Governance & Board
As a not-for-profit incorporated association, KCC is required to have a ‘management committee’ or ‘board’ that is responsible for looking after the association’s affairs and has specific legal duties under the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012.
The board comprises representatives of the broader local community (Kyneton and surrounding areas) from a diverse range of backgrounds and experience. While KCC is still working towards its goal of gender equality at board level, it is intended to move towards a more equal balance of female and male board members by the end of 2018.
Board/Committee of Management
As a not-for-profit incorporated association, KCC is required to have a ‘management committee’ or ‘board’ that is responsible for looking after the association’s affairs and has specific legal duties under the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012.
The board comprises representatives of the broader local community (Kyneton and surrounding areas) from a diverse range of backgrounds and experience. While KCC is still working towards its goal of gender equality at board level, it is intended to move towards a more equal balance of female and male board members by the end of 2018.
Board/Committee of Management
- Ryan Smith (Chairman)
- Michelle Balthazar
- John Dettmann
- Paul Fox
- Mat Gordon
- Ron Sims
Board Member Biographies (Summary)
Ryan Smith (Chairman)
Ryan Smith is the Victorian State Director for Global Interaction, the global mission agency for the Baptist Church in Australia.
Previously a physiotherapist, Ryan also has more than 10 years of experience in pastoral ministry and has a particular interest in promoting effective contextual mission both locally and globally.
Ryan has been a local Kyneton resident since 2006. He and his wife Suzie have raised their three children in Kyneton where they have all been schooled locally. Ryan in involved in a number of local organisations and clubs including Kyneton Baptist Church, Kyneton Football and Netball Club and Kyneton Cricket Club.
He enjoys journeying with people who are wanting to explore meaning, purpose, and how they can be involved in helping others.
(See full bio below)
Ryan Smith is the Victorian State Director for Global Interaction, the global mission agency for the Baptist Church in Australia.
Previously a physiotherapist, Ryan also has more than 10 years of experience in pastoral ministry and has a particular interest in promoting effective contextual mission both locally and globally.
Ryan has been a local Kyneton resident since 2006. He and his wife Suzie have raised their three children in Kyneton where they have all been schooled locally. Ryan in involved in a number of local organisations and clubs including Kyneton Baptist Church, Kyneton Football and Netball Club and Kyneton Cricket Club.
He enjoys journeying with people who are wanting to explore meaning, purpose, and how they can be involved in helping others.
(See full bio below)
Michelle Balthazar
Michelle is currently the Coordinator of the Romsey Neighbourhood House and the Pastoral Care Coordinator for the Kyneton Baptist Church.
Michelle has been a member of the KCC board for two years and was the acting Operations Manager for six months during the organisation’s restructure in 2016.
Michelle has over 25 years experience in the social and community service sectors, having worked with school children of all ages, youth-at-risk, long-term unemployed, sexually abused children, as well as adults, families and communities recovering from crisis’. She is a qualified social worker and secondary school teacher who has worked in Australia and the United States.
She has lived in the Macedon Ranges region for 15 years, where she and her husband have raised their 3 children on their farm at Benloch, 20 mins east of Kyneton.
(See full bio below)
Michelle is currently the Coordinator of the Romsey Neighbourhood House and the Pastoral Care Coordinator for the Kyneton Baptist Church.
Michelle has been a member of the KCC board for two years and was the acting Operations Manager for six months during the organisation’s restructure in 2016.
Michelle has over 25 years experience in the social and community service sectors, having worked with school children of all ages, youth-at-risk, long-term unemployed, sexually abused children, as well as adults, families and communities recovering from crisis’. She is a qualified social worker and secondary school teacher who has worked in Australia and the United States.
She has lived in the Macedon Ranges region for 15 years, where she and her husband have raised their 3 children on their farm at Benloch, 20 mins east of Kyneton.
(See full bio below)
John Dettmann
John is a local farmer running a predominately Angus Cattle operation and an agricultural contracting business producing hay and other feeds, from his family property at Barfold (15 mins north east of Kyneton).
John has been a very active member of the local community over many years. He served for nine years as a Councillor on the Kyneton Shire Council (the Shire of Kyneton was dissolved in 1995, its parts being incorporated into the new municipalities of Hepburn Shire Council and Macedon Ranges Shire Council), and served one term as Shire President (the role now known as Mayor). He was chairman of the Kyneton Daffodil and Arts Festival organising committee for three years and has been an active member of the Kyneton Baptist Church.
