Management Committee

The Rural Financial Counselling Service is overseen by a Management Committee comprising government, industry and community representatives and has signed a funding agreement with government for the effective and efficient delivery of a rural financial counselling service for Mallee farmers and Murray irrigators.

The role of the committee is to provide sound corporate governance, accountability for government funding, employ staff according to need, meet all reporting requirements and ensure all statutory obligations are met.

The Committee is chaired by Mr Jack Forbes and other office holders and members are:

Jack Forbes

Chairperson
Appointed 9/9/85

A long standing committee member of the Service since 1985, Jack was elected to the position of Chairperson in 2008. A farming family background has motivated a long term involvement in rural and farm related issues. Jack's skills and expertise in succession planning, retirement planning and aged care issues, superannuation, government assistance programs and rural financial issues have been developed in his role as a Financial Information Service Officer with Centrelink in Mildura. His alignment with accountants, financial planners and agricultural organizations together with a wide range of community interests and leadership experience bring invaluable expertise to the committee. Jack is currently undertaking the Australian Institute of Company Directors course. He has completed financial planning and accountancy course segments. His long term interest is in seeing rural Australia grow and flourish.

Lyn Heaysman

Vice Chairperson
Appointed 8/9/98

A strong community participant for over thirty years, Lyn's interest in agriculture stems from twenty-one years of owning a family vineyard in Sunraysia. During those years Lyn held several positions on Australian Dried Fruits Association committees and boards. She was also invited by the Victorian Government to be a Director of the Victorian Dried Fruits Board, a position she held for ten years. Lyn has served on the SRCS Management Committee since 1998, holding the position of chairperson for nine years to 2008, an experience she describes as very rewarding. She has been delighted to see a concept born from local community need to look after farmers in financial difficulty taken on by the government and supported across the nation.

Lyn has been self employed in the financial sector for over twelve years and her passion is to continue to build her two-time, award winning financial planning business in Mildura. Her qualifications include Diploma in Financial Planning, Certificate in Business Accounting and she is currently undertaking the Australian Institute of Company Directors course.

In addition to her great love of family and friends, Lyn's keen interest is to serve her local community where she can.

Fiona Harley

Secretary
Appointed 25/9/08

Fiona has worked within the community services sector for nearly 30 years. She is currently Deputy Executive Director of Mallee Family Care and Director of the recently established Community Development Unit. The primary focus of the Unit is to provide programs that positively engage with families and children in learning and education as a means to best possible life outcomes, an area that Fiona is passionate about. She is currently the Chair of Northern Mallee LLEN, and is on the Boards of Access Mildura, Chaffey Secondary College and Sunraysia Rural Counselling Service. Fiona lives in Mildura, has three adult daughters and four grandchildren.

Ashley Turner

Treasurer
Appointed 21/9/2001

Ashley brings to the committee his skills and knowledge in accounting and agribusiness. After working in core taxation for three years he joined the Agribusiness Division at WHK in 2001. The division oversees the management of over 2,000 acres of horticultural plantings. In his position as Agribusiness Consultant, Ashley has vast experience in horticultural property business planning, property purchase evaluations, feasibility research, financial modelling, business planning and water trading.

His qualifications include Bachelor of Business (Accounting) and Certificate IV in Workplace Training.


Ordinary Members:


Graeme Matotek

Appointed 14/9/99

Graeme's involvement in the dried vine fruits industry has seen him gain an insight into the horticultural industry in the Sunraysia district. He is an active member of the Australian Dried Fruits Association and has undertaken various industry education programs to further enhance his knowledge of the industry. He understands the pressures that growers face and sees a need for the support that the Service provides. He has been involved in various community groups, is currently a member of the State Emergency Service and is a member of the Irymple School Council. He has completed a Horticultural Apprenticeship in 1983 and is currently undertaking the Australian Institute of Company Directors course, Financial Planning Diploma and Certificate III in Engineering.

Howard Crothers

Appointed 25/9/08

Howard has been a Mallee farmer for forty-five years and is very well credentialed to represent the dryland farming communities in the Mallee. He was Chairman of the steering committee which set Mallee Track Health & Community Service in place and a board member since its inception. Prior to that he was a board member of the Underbool Bushnursing Centre for twenty years. Howard has previously served as councillor and shire president of the Shire of Walpeup and also as councillor and mayor of the Mildura Rural City Council. Other community involvements have included inaugural president of the Underbool Progress Group, past president of the Underbool Branch of the VFF and past president and life member of the Mallee Football League. He is currently chairman of the Northwest District Council of the VFF and chair of the Mallee Consultancy Group.

In the early nineties Howard witnessed what a wonderful job a rural financial counsellor did for a friend and this initiated his interest and involvement in the former Mallee Rural Counselling Service in 1996. He chaired the Mallee Service from 2003 until his appointment to the SRCS Management Committee in 2008.

John Senior

Appointed 25/9/08

John has extensive experience in management of small and medium enterprises, has been a member of boards of management in the business services and aged care sector for ten years and is currently in employ as an Executive in the government funded health and community sector. John has a continuing interest in quality assurance and a commitment to the delivery of services in support of health and wellbeing in remote and rural areas of Australia. His qualifications include a certificate in Management Services and a postgraduate diploma in Management Studies.

Cr Margaret Thomson

Appointed 15/10/09

Cr Marg Thomson has been a councillor of the Shire of Wentworth for ten years and is in her fifth year as Mayor. She currently serves on the Boad of Management (and Treasurer) of the Wentworth Community Bank, Board Member of Regional Development Australia - Murray, Board of Management of Mallee Family Care and Management Committee (and Vice President) of Australian Inland Botanic Gardens. Cr Thomson is a citrus grower at Curlwaa and has also owned and operated a commercial citrus tree nursery.