Kate Austin
HEAD OF WORKFORCE
Kate Austin
HEAD OF WORKFORCE
Kate is a long-term Mt Hotham Ski Instructor (part time) certified in Alpine, Adaptive and Nordic disciplines. She skis around the world and is a regular at Red Mountain, Canada.
Kate has an extensive work history in the State and local government Human Services/Health/Community sector for vulnerable and disadvantaged communities (Disability, Child Protection, Youth Justice, Housing, Emergency Management).
She is a Learning and Organisational Development, HR professional, specialising in staff training, leadership, management, and team building as well as workforce services. Kate is a skilled facilitator, public speaker, and events manager. As a registered psychologist, social worker and certified HR professional, she has designed and delivered numerous workforce plans, major training programs, conferences, and workshops.
Not surprisingly, her passion is helping people and groups to be their best.
Amy Want
NATIONAL CAMPS MANAGER
Amy Want
NATIONAL CAMPS MANAGER
Amy comes to DWA having worked in Snowsports at Thredbo for the last 5 years. She brings 20 years of experience in planning and delivering major events and programs for organisations such as the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust, Hockey NSW and Football NSW.
Amy and her family moved from Sydney’s northern beaches to Jindabyne in 2016, intending to spend just 12 months in the region, but - as is common amongst people here - instantly fell in love with the mountain lifestyle and the community, and now calls the Snowy Mountains home.
In addition to her passion for snow sports in the winter and mountain biking and wakeboarding in the summer, Amy is also an accredited Swim Coach who still finds herself helping out teaching swimming at the local pool every now and then.
Melinda Brown
PRESIDENT
Melinda Brown GAICD
President
Melinda is a Senior Executive with thirty years of experience across a variety of industry sectors, as well as not-for-profit management and government relations. Specialising in marketing and communications to generate and drive income, she is an experienced leader and mentor, with extensive experience in strategy and policy at an organisational level, as well as working with governments in Australia and internationally.
Melinda has led projects around the world across sectors including disability support, aged care, community services, retail, sport & recreation and tourism & hospitality. The wide-ranging stakeholder collaboration during these projects has afforded her enormous insight and expertise in regard to the myriad issues impacting these sectors.
As well as holding a Bachelor of Arts (Tourism Management), she is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and holds a number of business and education qualifications.
Dividing her time between homes in Sydney and Jindabyne, she is a keen skier and is passionate about the vital role DWA, our staff and volunteers play in supporting our members to participate in all manner of snow and other alpine activities.
Melinda was elected to the DWA Board in 2019, succeeding Richard Rodd as Vice President and was appointed President in March 2023.
Paul Lamb
VICE PRESIDENT
Paul Lamb
SECRETARY
Paul has served on the board as an elected director and vice chairman for the past 2.5 years. Paul is an avid recreational skier and has served as a volunteer guide at DWA camps and as a volunteer carer with DWA member organisations over the past 5 years. Paul's business credentials come from over 30 years experience in the IT industry, working in senior leadership roles in Australia and internationally in marketing, sales and technical design and architecture functions. He has significant operational experience along with a strong background in the development of new business and in partnership and channels.
Katherine Simmons
MEMBERSHIP CO-ORDINATOR
Katherine Simmons
MEMBERSHIP CO-ORDINATOR
Katherine has worked at Disabled Wintersport Australia for many years in various roles, most recently as Membership Coordinator, based in the Melbourne Head Office. She assists members with camps and resort services requests and as an avid sit-skier for over 20 years in Australia, New Zealand and Japan, there aren't too many DWA-related questions that Katherine can't answer. She also looks after DWA databases and her experience in IT is often called on to help out her colleagues across the organisation.
Jeremy Limpens
RESORT SERVICES COORDINATOR
Jeremy Limpens
RESORT SERVICES CO-ORDINATOR
FALLS CREEK
Gabrielle Parton
COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT
Gabrielle Parton
COMMUNICATIONS Assistant
Based at the DWA Head Office in Melbourne, Gabi undertakes all manner of communication related tasks such as interacting with DWA members, associated parties, businesses & organisations. Gabi also assists in the planning, creation and monitoring of all social media and communications & marketing collateral so as to continually enhance the positive exposure of DWA for the wider community.
Ross Passalaqua
TREASURER
Ross Passalaqua
TREASURER
Ross is a company director and business consultant with broad leadership, commercial, operational, and technical experience ranging across multiple sectors including the tourism, safety, services, transport and logistics, oil, gas, and chemical industries in both Australia and internationally. Following an early career in consulting engineering and project management, Ross worked in corporate roles in Australia and expatriate postings in PNG, the UK and in the USA primarily with the Shell Group of Companies. Post Shell, Ross added tourism management and development in a role as CEO at the Falls Creek Alpine Resort.
Ross has been a member of the DWA Board since 2011. He is also currently Chair of Tourism North East and Chair of the People and Parks Foundation.
Danielle Green
SECRETARY
Danielle Green
BOARD MEMBER
Danielle has been a volunteer guide since 2016 and is Manager of Arrabri Ski Lodge at Mount Hotham. In 2022, she concluded twenty years as a Member of the Victorian Parliament. As a member of the Victorian Government, she served as Parliamentary Secretary for Sport, Tourism and Regional Development. In Opposition, she undertook shadow ministerial roles including disability services, health promotion and women. Previous board experience includes VicHealth (Victorian Health Promotion Foundation) and Affirmative Action In Training.