John was born in Kyneton and is a fifth generation local farmer. He lives with his wife Linley on the family property at Barfold. John & Linley have brought up their three children in the local area and have 10 grandchildren.
(See full bio below)
John is a local farmer running a predominately Angus Cattle operation and an agricultural contracting business producing hay and other feeds, from his family property at Barfold (15 mins north east of Kyneton).
John has been a very active member of the local community over many years. He served for nine years as a Councillor on the Kyneton Shire Council (the Shire of Kyneton was dissolved in 1995, its parts being incorporated into the new municipalities of Hepburn Shire Council and Macedon Ranges Shire Council), and served one term as Shire President (the role now known as Mayor). He was chairman of the Kyneton Daffodil and Arts Festival organising committee for three years and has been an active member of the Kyneton Baptist Church.
John was born in Kyneton and is a fifth generation local farmer. He lives with his wife Linley on the family property at Barfold. John & Linley have brought up their three children in the local area and have 10 grandchildren.
(See full bio below)
Paul Fox
Paul is currently Managing Director of Fox Strategic, an aviation-sector business advisory firm, and is a Director of Agri-nomics Australia, an innovative international airfreight business exporting high-value Australian agricultural produce to China and other key Asian markets.
Paul has been a member of the KCC board since September 2017.
He has previously held a number of senior executive roles in the aviation sector, including running the national peak industry body, and the Asia Pacific arm of an international airline safety association headquartered in Washington DC in the United States. He has also run one of Australia's top national leadership think-tanks and an affiliate of the World Economic Forum, where he was responsible for overseeing some of Australia’s most important gatherings of senior corporate, political, government, and community leaders, including a meeting of the CEOs of the world’s leading resources companies as a component of the 2006 G-20 Meeting in Melbourne.
Paul has considerable experience running not-for-profit organisations and has sat on a number of charity and association committees and boards.
Paul and his wife Bernadette Nunn, have been proud residents of Kyneton since 2007 and they have both been committee members of the Kyneton Agricultural Society since 2014.
Paul’s support of KCC is driven by his own recent mental health challenges, which resulted in him experiencing first hand the significant benefits of the generosity and support of his local community. It is his hope that through the KCC initiative, everyone in this community also have access to the care and support they need.
(See full bio below)
Paul is currently Managing Director of Fox Strategic, an aviation-sector business advisory firm, and is a Director of Agri-nomics Australia, an innovative international airfreight business exporting high-value Australian agricultural produce to China and other key Asian markets.
Paul has been a member of the KCC board since September 2017.
He has previously held a number of senior executive roles in the aviation sector, including running the national peak industry body, and the Asia Pacific arm of an international airline safety association headquartered in Washington DC in the United States. He has also run one of Australia's top national leadership think-tanks and an affiliate of the World Economic Forum, where he was responsible for overseeing some of Australia’s most important gatherings of senior corporate, political, government, and community leaders, including a meeting of the CEOs of the world’s leading resources companies as a component of the 2006 G-20 Meeting in Melbourne.
Paul has considerable experience running not-for-profit organisations and has sat on a number of charity and association committees and boards.
Paul and his wife Bernadette Nunn, have been proud residents of Kyneton since 2007 and they have both been committee members of the Kyneton Agricultural Society since 2014.
Paul’s support of KCC is driven by his own recent mental health challenges, which resulted in him experiencing first hand the significant benefits of the generosity and support of his local community. It is his hope that through the KCC initiative, everyone in this community also have access to the care and support they need.
(See full bio below)
Mat Gordon
specialist diamond drilling exploration company which provides drilling services to the mining industry throughout Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Previously, Mat was the Superintendent at the Kyneton Saleyards (2014-2015) where he was responsible for managing the saleyard operation on behalf of the Macedon Ranges Shire Council.
Prior to this role Mat was a partner in a large agricultural operation based in the Macedon Ranges that encompassed four properties located throughout the Shire and he was instrumental in developing this operation over a ten-year period from 300 acres to 3500 acres involving a rapid capital and agricultural improvement program.
Prior to this Mat worked worked in Western Australia and West Africa (Ghana and Guinea Bissau), primarily in the mining exploration sector as a multi-purpose driller.
