Board of Management
Chairman- Bob Faulkner
CEO- Derek Amos
Treasurer- Ian Johnston
Dr Daryl Ham- Board Member
Dr Fred Edwards- Board Member
Neville Penrose- Board Member
Geoff Newby- Board Member
Helen Alty- Board Member
Harvey Pynt- Returning Officer
Bob Faulkner
Chairman
Bob Faulkner is the Marketing Manager of Work Solutions Gippsland. Following his marketing education at RMIT Bob commenced work with a Melbourne Advertising Agency working on marketing and advertising strategies for major advertising accounts. He has worked with some of Australia’s major national food and grocery manufacturers before becoming part of the transport advertising revival in Australia.
He also has had vast experience in the marketing of a commercial radio station in Melbourne.
In 1997 he entered the Disability Employment Industry where his first exposure to the “not for profit” world occurred. Together with his wife Donna, he co founded Work Solutions Gippsland a very successful employment agency specifically for people with disability and currently guides the Marketing strategy as well as supporting the overall management of the agency.
Derek Amos
CEO
Derek Amos, a co-founder of Barrier Breakers, is a former Victorian MP of long standing (representing the Central Gippsland electorate of Morwell) who held many leading positions, including Ministerial portfolios and Parliamentary Chairman of a number of all party Committees. For 20 years he was the principal of one of Australia’s leading corporate relations consultancies. Although now retired from professional life, he continues serve the community on government and non-government Boards and Committees.
Ian Johnston
Treasurer
Ian is the Managing Director of McMillan Partners (Accountants & Advisors) and has over 20 years experience as a chartered accountant in the Latrobe Valley. Ian’s knowledge and experience is invaluable in providing advice and guidance on matters of business. Ian has a passion for mountain bike riding and will be seen heading bush at every opportunity.
Dr Daryl Ham
Board Member
Dr. Daryl Ham graduated from Melbourne’s Monash University in 1978 and spent much of his early years as a Doctor working in a number of small hospitals as the resident Medical Officer.
Having a special interest in psychiatry, Daryl began work in psychiatry a Medical Officer in the Plenty Hospital in 1983 and in 1988 he entered a training program and degree in psychiatric medicine. Unfortunately, while the program was later abandoned, Dr. Ham became the first Doctor in Victoria to work on the crisis team (CATT Team), where he held the position for three years in the North East Metro region.
Moving to Gippsland in 1994, Dr. Ham commenced work at the former Hobson Park Psychiatric Hospital as a Senior Medical Officer, where he served two 12 month terms. He also commenced his work in general practice, first working part time until the closure of the Hobson Park facility. Currently, Daryl’s workload is shared between General Practice and the Latrobe Valley Community Mental Health Service, where he provides four sessions per week as a Senior Medical Officer.
Dr. Fred Edwards
Board Member
Dr. Edwards has had a long time involvement in the field of mental health. After qualifying in medicine from the University of Sheffield in England in 1983, Fred’ early career was spent in community medicine where he also gained experience in the management of hospital based mental health services.
He spent three years as a Unit General Manager in the National Health Service in the UK. during the period when the main thrust in mental health at that time was to de-institutionalise as many patients as possible and place them in supported community houses.
Migrating to Australia in 1990, Dr. Edwards has been involved exclusively with the Hazelwood Health business providing extensive family practitioner medical services to the Latrobe Valley and latterly in South Gippsland. This work involves a lot of day-to-day contract with people requiring support, counselling and treatment for a wide range of common mental health problems.
Neville Penrose
Board Member
Neville was raised on a beef property at Glenburn near Yea in NE Victoria.
He has tertiary qualifications in Agricultural Science, Geomorphology and Environmental Science, is a Graduate of the Gippsland Community Leadership Program, a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has completed Department of Justice Mediation training.
He joined the Victorian Public Service with the Soil conservation Authority in the early 1970’s. He was conscripted fo fulfill National Service obligations with the Australian Army 1971-1973.
Following study leave from 1974-1977 he resumed work with SCA and has since worked in the VPS in field advisory, planning and management roles.
Neville has worked in every Region of the State including a period in Head Office.
With the formation of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) he became the Catchment and Agriculture Services (CAS) Manager for Gippsland.
With the split of NRE into the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) and the Department of Primary Industries (DPI), Neville became the Community Relationship Manager in DPI CAS. In 2005 he was appointed to the Regional Water Manager role in DSE and after long periods of Acting in the Regional Manager/Regional Director role, was appointed as Regional Director for DSE in Gippsland in April 2006.
Geoff Newby
Board Member
Geoff joined Victoria Police in January 1979. He worked at a number of metropolitan stations before transferring to the country where he spent four years at Swan Hill and Nyah West before returning to Melbourne seeking promotion. He worked in the traffic area before moving to Dandenong where he undertook plain clothes duties for some time. He was promoted to Inspector as Staff Officer to the Executive Director within the Chief Commissioner’s Office prior to being selected for International Deployment and being posted in Papuan New Guinea and later the Republic of Nauru. Whilst overseas he was successful in gaining his promotion to Superintendent and his posting to Gippsland. Geoff was successful in obtaining a position with the 2007 Gippsland Community Leadership Program. He has recently been appointed to the Board of Management for Neighbourhood Watch Victoria as the Chief Commissioner’s representative. He is married with one daughter and resides on a small property in Longford.
Helen Alty
Board Member
Helen Alty is employed as a case manager for a local disability job network support agency. Helen has worked across a broad range of industries having many years’ managerial and investigative skills behind her. She previously has had volunteer experience as a counselor and advisor for the ADHD groups both on the Central Coast and Mid North Coast areas of NSW, she has also assisted teachers at the Emotionally Disturbed Children’s School on the Central Coast of NSW. Her interests include motor sports, all outdoor activity including fishing and camping.
