Our People
Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors operates within Banksia’s Constitution and Board Charter, which lay the foundation of a culture of excellence. The Board articulates Banksia’s values and the responsibilities of the leadership group in setting the company’s strategic direction and monitoring its performance. Elected from within the company’s membership, the Directors are highly qualified and dedicated, bringing extensive professional and business experience and community leadership to the company.
Craig Hamer
Director, Board Chair and Chair of the Remunerations and Nominations Committee
Craig is a health service executive with significant leadership and management experience in the health and aged care sectors. Craig has a Bachelor of Health Administration (BHA) from UNSW and has recently retired from the position of General Manager, Shoalhaven Hospital Group. Joining Banksia’s Board in May 2019, Craig is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has board experience with South East NSW Primary Health Care Network, Coordinare, and Meaningful Ageing Australia. Craig has enjoyed living in the Eurobodalla region for over 40 years.
Andrew Ball
Director, Deputy Board Chair and Chair of the Consumer Engagement Committee
Andrew has been a denominational leader for the last 18 years as well as serving on several boards as a director.
He has strong strategic and organisational experience in Aged Care and Retirement living with undergraduate qualifications in Science and a post-grad doctorate in Systems theory, spirituality and ministry. He is currently working on a book on not-for-profit leadership and governance and serves senior leaders across Australia as both a mentor and professional supervisor.
Andrew is married to Wendy and enjoys time connecting with their three young adults and exploring the beautiful South coast.
Michelle Lawson
Director
With a chartered accounting background and over 30 years’ experience in Energy, Infrastructure, Finance and Not-for-Profits, Michelle has a passion for authentic leadership, ESG and diversity. Michelle has more than a decade of practicing Director and Committee Chair experience. In 2015 Michelle was awarded NSW Women in Mining winner for Gender Diversity Champion, finalist in the Women in Resources National Award and acknowledged as one of the 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining 2016. In February 2018 she carried the Queen’s Baton at the XXI Commonwealth Games in recognition of her community contributions and in 2020 was part of the team that received the NSW Women in Mining award for Excellence in Diversity Programs and Performance. Recently Michelle has become an accomplished contemporary artist in her spare time, earning over a dozen international awards.
Michelle has a Bachelor of Commerce, is a Fellow of Chartered Accoutnants Australia & New Zealand, Governance Institute of Australia and Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and a Justice of the Peace in NSW.
Phil Armstrong
Director and Chair of the Planning and Development Committee
Now semi-retired following nineteen years working in Aged Care and Retirement Living, Phil spent sixteen years as the Chief Executive Officer of Banksia Villages Ltd and has over twenty five years of experience on not for profit Boards.
This includes over twenty years on a number of Boards within the Campbell Page Group of Companies including two UK based subsidiaries, ten years on the Board of Aged and Community Services Assoc. NSW & ACT and three years on the Board of Australian Rotary Health.
Phil is a current Board member of Eurobodalla Meals on Wheels. He also served as the District Governor for Rotary International District 9710 in the 2012/13 Rotary year. Phil has lived in the Eurobodalla for over thirty years.
Damien Louttit
Director
Damien is an experienced pharmacist who graduated from Sydney University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1994 and registered with the Pharmacy Board in 1995. He moved to the Eurobodalla region in 1998 and has always been deeply committed to community engagement. For 28 years, Damien worked predominantly in local community pharmacies, as well as both Moruya and Batemans Bay hospitals. He has extensive practical knowledge of clinical pharmacology, aged patient care, health screening and immunisation. In 2007, Damien founded Broulee Beach Pharmacy, where he developed skills in small business management, finance, staff management, interpersonal relations and customer service.
Damien retired from community pharmacy in 2023, having also been a member and former Zone leader of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia. In his leisure time, Damien enjoys the local forest and ocean-based activities. He is married to Nerrida, and together they are parents to two adult children.