Mat was born in Kyneton and having attended both Woodend Primary School and Kyneton Secondary College, has a strong connection to the communities of the Macedon Ranges. He brings a strong community connection, a broad range of multi-facetted life experience and a passion and desire to implement and facilitate genuine support on an as-needed basis to those who seek it within our community.
(See full bio below)
specialist diamond drilling exploration company which provides drilling services to the mining industry throughout Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Previously, Mat was the Superintendent at the Kyneton Saleyards (2014-2015) where he was responsible for managing the saleyard operation on behalf of the Macedon Ranges Shire Council.
Prior to this role Mat was a partner in a large agricultural operation based in the Macedon Ranges that encompassed four properties located throughout the Shire and he was instrumental in developing this operation over a ten-year period from 300 acres to 3500 acres involving a rapid capital and agricultural improvement program.
Prior to this Mat worked worked in Western Australia and West Africa (Ghana and Guinea Bissau), primarily in the mining exploration sector as a multi-purpose driller.
Mat was born in Kyneton and having attended both Woodend Primary School and Kyneton Secondary College, has a strong connection to the communities of the Macedon Ranges. He brings a strong community connection, a broad range of multi-facetted life experience and a passion and desire to implement and facilitate genuine support on an as-needed basis to those who seek it within our community.
(See full bio below)
Ron Sims
Ron Sims was born and raised in Manly, Sydney. After earning a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Accounting (UNSW), Ron was admitted to the Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) while working in the Sydney office of Price Waterhouse.
He subsequently trained in missionary work and theology, then married Evelyn and undertook French study in Switzerland before serving as a missionary in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ron’s two sons John-Paul and Alexander were both born in the Congo.
He subsequently undertook postgraduate studies at Fuller Theological Seminary (in Pasadena, California), earning Master of Theology (Missiology) and Doctor of Missiology degrees. During the 1990s he served as a teacher at Sydney Missionary and Bible College.
In 1999, Ron returned to the field of financial management, serving first as Finance Manager of Presbyterian Aged Care (NSW & ACT), then as Business Manager of Hunters Hill Congregational Church – a church owning and governing a portfolio of enterprises including retirement villages.
In 2015 Ron retired from full-time employment and moved with his wife Evelyn to Kyneton Victoria to be near family, especially their three young grandsons.
Ron joined the KCC board in 2016 and currently holds the role of treasurer. He remains a current member of CAANZ.
Ron Sims was born and raised in Manly, Sydney. After earning a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Accounting (UNSW), Ron was admitted to the Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) while working in the Sydney office of Price Waterhouse.
He subsequently trained in missionary work and theology, then married Evelyn and undertook French study in Switzerland before serving as a missionary in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ron’s two sons John-Paul and Alexander were both born in the Congo.
He subsequently undertook postgraduate studies at Fuller Theological Seminary (in Pasadena, California), earning Master of Theology (Missiology) and Doctor of Missiology degrees. During the 1990s he served as a teacher at Sydney Missionary and Bible College.
In 1999, Ron returned to the field of financial management, serving first as Finance Manager of Presbyterian Aged Care (NSW & ACT), then as Business Manager of Hunters Hill Congregational Church – a church owning and governing a portfolio of enterprises including retirement villages.
In 2015 Ron retired from full-time employment and moved with his wife Evelyn to Kyneton Victoria to be near family, especially their three young grandsons.
Ron joined the KCC board in 2016 and currently holds the role of treasurer. He remains a current member of CAANZ.
Board Member Full Biographies
Ryan Smith - Chairman
Ryan Smith is the Victorian State Director for Global Interaction, the global mission agency for the Baptist Church in Australia.
Previously a physiotherapist, Ryan also has more than 10 years of experience in pastoral ministry and has a particular interest in promoting effective contextual mission both locally and globally.
Ryan has been a local Kyneton resident since 2006. He and his wife Suzie have raised their three children in Kyneton where they have all been schooled locally. Ryan in involved in a number of local organisations and clubs including Kyneton Baptist Church, Kyneton Football and Netball Club and Kyneton Cricket Club.
He enjoys journeying with people who are wanting to explore meaning, purpose, and how they can be involved in helping others.
Michelle Balthazar – Board Member
Michelle has over 25 years experience in the social and community service sectors, having worked with school children of all ages, youth at risk, long-term unemployed, sexually abused children, as well as adults, families and communities recovering from crisis’. She is a qualified social worker and secondary school teacher who has worked in Australia and the United States.
