Gary Hopkins (Chair) - 5476 5311 (work)

Gary is the current Chair of the Board of Directors of the Buderim Foundation Limited.

Gary was born on the Sunshine Coast and spent his early years in the Glasshouse Mountains area. Gary was awarded a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland and was admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1980. Gary initially worked as a Solicitor with a large Brisbane city legal firm before moving to Dalby on the Darling Downs where he was admitted into the partnership of Carvosso and Winship in 1983.

Gary moved with his family to Buderim in 1996 when the firm opened a Buderim branch office. Gary occupies the role of resident partner and practices in the areas of commercial, business, estate and elder law. Find out more of what drives Gary

Simon Whittle (Deputy Chair) - 5443 7227

Simon has spent his entire life with strong family connections to the Buderim community. He is well known for his passion for Buderim, its history, its people and its future. This passion and his belief in the value of volunteering and philanthropy have driven Simon for the last 20 years, as evidenced by the variety of his leadership roles with both the Buderim War Memorial Community Association and the Buderim Foundation.

Simon is particularly interested in the marketing and fund development area of the Foundation's operations, serving on both these committees, and plays a key role in growing the community's sense of ownership in the Foundation.

Earlier in Simon's career, he had extensive sales and management experience in the print media, culminating in a key role in the launch and early development of the Sunshine Coast Daily.

Simon was awarded an OAM for service to the community in 2003. Have a coffee with Simon

Sarah Bird - 0414 535067

Sarah is a doctor who has worked in General practice in Buderim for five years. Sarah now works in a specialist clinic for Dementia, Adults with ADHD and Weight Management needs.

Sarah qualified in the UK as a doctor (MBBS) then finished her training as a GP (FRACGP) in Buderim. Sarah is married and with husband Phil, has four children all attending local schools in which both Sarah and Phil are actively involved. Sarah has been on the committee of the Mons Playgroup and held the position of President of both the Buderim Preschool and Kindergarten.

As well as her Director role on the Foundation Board, Sarah is a member of the Foundation's Youth, Fund Development and Investment committees. We're here to stay

Michael Bloyce - 5476 5591

Michael has over 30 years' experience in the field of arts and event administration, spanning artistic director, administrator, venue manager, college lecturer and consultant roles. Most recently, Michael has been instrumental in the planning of the proposed Sunshine Coast Arts Centre.

As well as event management, Michael has expertise in project coordination, sales and marketing. He is an accomplished public speaker and has particular insights into the workings of government.

Educated in economics and law at the University of Queensland, Michael also holds a Master of Business Administration and other post graduate qualifications. He is an inaugural Fellow of the Australian Institute of Arts Administration and participates in several associated professional bodies.

Michael is a Director of Matthew Flinders Anglican College and was recently inducted into the international charitable organisation, Sovereign Order of St John of Jerusalem. For almost 40 years, Michael has sung in the Choir of St John's Cathedral, Brisbane.

Michael is a member of both the Foundation's Marketing and Fund Development Committees.

Leanne Evans - 5408 5560 (mornings only)

Leanne has over 15 years' senior management experience in a range of community sectors including sport, recreation, physical activity, education and training and philanthropy. Leanne has extensive experience in leading and growing non-profit organisations, having worked in various CEO roles. Leanne spent three years with the NSW Department of Sport and Recreation as Deputy Director General. Her last position before moving to Europe in 2001 was as CEO of the Australian Sports Foundation.

Leanne is currently living with her family in Vancouver, Canada until the 2010 Winter Olympics. She says that "collaborating with fellow Foundation volunteers has provided me with highly valued and strong connections to community life in Australia and helping the Foundation evolve from an idea to a successful fully fledged foundation has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career". As a silver medallist from the 1982 Commonwealth Games, Leanne believes that her volunteering with the Foundation is a positive way of giving back to the Buderim community that generously contributed to her sporting success.

Leanne's qualifications include a Bachelor of Human Movement Studies (Education) and a Master of Business Administration, both gained from the University of Queensland. Leanne holds professional memberships of the Australian Institute of Management and the Fundraising Institute of Australia. As well as her role as Board Director, Leanne chairs the Foundation's Grants Committee. Read about Leanne's dream

Rohan Jackson - 0407 138299

Rohan is an architect and a long term resident of Buderim. In fact, he grew up and went to school in Buderim. He is a director of well known Sunshine Coast practice Blackburne Jackson Design and a registered member of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects. Rohan is also Secretary of SCAN (Sunshine Coast Architects Network).

Rohan studied architecture in Milan and worked in the UK. He is particularly interested in the built environment and the important role of good design in contributing to quality community amenity.

Rohan is married and lives in Buderim with his wife Jess and their two young children. Rohan serves on the Foundation's Marketing Committee. Grow with Rohan

Margaret Thursby - 5476 6921

Margaret has worked in Australian universities for the past 16 years. At the University of Queensland, she was responsible for student recruitment before becoming Manager, International Development in 1998.

In early 2000, Margaret developed UQ's AusAID tender application resulting in UQ being one of only three Queensland universities awarded an ongoing AusAID contract. During this time, Margaret got her first taste of philanthropy when she administered a multi-million dollar Atlantic Philanthropies' project in Vietnam.

As Director of Marketing and Communications at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Margaret is focused on managing the reputation of this young university. Her office of 12 staff manages the advertising, media relations, large events, student recruitment, sponsorship, publications and Web.

She has a Bachelor of Arts from Griffith University and is a member of the Public Relations Institute of Australia.

Margaret is the Chair of the Buderim Foundation Marketing Committee. Get involved with Marg

Ken Waddington - 5443 4866

Ken is a practicing solicitor in Queensland with more than 25 years' experience, most of that time being spent on the Sunshine Coast. Ken's focus has been chiefly in the areas of commercial and property law, with particular emphasis on structuring and tax advice, trusts estate and succession planning - both in a business and personal context.

Partly as a result of Ken's extensive experience in structuring, he has in recent years been involved in the establishment of a number of philanthropic and charitable institutions, created by clients during their lifetimes or in their wills.

Ken's qualifications include B.Com, LL.B, LL.M., and Notary Public and he is a member of various professional organisations including the :

• Queensland Law Society
• Society of Notaries and
• Tax Institute of Australia (TIA).

Ken is a member of the Foundation's Investment Committee.

Margaret Welshe - 5445 2722

Margaret is a business accountant operating her own business, with most of her clients in the specialist medical field. Before semi-retiring to look after her current clients, Margaret held the position of accountant with Boral Ltd.

When first arriving on the Sunshine Coast from Toowoomba, Margaret was Financial Controller for MacFarms, the macadamia business owned by Arnotts Biscuits and subsequently Campbell Soup.

Margaret holds a Bachelor of Business, is a CPA, TPTC and a registered teacher in Queensland. Her committee responsibilities include membership of the Foundation Grants Committee and the Foundation/Buderim War Memorial Community Association Liaison Committee.