Marilyn Beaumont OAM
Director and Chair of the Care Governance Committee
With a general and psychiatric nursing background Marilyn’s career spans many States and national health service provision, policy advocacy, health workforce representation and governance. Born in Canberra, Marilyn’s move in 2021 from regional Victoria to Eurobodalla brings her closer to family.
Marilyn has a long history of Board participation including Health Insurance Commission, HESTA, Australian Nursing Council, Hanover Welfare Services to the Homeless and the Australian Women’s Health Network. In addition, she has over 20 years’ experience in health services which include aged care services, on Melbourne Health, Northern Health and Bendigo Health Boards.
Marilyn’s work has included being
• State Secretary, Australian Nursing Federation South Australian Branch, 1982 to 1987,
• Federal Secretary, Australian Nursing Federation between 1987 and 1995, and
• Executive Director, Women’s Health Victoria, a statewide women’s health promotion and advocacy service between 1995 and 2010,
She continues to provide executive coaching as a private consultant.
Marilyn received the Australian Centenary of Federation medal in 2001, was inducted to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2007 and was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2017 for her significant contribution to community in particular, to women’s health.
Steve Daniel
Director
With almost 20 years’ experience in the technology industry, across both the disability sector, and the online business he founded, Steve is a business leader with expertise in strategic planning, financial management, operational automation, and cybersecurity. During his IT career, Steve has gained valuable insights and expertise in meeting financial goals while maintaining high quality service delivery. Steve also has experience in the introduction of cybersecurity training programs to ensure resilience against potential cyber threats.
Steve holds a Master of Information Technology from the University of New England and has recently completed a Master of Business Administration. He is passionate about helping those in our community who are most vulnerable through provision of software and technology solutions.
Sally Druhan
Director and Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee
Sally is a senior public servant and as Chief Finance Officer leads the finance function for the Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development directorate of ACT Government. Her portfolio is responsible for strategic advice, establishment of effective financial management controls, financial reporting and budget management. Prior to joining ACT Government, Sally worked in a number of senior roles across Defence and the Australian Taxation Office focussing on service delivery, risk management, budget management and financial reporting. Sally also has experience working in the private sector in commercial and financial management roles.
Sally holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the Australian National University and a Graduate Diploma in Management from the Australian Graduate School of Management. Sally is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Executive team
Graham Wise
Chief Executive Officer and Company Secretary
Graham has been CEO at Banksia Village for ten years and was appointed Company Secretary in January 2017. With over 20 years’ experience as a CEO in the not-for-profit sector, Graham has brought significant knowledge and leadership experience to Banksia. Graham holds a Master of Business Administration from University of Canberra and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance from the Governance Institute of Australia. He is also a certified Chartered Secretary, professional member of the Australian Human Resources Institute (CAHRI) and a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia (FGIA).
Michelle Yang
Manager Financial Services
Michelle has developed extensive financial accounting and management experience over her career, having worked in senior finance roles in a variety of oganisations and sectors. A Master of Professional Accounting, a Bachelor of Management and Certified Practising Accountant, Michelle is passionate about strategic financial analysis, budgeting and forecasting. She is equally passionate about sharing her extensive knowledge with her colleagues to enrich workplace knowledge and efficiency.
Charlene Dallimore RN
Community Care Manager
Charlene is a qualified Registered Nurse, having completed her qualifications at St George Hospital in Sydney and specialising in dementia and aged care nursing. Charlene’s 20+ year career has comprised extensive direct clinical care as a community nurse, working with aged care and other clients through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. She has also worked in health administration with aged care and community nursing providers. Charlene joined Banksia’s clinical leadership team in 2017 as Banksia Community Care Manager, and oversees our home-based practical and clinical care services for older people throughout the Eurobodalla. This includes developing highly tailored care plans for our clients, working with a range of medical and clinical practitioners, and helping to coordinate additional services from other providers in the community. Charlene embraces opportunities to develop her skills and knowledge, with a strong commitment to continuous professional development.