She is currently the manager of the Romsey Neighbourhood House - a community organisation that promotes lifelong learning, social interaction and wellbeing for the local residents, and is also the Pastoral Care Coordinator for the Kyneton Baptist Church.
Michelle has been a member of the KCC board for two years and has an intimate understanding of the organisation having been the acting Operations Manager for six months during the organisation’s restructure in 2016.
Michelle began her career as secondary school teacher, however she soon developed a passion for understanding what was stopping children in her classroom for being able to learn, which led her to pursue a degree in social work.
Around this time Michelle also participated in a volunteer exchange program between the California Conservation Corps (an agency of the Government of California, USA delivering a work development program for men and women between the ages of 18 to 25) and Australian Trust for Conservation Volunteers. As part of this exchange she worked on a rehabilitation program for California-based youth at risk, and particularly gang-involved young adults.
After completing your degree in social work, Michelle initially worked in residential care, working with sexually abused young people and subsequently delivered a range of community engagement programs with schools in the St Kilda and Port Melbourne areas focused on encouraging local community engagement within the schools.
Michelle then worked with the Glen Eira City Council, the City of Port Phillip and the City of Stonnington in Melbourne, delivering a local government funded school focused youth service.
She was subsequently a consultant with Juno Consulting, a leading consulting firm in corporate social responsibility and leadership development, delivering intensive “Passport to Work” training programs for long-term unemployed through the Federal Government “Job Network” program.
More locally, Michelle has worked in Kyneton as a Welfare Councillor with both Cobaw Community Health and Sacred Heart Secondary College, and in 2014 was the project manager for the Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s “Celebrating Lancefield Together” project, which resulted in a range of initiatives, including the creation of the Lancefield Farmers Market and Men’s Shed.
Michelle holds a Bachelor of Education (Secondary) from Deakin University, and a Bachelor of Social Work from Monash University.
She has also worked as a lecturer at Bendigo TAFE, Holmesglen Institute of TAFE, and Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE, lecturing in youth work, welfare studies, drug and alcohol studies, and juvenile justice studies. She is also a supervisor for Masters of Social Work students at Deakin University.
In addition her role with KCC, some of Michelle’s other honorary activities within the local community include being a member of the Brigade Management Team for Benloch CFA. She was also a member of the Recovery Committee for the 2015 Lancefield-Cobaw fires.
Michelle has lived in the Macedon Ranges region for 15 years, where she and her husband have raised their 3 children on their farm at Benloch, 20 mins east of Kyneton.
John Dettmann – Board Member
John was born at the old Kyneton Hospital and undertook all of his schooling in Kyneton. He is a fifth generation local farmer and lives with his wife Linley on the family property at Barfold (15 mins north east of Kyneton). John & Linley have brought up their three children in the local area and have 10 grandchildren.
John is a long-standing member of the KCC board and his involvement dates back to 2015 when he bought the 60 Mollison Street building to provide a stable home for the organisation. He has been instrumental in taking the organisation to its next stage of growth and maturity, and in addition to being a sympathetic landlord (providing security of tenure for the organisation), he brings considerable experience, common sense and compassion to the board.
John has been running the family farm since his early 20’s, initially running predominantly Merino sheep, but for the past 20 years producing mainly Angus beef cattle. He also runs an agricultural contracting business producing hay and other feeds. In 2014, John and his wife Linley, took out top honours in Australia's biggest cattle evaluation contest, the “Beef Spectacular Feedback Trial”, after two years coming in runner up. With 127 competitors across all eastern states, the contest marked the cattle on their size, structure, temperament and, among other things, their ability to gain weight during 112 days on feed.
An innovator in farm land conservation, in the early 1980’s John was the founding member of the Kyneton Tree Group initiative, the pre-cursor to the current Landcare group, and in 1980 was the winner of the Victorian Government Soil Conservation Authority’ competition for soil conservation for the North Central (Southern Section) region (the Hanslow Cup). As a result of the award the Authority hosted a field day on John’s Glenhope property which was attended by 150 people.
John has been a very active member of the local community over many years and served for nine years as a Councillor on the Kyneton Shire Council (the Shire of Kyneton was dissolved in 1995, its parts being incorporated into the new municipalities of Hepburn Shire Council and Macedon Ranges Shire Council), and served one term as Shire President (the role now known as Mayor).