A keen alpine skier, she is also a previous Patron of Australian Ski Biathlon. As a resident of regional Victoria, she is excited by DWA’s accessible accommodation plans, so has become the Chair of DWA’s Grants and Fundraising Committee to help make these plans a reality.
Danielle joined the DWA board in 2022.
Jim Blackburn
BOARD MEMBER
Jim Blackburn
BOARD MEMBER
Jim is an experienced senior executive and corporate practitioner with broad leadership, operational and technical skills and experience across the investment, finance, corporate services and not-for-profit sectors.
He has represented SME entities across a wide range of international, national, public and internal forums, and is a recognised business leader in these forums. Jim has held key Board positions in the corporate and not-for-profit community sector.
Jim has been a member of DWA since 2001, starting as a volunteer guide. He has participated in the development and funding of the organisation over the past 20 years.
Joining the board in 2007, he was DWA Chairman until 2017. In this time, he remained actively involved in guiding and was one of the first accredited DWA Level 1 Trainers in 2009. Jim became a Life Member of DWA in 2018.
Elizabeth Adam
BOARD MEMBER
Elizabeth Adam
BOARD MEMBER
Elizabeth (Libby) Adam is a senior human resources professional specialising in Organisational Change, Development and Talent Management. She has a vast experience with multi-national corporations across the manufacturing and retail sectors in both specialist and generalist HR roles. Through the application of her specialty, Libby has helped focus strategic directions for both GM Holden and Target – improving their agility and training programs. Before working in HR, Libby acquired a BSc in Sport Science, an area of passion for her, and has a strong interest in golf, wakeboarding, AFL, and skiing.
Melanie Rigby
BOARD MEMBER
Melanie Rigby
BOARD MEMBER
Melanie is a passionate property professional - a Project Management leader with over 25 years of commercial contracting and consulting experience in the property and construction industry, across Australia and Asia, with a key emphasis on commercial, contract and stakeholder management.
A professional with great positivity, energy and drive, Melanie loves being involved in all aspects of the property sector, her current global role as Principal (Projects) for BHP Property & Workplace allows her to have a global oversight of the BHP Commercial Office portfolio projects.
Prior to BHP she performed a similar role for Australia Post, as well as 10 years with a national building contractor and 10 years as an Architect in Asia.
A keen cross-country and alpine skier as well as hiker, Melanie was able to continue a lifelong love affair with the Australian Alps after a chance introduction to DWA enabled her entire family to find their freedom on snow, including her son who lives with disability.
Murray Bartram
BOARD MEMBER
Murray Bartram
BOARD MEMBER
Murray joins the DWA Board with a deep understanding of winter snowsports and participating in those sports as a person with disability.
He is a project management professional with significant on-snow experience as a DWA guide across a range of adaptive disciplines and has participated in adaptive programs in both Canada and the USA.
A passionate skier and mountain biker, Murray has a unique perspective on adaptive sports, as well as a solid understanding of the snowsports industry. He brings a wealth of lived-experience knowledge and that of being a guide.
Murray is a strong advocate for the positive effects of recreational activities with the cerebral palsy community and is a Board and Committee Member of Cerebral Palsy Sport and Recreation Association.
He brings to DWA’s Board well-developed administration, communication, and project management skills.
Captain Richard de Crespigny
PATRON
Captain Richard de Crespigny
PATRON
APPOINTED 2013
Richard is the first Patron of Disabled Wintersport Australia.
Disabled Wintersport Australia has existed for more than 35 years. It was started by a group of people who really believed in that often quoted phrase '…Everyone should be able to have a go…'
In the case of DWA …having a go…meant that the words had to be turned into working partnerships. Partnerships which would build the trust of families, governments (federal state and regional), sport and health professionals, the national disability service providers’ network, and the alpine and ski resort industry.
To deliver these programs DWA has recruited and trained a wonderful ‘army’ of volunteer ski-guides and starting with Finsko’s (purposely access built) ski lodge in Jindabyne NSW, has gone on to provide accessible accommodation to its growing membership in the rugged Australian alpine wonderland of NSW and Victoria.
Since the announcement of my appointment as Patron of DWA, along with my wife Coral, I have had the opportunity to join many DWA members, their families, our staff and volunteers and experienced the joy and exhilarating sense of wellbeing experienced at both the ski fields in NSW and Victoria. In this challenging environment our members with a disability ‘have a go’ learning to ski and snowboard.
DWA has embarked on major projects with the governments of NSW and Victoria and the snow industry. The objective is to ensure opportunities for people with a disability to join their able bodied friends and family, continue to become more readily available. For many DWA members participating in snow sport at a recreational level is a significant achievement, while many take snow sport to the level of the international world cup circuit.
My invitation to you now is to become a partner to our endeavors. I would like to invite your friends, your families, your school communities or your colleagues and share the challenges, benefits and often life changing experiences that …being able to have a go can deliver to us all.
As one of the newest members of the DWA family, I ask all Australians to provide their support for it is the most worthy cause and my greatest endeavor. I look forward to welcoming you all to being a part of this great organisation.
Cheers,
Richard de Crespigny.