OUR Committee

Andrew Duchesne - President

Andrew is a retired Principal & School Teacher of 30 years experience. Prior to that, He worked as a youth worker for 3 years and in finance for 8 years. He is an active member of the Grace church in Bega & has been involved with the Bega Heritage Motor Club for 22 years. In his spare time, he enjoys living on acres, raising cattle & sheep. Andrew is a long term volunteer with Sapphire Community Pantry, & has volunteered with us since we opened in 2017. He enjoys serving the community, & is looking forward to seeing Sapphire Community Projects thrive into the future.

Shane Trembath - Vice President

Shane is a retired school teacher with 30 years teaching in schools in Australia and in Africa. He has set up and managed a number of secondary school campuses. Along with setting up a number of social justice programs in schools, he has also run a small ‘not for profit’ raising money for a secondary school in Tanzania, Africa. in his spare time, he enjoys surfing and bike riding and spending time in the bush. Shane has been volunteering at the Pantry, lead the ‘Chop Chat Chew’ program at Quaama and assisted with last year’s Christmas Lunch at Ricky’s Place. Shane has an interest in improving the availability of fresh vegetable options for The pantry and for Ricky’s place and helping to do what he can to assist Sapphire Community Pantry to continue their great work in the local community into the future.

Arlene Cassel – Secretary

Martin Booth – Treasurer

Martin retired from banking in 2020 after 35 years working in London, Tokyo, New York and latterly Sydney, first as Head of Risk and Compliance for Australia's largest domestic fund manager and then as an Executive Director in Operational Risk, Governance and Compliance at another of the 'big four' banks. A long term visitor to Bermagui since 1996 and now living there full time, Martin is interested in giving back to the community, getting involved and building connections. Previous not-for-profit experience includes roles as Treasurer of Lambeth Mediation Service in the United Kingdom as well as of a small London pre-school.

Anna Lindstrand – Committee Member

Anna Lindstrand holds a bachelor’s degree in Cultural Studies, with a focus on community, education, and conservation. She has extensive experience working in special aid programs in Sweden, where she dedicated many years to supporting the most vulnerable children in the community. For the past eight years, Anna has been deeply involved with the Native Animal Education Sanctuary, that runs Potoroo Palace and Cowsnest, serving as its director since 2020. Her leadership and passion for conservation have made an impact on the sanctuary's outreach. Anna is also the Vice President of the Candelo Arts Society, where she helps to promote and bring the arts to the local community. Her commitment to fostering creativity, culture, and community connection shines through in all her endeavours. In addition to her work in community, education and conservation, Anna is passionate about good governance. She is constantly curious and motivated to explore ways to guide organisations towards a sustainable future.

Paula Williams – Committee Member

With a Master’s Degree in public policy, Paula was a senior executive in the Australian Public Service before moving to the wonderful Bega Valley in 2017. Paula is passionate about access to nutritious food, and providing support to people who may find this difficult. Paula is a weekly volunteer at Ricky’s Place and the Bega Valley Seedsavers. She has been President of the Bega and District Garden Club for several years, and grows most of her family’s fruit and vegetables. When not gardening, Paula loves to spend time with her 6 grandchildren.

With graduate qualifications in Disability & Inclusion, and a passion for empowering people to reach their potential, Arlene has over 30 years of diverse experience in education, community services, and volunteer organisations. Arlene brings skills in communication, mentoring, building relationshops, and delivering programs to support the needs of vulnerable communities. 

Terry Hutchinson – Committee Member

Terry had 30 years working for ANZ Bank, doing branch banking, lending manager & regional personnel manager. Terry was also CEO of Tulgeen Group for 3 years, and also owned and managed ToyWorld in Merimbula for 10 years. Terry is a returned Army serviceman, and has an extensive volunteering background, with 14 years on the board of the Bega RSL Club & Club Bega. He was Chairman of the board for 5 years. Whilst with the RSL, Terry had a War grave approved for Indigenous Light-Horseman, David Mullet, who was buried at the Bega Cemetery without a headstone or identification. Terry is now retired and volunteering at Sapphire Community Pantry twice a week.