He was chairman of the Kyneton Daffodil and Arts Festival organising committee for three years, and one of the legacies of his involvement with the Festival was the planting of the now iconic “Kyneton Golden Mile” of daffodils at the Burton Avenue and Bourke Street entrances to the town.
John has been a senior member of Kyneton Baptist Church community for many years and still runs a “Men’s Breakfast” event that focuses on men’s issues (such as general and mental health), open to all men from the broader Kyneton and surrounding areas, not just the church community.
He has been a member of the Langley-Barfold CFA for more than 40 years and has been recognised for his service. John is vintage tractor enthusiast and a regular participant in local vintage tractor pull events.
Paul Fox – Board Member
Paul is currently Managing Director of Fox Strategic, an aviation-sector business advisory firm, and is a Director of Agri-nomics Australia, an innovative international airfreight and logistics business focused on the export of Australia’s high-value agricultural produce to China and other key Asian markets.
Paul is the former Deputy Chairman of ‘Aviation/Aerospace Australia’, the national peak body for the Australian aviation industries. Paul was responsible for national policy development for the sector and was particularly involved driving trade development programs, which also involved planning and leading international trade missions to China, Indonesia, Vietnam, India and Singapore.
Prior to this, Paul was the Regional Director Asia Pacific of the US-based Flight Safety Foundation, where he was responsible for the development of the Basic Aviation Risk Standard (BARS) Program. An innovative Australian initiative, the BARS program is an internationally recognised, global safety program for aviation operations in the resources and allied sectors.
Prior to this, Paul was General Manager of the Australian Davos Connection - an affiliate of the World Economic Forum, where he was responsible for overseeing some of Australia’s most important gatherings of senior corporate, political, government, and community leaders, including a meeting of the CEOs of the world’s leading resources companies as a component of the 2006 G-20 Meeting in Melbourne.
Paul has considerable experience running not-for-profit organisations (Australian Davos Connection Ltd, Flight Safety Foundation Ltd, Aviation/Aerospace Australia Ltd) and has sat on a number of charity and association committees and boards, including: Organising Committee “Walk for the Cure” Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (Queensland); Zoe Reed Little Bridge House Hospice for Children; Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards Association Inc.; and Australian Centenary of Powered Fight (Mia Mia) Inc.
Paul and his wife Bernadette Nunn, have been proud residents of Kyneton since 2007 and they have both been committee members of the Kyneton Agricultural Society since 2014.
Paul’s support of KCC is a result of his own recent mental health challenges, which resulted in him experiencing first hand the significant benefits of the generosity and support of his local community. Paul’s support of KCC is driven by his own recent mental health challenges, which resulted in him experiencing first hand the significant benefits of the generosity and support of his local community. It is his hope that through the KCC initiative, everyone in this community also have access to the care and support they need.
Mat Gordon – Board Member
Mat is currently the Safety and Training Officer with Bendigo-based Deepcore Drilling, a specialist diamond drilling exploration company. Deepcore have in excess of 250 personnel and provide surface and underground exploration and production drilling services to the mining industry throughout Australia and Papua New Guinea. Mat’s role is to monitor, maintain, develop and roll-out safety and environmental standards and associated training, across the company to all personnel, while working closely with clients to ensure all Government regulations, acts and compliance expectations are met.
Prior to joining Deepcore Mat was the Superintendent at the Kyneton Saleyards (2014-2015) where he was responsible for managing the saleyard operation on behalf of the Macedon Ranges Shire Council. In this role Mat played a major role in advocating for the implementation of the soft flooring program in the cattle yards.
Prior to this role Mat was a partner in a large agricultural operation based in the Macedon Ranges. This operation encompassed four properties located throughout the Shire. Mat was instrumental in developing this operation over a ten-year period from 300 acres to 3500 acres involving a rapid capital and agricultural improvement program. Initially carrying a herd of 100 Lawson Blood Angus cows, Mat developed this herd, predominately through breeding, into a commercially recognised herd of 1200 Angus-Angus Cross cattle. During this time Mat also become a qualified artificial insemination technician and bovine pregnancy testing consultant.
From 1992 to 2003 Mat worked in Western Australia, primarily in the mining exploration sector as a multi-purpose driller, throughout the central goldfields area of Kalgoorlie, Leonora and Kambalda. During this period Mat also worked briefly in the mining sector in West Africa, primarily in Ghana and Guinea Bissau.
