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Wayne Bowen CPA

Chair

Wayne has been involved in both private and public companies for over 40 years in hospitality, media, manufacturing and retail industries.

He is currently a director of private family companies and owner of family retail operations in the surf industry. He has been Chairman of The Scarborough Beach Association since 2015.

Wayne was a Fishability Board Member from 2014 – 2019 and re-joined the Board in 2022.

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Alison Fleming

Secretary

Alison is currently senior legal counsel strata reform at Landgate. She has been at Landgate since 2005 and before joining the strata reform project team as its lead lawyer in 2014, Alison was the Manager of Legal Services at Landgate. Previously Alison was employed as a lawyer in the Department of Fisheries for 5 years and at Bankwest for 10 years in a variety of legal and legal management roles. While at Fisheries Alison learnt quite a lot about sustainable fishing practices, the aquaculture industry and licensing and objections processes, especially the introduction of licenses for charterboats. During that time Alison was invited to join the Board of the newly formed Fishers with Disabilities Association Inc, now Fishability. Alison has served on the Board since 2004, including as chairperson prior to Fishability’s current chairman.

Alison is married with 2 adult children, both of whom enjoy fishing, and 1 grandchild. She is a keen sportsperson playing hockey at State veterans level and tennis, running and recently taking up Crossfit as a way to exercise after injury. Alison served as secretary for her previous hockey club for a number of years, coached at Minkey level and her son’s school hockey team and spent many Saturdays and Sundays scoring at cricket matches.

Alison is sensitive to the needs of people with disabilities in the community and giving community service, starting at school visiting an elderly blind lady as part of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award program.

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Michael Donnelly

Board Member

Mike operates his own Management Consulting Business specialising in strategy and governance in the Community service Sector and is principal consultant for OBH Consulting. He is a graduate of the Australian Company Directors advanced governance program. Mike has been a Non-Executive Director of Disability Service Provider Intework Inc since 2006. He was diagnosed with MS in 2012. Mike is an active Recreational fisherman and holds an open waters divers certificate and recreational skippers ticket. He has been a member of Fishability Board since June 2013 and was Chair from 2020 to 2023.

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Jill Byrne

Board Member

Jill has worked in the corporate finance area for almost twenty years, providing expert financial, commercial and strategic advice in a variety of roles in Perth, Toronto and London. For the last decade she has specialised in the energy sector, and she currently works for Chevron Australia. Jill is passionate about giving back to the local community and is very proud to show her two young sons the wonderful work that Fishability does. She is a very keen sportsperson, loves the beach and swimming - but is still learning how to fish!

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Michael Concannon

Board Member

Mike spent over 35 years in the oil and gas industry ending up as General Manager, Engineering. This resulted in a strong knowledge of both safety and process risk management as well as the understanding of how good governance underpins processes and procedures.

Upon leaving the workforce Mike has been heavily involved as a Fishability volunteer of Perth jetties and the Perth Boat (Nev Thomas). The last three years of Mikes volunteering he has been the Perth Boat Coordinator. Mike joined the Fishability board at the end of 2021 and fills the role of Board’s Volunteer Representative. Mike has recently completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors –Governance Foundations for NFP Directors Course.

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Joachim Azzopardi

Vice-Chair

Joachim Azzopardi is a personal injury lawyer specialising in workers’ compensation law. Joachim is a passionate recreational fisher and, for the past decade, has written fishing columns and reports that have featured in various Western Australian newspapers and Recfishwest’s online publications. Through his own experience of having an elder brother who lived with muscular dystrophy, Joachim understands firsthand the challengers people living with disabilities have in engaging in enjoyable pastimes such as recreational fishing.

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Sarah de Rozario

Treasurer

Sarah loves the numbers. She is a CPA and a member of Women on Boards. She has worked and lived not only in Australia, but held Senior Finance Roles in the UK, Scandinavia & the Middle East over a period of a decade. Industry sectors include - Construction, Oil & Gas, Technology, and Sports Administration ( International Cricket Council, Hockey Australia & WA, Special Olympics). Her skillset is cross functional and she specialises in corporate governance – strategy, risk, & policy compliance; financial management; process review, redesign and implementation. She has an excellent understanding and experience of the Not-For-Profit sector, and enjoys being able to put something back into the local community. Sarah’s interest and motivation for being involved with Fishability is borne from family experience, as her youngest brother has an intellectual disability. Sarah also loves to run - having completed a Marathon and a few Half Marathons, she is a regular swimmer and enjoys working with excel spreadsheets!

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Dr Andrew Rowland

Board Member

Andrew has long been avid fisher and enjoys many types from marron, trout and redfin to offshore species and everything in between. He loves getting on the water at all opportunities and will be found in his boat or kayak or wading the flats most weekends.

Andrew studied at Murdoch University and has a Ph.D. in Fisheries Science. Andrew is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Recfishwest, a role he has filled since 2012. Andrew is a Director for Fishability (formally Fishers with Disabilities Association). Andrew is also a member of the Recfishing Research Steering Committee, which provides advice to the FRDC. Andrew also sits on the Certification Advisory Body the WA MSC initiative and is a member of the Premier’s Marine Science Roundtable.

Andrew believes that rec fishing provides significant social, cultural, health and economic benefits to WA and is passionate about maintaining and building this value for the benefit to the whole community. He understands that natural resource management requires striking a balance between competing user groups, and various (often diverse) stakeholders in protecting the resource which they value. A key component to achieving the right balance is ensuring the interest and values of West Australians who enjoy fishing are effectively represented to protect and develop great fishing experiences.

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Louise Johnstone

Board Member

Louise has been an occupational therapist for 16 years. She has worked across a range of settings in Australia and the United Kingdom, including community mental health, neurorehabilitation, and disability. She has loved each of the different roles and the varied experiences they provided.

Louise enjoys building relationships with individuals and their families. She believes the best therapy is the result of a collaborative approach involving shared decision-making, coordination, and cooperation.

She has strong interest in social justice, access, and inclusion and always endeavours to promote fairness for individuals and the wider community. She is currently a member of the Access and Inclusion Advisory Group (AIAG) for the City of Belmon