Board of Directors

Michael Nelson

Chairperson

Michael has been a teacher since 1976 and has worked in educational administration since 1986. Currently he has an Educational Consultancy as well as coordinating an alternative educational setting in Bairnsdale. He is married to Merine, with eight sons from 16 to 33. He attended Nagle College Council meetings from 1986 till 2004 and was a Director of Hockey Victoria Board from 1993 till 2008 (incorporating VHA).

He still remains a commissioner of the Hockey Australia Country Commission and member of the Gippsland Sports Academy Board. Most of Michael’s interests revolve around the activities of his children and have included athletics, hockey, swimming, scuba diving and scouting. Michael has strong passion for social justice and fairness in and contributing to the community to which he belongs. He jokingly refers to his midlife crisis involving a 50 year old Series II Landrover and a young man's motorcycle.

Garry Ball

Deputy Chairperson

Garry is married to Wendy and has three children. He has been on the Workways Board off and on for approximately 12 years. Garry’s current occupation is an Occupational Health and Safety Co-ordinator for the East Gippsland Shire Council having stepped down from the role of Human Resources Manager, a position he held for approximately 15 years.

Garry’s community interests are with Kilmany Family Care where he is Chair of the Audit Committee and is also the Independent Tribunal Chair for three football leagues in East Gippsland.

Garry has previously been a school councillor and a member of Apex. His interests are vehicle restoration, gardening and reading.

Bill Gamble

Non-Executive Director

Bill moved to Bairnsdale at the age of seven with his family and attended Bairnsdale 754, Paynesville Primary, and Bairnsdale High Schools. Bill moved to Melbourne to complete his studies and gain experience as a Civil and Structural Engineer; while based in Melbourne he worked on major projects all over Australia.  Bill then moved back to East Gippsland in 1976 with his family to open his Consulting Engineering office and has worked hard ever since, providing training and employment opportunities for many local school leavers and University graduates. Gamcorp now operates out of offices in Melbourne and Bairnsdale with projects all over Australia.

Bill enjoys boating on the Gippsland Lakes, joined the Gippsland Lakes Yacht Club and served as Commodore, active in Rotary and served as President, active in the community with nine years as Councillor, and one term as Mayor of the City of Bairnsdale he is currently serving as a Councillor of East Gippsland Shire.

George Hutchison

Treasurer

George has lived and worked in Bairnsdale for the past 27 years and has 3 adult children and 5 grandchildren. He is a Professional Structural / Civil Engineer and is the Managing Director of G.A. Hutchison & Associates Pty Ltd. He brings to Workways over 25 years experience as a Director of his own businesses and has served on various Community Boards. As a Board member his aim is to maintain the highest level of integrity and impartiality in providing governance to the organization. His principal hobbies are snow skiing and swimming.

Mark Howlett

Secretary

Mark grew up in East Gippsland and is a past employee of Workways; spending seven years in a variety of roles including a senior management role as Job Network Manager at Head Office.  Mark has returned to his original field of Real Estate, specialising in Commercial Real Estate across East Gippsland and beyond. He is passionate about seeing Workways thrive and grow stronger into the future and continue to support regional Victorians. As a new member of the AICD (Australian Institute of Company Directors) Mark would like to ensure that Governance of the organisation is at benchmark levels. Mark's other interests include his family, boating, camping and four-wheel driving.

Pamela Elliott 

Non-Executive Director

Pamela has been a Board member since October 2010. She commenced work as a secondary teacher in South Australia and moved to East Gippsland about 30 years ago.  She has experience in Education, Human Resources, Small Business and Employment Services. After working for 18 years in Employment Services, Pamela is enjoying a vast amount of new experiences including developing a new enterprise. 

Pamela has served on the East Gippsland Regional Health Service Board, East Gippsland Shire Audit Committee and was the first female member of Bairnsdale Rotary Club.

She is married to Robert and has 2 children. Living in Regional Victoria on a small acreage provides a never ending supply of challenges for her. Pamela’s hobbies include gardening, antiques, travelling, renovating houses and learning new skills.

Joanne Booth

Non-Executive Director

Joanne is an experienced executive and company director having worked throughout her career in the health, public and not-for-profit sectors, including 10 years as a Chief Executive Officer.  She now operates a business consultancy in East Gippsland and Melbourne and combines this with her board and committee responsibilities. Joanne is also Chair, Gippsland Lakes Community Health; Director, Victorian Healthcare Association; Independent Member, Gippsland Water Audit Committee; and Member, Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation Health Grants Panel.

Joanne’s qualifications include a Master Public Health (Monash), Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health (Monash) and Bachelor Arts Sociology/Politics (Swinburne). Her early career was as a Registered Nurse. Joanne completed the AICD Company Directors Course in 2005 and remains an active member of the Institute. She is also a member of Women on Boards and the Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators Australia, having successfully completed in 2010, the Practitioners Certificate in Mediation.  

Joanne is passionate and committed to innovation, sound governance, social justice and ethics in business. She has one son who is studying Landscape Architecture in Melbourne.