Nicole de la Rue
Human Resources Manager
Nicole de la Rue is a human resources professional with over 25 years’ experience in HR administration, team leadership and management roles. Her career has spanned both for profit and not for profit sectors in a number of metropolitan and regional centres around Australia. Nicole joined the Banksia team in 2016, and is responsible for organisation wide HR planning and functions. She holds a Diploma of Human Resources from Deakin University, is a member of the Australian Human Resources Institute, and is undertaking post graduate studies in organisational psychology.
Stacey Hall
Senior Care Manager
Stacey joined Banksia Community Care in May 2021 in the role of Senior Care Manager. She has over 20 years’ experience in customer service, administration, and management. During a previous role with Services Australia, Stacey predominantly worked with age pension customers, sparking her keen interest in aged care. Stacey then transitioned into the aged care sector, where she has worked in a variety of roles for the past seven years, commencing as a care worker and moving into care management. Stacey is striving to enhance the quality of life of Banksia’s home care clients and support them to continue living independently at home. She recently completed a Diploma of Dementia Care and is undertaking further studies.
Elizabeth Paterson – Finlay RN
Project Manager
Elizabeth (Liz) joined Banksia in November 2019, and has over 10 years’ experience in the aged care sector. A highly effective leader with over 20 years’ experience in management and customer service roles, Liz is a fully qualified Registered Nurse with a Graduate Certificate in Aged Care Nursing, holds a Diploma in Business Management, is a Bachelor of Science Environmental Geology and Master of Science Environmental Technology at the University of London. Liz is passionate about improving the quality of life for older people in aged care settings by ensuring best practice and genuine person centred care, and to achieving sustainability for not for profit organisations through the design and implementation of efficient systems and procedures. Liz is currently studying for her Graduate Certificate in Finance.
Heidi Pendlebury
Village Manager
Heidi has over 30 years’ administrative and management experience in the client services sector and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing) from John Curtin University. During her career, Heidi has worked in a number of major capital cities around Australia where she developed keen insights into the principles for delivering the highest levels of customer satisfaction, which she now brings with great passion to her role as Village Manager. Having been born and raised in Moruya, Heidi has an intimate knowledge of the Eurobodalla region and enjoys living locally again with her family.
Mathew Harris
Maintenance Manager
Mat is well known in the local community, having lived in the area for the past 42 years. A skilled carpenter and qualified builder, he is proud to have worked on many building projects, both locally and in the Canberra region. In the past six years, Mat’s commitment to upholding standards led him to collaborate with the NSW police for a period. He was able to transition his expertise from policing into a compliance role with the local council, allowing him to contribute to the community in a different capacity, ensuring that a wide range of legislated regulations were met. In his spare time Mat enjoys surfing, fishing, playing golf and riding motorcycles.
Helen Clarke RN
Care Manager
Helen joined Banksia Lodge in 2019 in the role of Care Manager. She has worked directly in the aged care sector for over 20 years, as well as in general practice nursing and community nursing. She completed her Bachelor of Nursing (Registered Nurse) at the University of Wollongong in 2010 and holds a Diploma of Management from the Australian College of Commerce and Management. Helen has lived in the Eurobodalla region for over 30 years, and actively volunteers with a number of local community organisations. In addition to her extensive clinical and health administration experience, Helen has a passion for caring for the elderly who believes set the foundations for our lives.
Sarah Delaney
Administration and Domestic Services Manager
Sarah relocated from the Riverina to the Eurobodalla 15 years ago and joined Banksia in 2015. She brings expertise in client contracting and government services and portal navigation. Sarah has responsibility across Banksia Lodge administration, including admissions, front of house and resident contracting and oversees domestic services through Banksia Lodge’s food, cleaning and laundry portfolios. Sarah has a diverse background in finance, retail, customer service and small business management and carries qualifications in Leadership and Management.