravan Park in Beechworth. We have been here for 2 ½ years now and have settled into Beechworth really well. We have worked hard on improving the grounds and facilities in the park together with developing systems and procedures in the office which were previously non-existent. I have found my previous office administration, customer service experience and high work ethic have translated into us running a successful business.

I don’t really have ‘spare time’ anymore with a seven day a week business and being Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce and mother of two busy teenage children, but I do enjoy casual tennis, motorbike riding and walking. I was an avid patchwork and quilter in my 'previous life', and have boxes and boxes of quilts locked in a shipping container out the back. When I retire I may well pick that hobby back up again.

Business website www.caravanparkbeechworth.com.au ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ TOP

Public Officer Nick Henry

Business website www.ardentalpaca.com.au

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