Our Team - RiverTracks inc.

OUR TEAM

Ahri Tallon

Operations Manager and Youth Worker

Ahri Tallon is a youth worker, community organiser and community development worker based in Murwillumbah, NSW; Moorang-Moobar of the Bundjalung language group. After working in systems advocacy and campaigning organisations for most of his life his interest has transitioned towards community work where he seeks opportunities to work with young men to support healthy masculinity, mental health, positive identities and community participation. His long-term goal is to find ways to weave together youth work, rites of passage, economic development and regenerative farming through a local place based community development approach.

Joseph Heri

Lead Youth Worker

Hello! My name is Joseph and I am passionate about helping and supporting young people who have been impacted by trauma and things outside of their control. I believe that when a community comes together we are able to have the biggest impact especially in changing young people’s future for the better. It brings me so much joy to see young people find happiness when striving in their own unique culture.

Richard Luke

Youth Worker

Richard Luke is a local builder and active community member. In a former life he was a teacher in Sydney and London where he worked in a school for young people with challenging behaviours. Richard is keen to share his skills and work alongside young people on finding their way in life. Richard is a grounded, aware, sensitive and intuitive man who is a dedicated father and role model for his four children.

OUR BOARD

Richard Roberts

President and Treasurer

Richard is a passionate believer in the capacity of not-for-profit organisations to deliver innovative and carefully tailored services to local communities that particularly fill gaps in community service delivery. He is also an advocate for people from the commercial sphere to become involved in not-for-profit organisations to assist in delivering to them management, governance and organisational growth skills

Commercial Professional Experience

Richard graduated in Commerce and Law at University of Queensland. He has gained extensive commercial experience over 35 years in his professional career, including through senior positions in Queensland Treasury, Hong Kong Bank, Thiess Contractors, REST Industry Super and in a private investment business. These positions have involved fulfilling roles on numerous Boards.

The above roles allowed Richard to gain extensive experience in governance, management, finance and banking, capital raisings, project management and development, infrastructure investment, funds management and facilities management.

Community Service Experience

Throughout his professional life, Richard has always found time to serve community not-for-profit organisations, including with:

Suicide Prevention Pathways Inc (SPP)
Housing First Ltd
CaSPA Aged Care
Fingal Head Coastcare (FHC)
Tweed Regional Gallery Foundation

Glenys Woolcock

Secretary

Glenys was raised in Queensland by a mother who struggled with life-long mental health issues. While this start in life didn’t prevent Glenys from securing a good education and career, it did serve to spark her desire to help provide a level playing field for young people no matter their start in life. Glenys has volunteered and worked in the not-for-profit sector for over 35 years, starting in sport coaching and management before moving to youth services governance and management. Details of her qualifications and involvement in community service is as follows:

Professional Qualifications:

Master of Business Administration (HR Major) – Southern Cross University 2012
Bachelor of Arts (Psychology Major) – James Cook University 1986
Associate Management Accountant – Institute of Certified Management Accountants 2017
Choice Theory & Reality Therapy Certification – William Glasser Institute 2013
Accredited National Level Coach – Sport of Touch Football – 1992

Professional & Community Involvements:

Secretary – Horse Whispering Youth Program Inc – 2011 to present (community)
Secretary – RiverTracks Inc – 2010 to present (community)
General Manager Finance, Admin & HR – UniSport Australia – 1998 to 2019 (work)
Chief Executive Officer – Qld & North Qld Touch Football Association – 1986 to 1998 (work)
Managing Director – Quality Choice Pty Ltd – 2010 to present (own business)

Lara Lei

Board Director

Lara Lei is the coordinator of Indigenous programs for the Murwillumbah Community Centre which includes the Kinship Festival; a large community festival celebrating indigenous culture held annually and the Kids Connecting to Country Program; an after school program for indigenous youth and their families to practice culture and maintain community connection. She has lived in the local community for over 15 years and is an active and passionate community member.

Malcolm Cameron

Board Director

Owner / managing director of Tweed Landscaping and Gardens, a Landscaping and gardening company based in Murwillumbah and operating in the Tweed Shire.

Previous Board & Other experience

Board member of National Trust of Australia (Victoria) 4 years
Councillor City of Melbourne (approx 10 years)
Chairman of Parks and Gardens committee
Member of Finance Committee
Chairman of the Royal Park design competition committee and subsequent implementation
Director of City of Melbourne Employment Institute. A company set up by City of Melbourne to offer employment to local residents in dismantling the Flemington sale yards. CMEI provided carpentry and business training to employees who re-purposed timber from the yards, made and sold furniture from the timber. CMEI also created a local business hub in the saleyard offices and provided start-up training and support for local small businesses
Director of Moomba Festival Pty Ltd. Annual carnival / festival in Melbourne
Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors and am a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors

Photo of Chelle Wallace – Board Director

Kerry Pritchard

Board Director

Kerry has a degree in Social Sciences and qualifications in Complex Trauma. She has worked in various community development and community service roles both internationally and domestically. Alongside this, Kerry has held several voluntary advocacy positions, on the boards of VoiceUp, the Alliance for Forgotten Australians and the Wattle Place Forgotten Australians consultative forum.

Most recently, Kerry has been involved with helping to coordinate the Community Donations and Volunteer Hubs in Murwillumbah in response to the floods. Kerry brings to RiverTracks a personal understanding through her own lived experience, and healing journey out of intergenerational and developmental trauma. 

Chelle Wallace

Board Director

Chelle has worked at Murwillumbah TAFE part time as a student Counsellor and career/education advisor for the past 11 years. Prior to this Chelle was a Counsellor at Murwillumbah High and also did periods of teaching. She is a fine art photographer based at M|Arts, an Arts Collective in central Murwillumbah. Chelle has been very involved in the flood response in Tweed (2017/2022) as both a community member and as part of the It Takes a Town team over five years.