Mat holds an Associate Diploma in Farm Management from Glenormiston Agricultural College and subsequent to his initial training, spent time working in a wide variety of agricultural operations around Australia.
Mat was born in Kyneton and having attended both Woodend Primary School and Kyneton Secondary College, has a strong connection to the communities of the Macedon Ranges. He has a strong belief in social justice and equity, which led him to seeking involvement with the Kyneton Caring Community initiative in 2015. He brings a strong community connection, a broad range of multi-facetted life experience and a passion and desire to implement and facilitate genuine support on an as-needed basis to those who seek it within our community.
Ron Sims – Board Member
Ron Sims was born and raised in Manly, Sydney. After earning a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Accounting (UNSW), Ron was admitted to the Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) while working in the Sydney office of Price Waterhouse.
He subsequently trained in missionary work and theology, then married Evelyn and undertook French study in Switzerland before serving as a missionary in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ron’s two sons John-Paul and Alexander were both born in the Congo.
He subsequently undertook postgraduate studies at Fuller Theological Seminary (in Pasadena, California), earning Master of Theology (Missiology) and Doctor of Missiology degrees. During the 1990s he served as a teacher at Sydney Missionary and Bible College.
In 1999, Ron returned to the field of financial management, serving first as Finance Manager of Presbyterian Aged Care (NSW & ACT), then as Business Manager of Hunters Hill Congregational Church – a church owning and governing a portfolio of enterprises including retirement villages.
In 2015 Ron retired from full-time employment and moved with his wife Evelyn to Kyneton Victoria to be near family, especially their three young grandsons.
Ron joined the KCC board in 2016 and currently holds the role of treasurer. He remains a current member of CAANZ.
Ryan Smith is the Victorian State Director for Global Interaction, the global mission agency for the Baptist Church in Australia.
Previously a physiotherapist, Ryan also has more than 10 years of experience in pastoral ministry and has a particular interest in promoting effective contextual mission both locally and globally.
Ryan has been a local Kyneton resident since 2006. He and his wife Suzie have raised their three children in Kyneton where they have all been schooled locally. Ryan in involved in a number of local organisations and clubs including Kyneton Baptist Church, Kyneton Football and Netball Club and Kyneton Cricket Club.
He enjoys journeying with people who are wanting to explore meaning, purpose, and how they can be involved in helping others.
Michelle Balthazar – Board Member
Michelle has over 25 years experience in the social and community service sectors, having worked with school children of all ages, youth at risk, long-term unemployed, sexually abused children, as well as adults, families and communities recovering from crisis’. She is a qualified social worker and secondary school teacher who has worked in Australia and the United States.
She is currently the manager of the Romsey Neighbourhood House - a community organisation that promotes lifelong learning, social interaction and wellbeing for the local residents, and is also the Pastoral Care Coordinator for the Kyneton Baptist Church.
Michelle has been a member of the KCC board for two years and has an intimate understanding of the organisation having been the acting Operations Manager for six months during the organisation’s restructure in 2016.
Michelle began her career as secondary school teacher, however she soon developed a passion for understanding what was stopping children in her classroom for being able to learn, which led her to pursue a degree in social work.
Around this time Michelle also participated in a volunteer exchange program between the California Conservation Corps (an agency of the Government of California, USA delivering a work development program for men and women between the ages of 18 to 25) and Australian Trust for Conservation Volunteers. As part of this exchange she worked on a rehabilitation program for California-based youth at risk, and particularly gang-involved young adults.
After completing your degree in social work, Michelle initially worked in residential care, working with sexually abused young people and subsequently delivered a range of community engagement programs with schools in the St Kilda and Port Melbourne areas focused on encouraging local community engagement within the schools.
Michelle then worked with the Glen Eira City Council, the City of Port Phillip and the City of Stonnington in Melbourne, delivering a local government funded school focused youth service.
She was subsequently a consultant with Juno Consulting, a leading consulting firm in corporate social responsibility and leadership development, delivering intensive “Passport to Work” training programs for long-term unemployed through the Federal Government “Job Network” program.
More locally, Michelle has worked in Kyneton as a Welfare Councillor with both Cobaw Community Health and Sacred Heart Secondary College, and in 2014 was the project manager for the Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s “Celebrating Lancefield Together” project, which resulted in a range of initiatives, including the creation of the Lancefield Farmers Market and Men’s Shed.
Michelle holds a Bachelor of Education (Secondary) from Deakin University, and a Bachelor of Social Work from Monash University.
She has also worked as a lecturer at Bendigo TAFE, Holmesglen Institute of TAFE, and Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE, lecturing in youth work, welfare studies, drug and alcohol studies, and juvenile justice studies. She is also a supervisor for Masters of Social Work students at Deakin University.
In addition her role with KCC, some of Michelle’s other honorary activities within the local community include being a member of the Brigade Management Team for Benloch CFA. She was also a member of the Recovery Committee for the 2015 Lancefield-Cobaw fires.
Michelle has lived in the Macedon Ranges region for 15 years, where she and her husband have raised their 3 children on their farm at Benloch, 20 mins east of Kyneton.
John Dettmann – Board Member
John was born at the old Kyneton Hospital and undertook all of his schooling in Kyneton. He is a fifth generation local farmer and lives with his wife Linley on the family property at Barfold (15 mins north east of Kyneton). John & Linley have brought up their three children in the local area and have 10 grandchildren.
John is a long-standing member of the KCC board and his involvement dates back to 2015 when he bought the 60 Mollison Street building to provide a stable home for the organisation. He has been instrumental in taking the organisation to its next stage of growth and maturity, and in addition to being a sympathetic landlord (providing security of tenure for the organisation), he brings considerable experience, common sense and compassion to the board.
John has been running the family farm since his early 20’s, initially running predominantly Merino sheep, but for the past 20 years producing mainly Angus beef cattle. He also runs an agricultural contracting business producing hay and other feeds. In 2014, John and his wife Linley, took out top honours in Australia's biggest cattle evaluation contest, the “Beef Spectacular Feedback Trial”, after two years coming in runner up. With 127 competitors across all eastern states, the contest marked the cattle on their size, structure, temperament and, among other things, their ability to gain weight during 112 days on feed.
An innovator in farm land conservation, in the early 1980’s John was the founding member of the Kyneton Tree Group initiative, the pre-cursor to the current Landcare group, and in 1980 was the winner of the Victorian Government Soil Conservation Authority’ competition for soil conservation for the North Central (Southern Section) region (the Hanslow Cup). As a result of the award the Authority hosted a field day on John’s Glenhope property which was attended by 150 people.
John has been a very active member of the local community over many years and served for nine years as a Councillor on the Kyneton Shire Council (the Shire of Kyneton was dissolved in 1995, its parts being incorporated into the new municipalities of Hepburn Shire Council and Macedon Ranges Shire Council), and served one term as Shire President (the role now known as Mayor).
He was chairman of the Kyneton Daffodil and Arts Festival organising committee for three years, and one of the legacies of his involvement with the Festival was the planting of the now iconic “Kyneton Golden Mile” of daffodils at the Burton Avenue and Bourke Street entrances to the town.
John has been a senior member of Kyneton Baptist Church community for many years and still runs a “Men’s Breakfast” event that focuses on men’s issues (such as general and mental health), open to all men from the broader Kyneton and surrounding areas, not just the church community.
He has been a member of the Langley-Barfold CFA for more than 40 years and has been recognised for his service. John is vintage tractor enthusiast and a regular participant in local vintage tractor pull events.
Paul Fox – Board Member
Paul is currently Managing Director of Fox Strategic, an aviation-sector business advisory firm, and is a Director of Agri-nomics Australia, an innovative international airfreight and logistics business focused on the export of Australia’s high-value agricultural produce to China and other key Asian markets.
Paul is the former Deputy Chairman of ‘Aviation/Aerospace Australia’, the national peak body for the Australian aviation industries. Paul was responsible for national policy development for the sector and was particularly involved driving trade development programs, which also involved planning and leading international trade missions to China, Indonesia, Vietnam, India and Singapore.
Prior to this, Paul was the Regional Director Asia Pacific of the US-based Flight Safety Foundation, where he was responsible for the development of the Basic Aviation Risk Standard (BARS) Program. An innovative Australian initiative, the BARS program is an internationally recognised, global safety program for aviation operations in the resources and allied sectors.
Prior to this, Paul was General Manager of the Australian Davos Connection - an affiliate of the World Economic Forum, where he was responsible for overseeing some of Australia’s most important gatherings of senior corporate, political, government, and community leaders, including a meeting of the CEOs of the world’s leading resources companies as a component of the 2006 G-20 Meeting in Melbourne.
Paul has considerable experience running not-for-profit organisations (Australian Davos Connection Ltd, Flight Safety Foundation Ltd, Aviation/Aerospace Australia Ltd) and has sat on a number of charity and association committees and boards, including: Organising Committee “Walk for the Cure” Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (Queensland); Zoe Reed Little Bridge House Hospice for Children; Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards Association Inc.; and Australian Centenary of Powered Fight (Mia Mia) Inc.
Paul and his wife Bernadette Nunn, have been proud residents of Kyneton since 2007 and they have both been committee members of the Kyneton Agricultural Society since 2014.
Paul’s support of KCC is a result of his own recent mental health challenges, which resulted in him experiencing first hand the significant benefits of the generosity and support of his local community. Paul’s support of KCC is driven by his own recent mental health challenges, which resulted in him experiencing first hand the significant benefits of the generosity and support of his local community. It is his hope that through the KCC initiative, everyone in this community also have access to the care and support they need.
Mat Gordon – Board Member
Mat is currently the Safety and Training Officer with Bendigo-based Deepcore Drilling, a specialist diamond drilling exploration company. Deepcore have in excess of 250 personnel and provide surface and underground exploration and production drilling services to the mining industry throughout Australia and Papua New Guinea. Mat’s role is to monitor, maintain, develop and roll-out safety and environmental standards and associated training, across the company to all personnel, while working closely with clients to ensure all Government regulations, acts and compliance expectations are met.
Prior to joining Deepcore Mat was the Superintendent at the Kyneton Saleyards (2014-2015) where he was responsible for managing the saleyard operation on behalf of the Macedon Ranges Shire Council. In this role Mat played a major role in advocating for the implementation of the soft flooring program in the cattle yards.
Prior to this role Mat was a partner in a large agricultural operation based in the Macedon Ranges. This operation encompassed four properties located throughout the Shire. Mat was instrumental in developing this operation over a ten-year period from 300 acres to 3500 acres involving a rapid capital and agricultural improvement program. Initially carrying a herd of 100 Lawson Blood Angus cows, Mat developed this herd, predominately through breeding, into a commercially recognised herd of 1200 Angus-Angus Cross cattle. During this time Mat also become a qualified artificial insemination technician and bovine pregnancy testing consultant.
From 1992 to 2003 Mat worked in Western Australia, primarily in the mining exploration sector as a multi-purpose driller, throughout the central goldfields area of Kalgoorlie, Leonora and Kambalda. During this period Mat also worked briefly in the mining sector in West Africa, primarily in Ghana and Guinea Bissau.
Mat holds an Associate Diploma in Farm Management from Glenormiston Agricultural College and subsequent to his initial training, spent time working in a wide variety of agricultural operations around Australia.
Mat was born in Kyneton and having attended both Woodend Primary School and Kyneton Secondary College, has a strong connection to the communities of the Macedon Ranges. He has a strong belief in social justice and equity, which led him to seeking involvement with the Kyneton Caring Community initiative in 2015. He brings a strong community connection, a broad range of multi-facetted life experience and a passion and desire to implement and facilitate genuine support on an as-needed basis to those who seek it within our community.
Ron Sims – Board Member
Ron Sims was born and raised in Manly, Sydney. After earning a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Accounting (UNSW), Ron was admitted to the Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) while working in the Sydney office of Price Waterhouse.
He subsequently trained in missionary work and theology, then married Evelyn and undertook French study in Switzerland before serving as a missionary in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ron’s two sons John-Paul and Alexander were both born in the Congo.
He subsequently undertook postgraduate studies at Fuller Theological Seminary (in Pasadena, California), earning Master of Theology (Missiology) and Doctor of Missiology degrees. During the 1990s he served as a teacher at Sydney Missionary and Bible College.
In 1999, Ron returned to the field of financial management, serving first as Finance Manager of Presbyterian Aged Care (NSW & ACT), then as Business Manager of Hunters Hill Congregational Church – a church owning and governing a portfolio of enterprises including retirement villages.
In 2015 Ron retired from full-time employment and moved with his wife Evelyn to Kyneton Victoria to be near family, especially their three young grandsons.
Ron joined the KCC board in 2016 and currently holds the role of treasurer. He remains a current member of CAANZ.