meet the board
Amanda Byrom - chairperson
My name is Amanda Byrom, and I am delighted to contribute to the Bathurst Wholefood Co-op as a part of the board of directors. Having spent over a decade volunteering with environmental, First Nations, and children's rights community groups across Australia, my journey has come full circle as I return to my roots in Bathurst. In my professional life, I work as an art therapist and counsellor, with an emphasis on sustainability and secure community development. These experiences have deeply ingrained in me the values of collaboration and innovation. At the Bathurst Wholefood Co-op, I am committed to ensuring that our community thrives through initiatives that prioritise health, well-being, and environmental stewardship. By focusing on sustainable practices and fostering a sense of communal harmony, I aim to help create a safe and nurturing environment for all of our members, staff and volunteers.
John Monty
John retired and moved from Sydney to Rockley in 2016 and is currently restoring the old presbytery of St Patrick’s Catholic Church.
John trained as a horticulturalist and started teaching horticulture at the Ryde School of Horticulture in the 1990’s.
John was the Faculty Manager, Environment and Horticulture, for the Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE for 10 years. In this role he was responsible for the educational delivery and managing the budget across a wide range of disciplines.
John is currently involved in a number of activities including the Rockley Artisan’s Market, Rockley Gardens and Art Festival and the Rockley and District Community Association.
Olga McKinnon - Treasurer
I joined the Co-op during the Covid period as a supplier and volunteer and continue in this role. In addition, for the past three years I have been Secretary of the Co-op Board and have now moved on to the role of Treasurer. During this time I have come to appreciate the enormous benefit of the sense of community that the Co-op fosters. It provides this community with all those wonderful benefits of fresh, organic and local produce as well as a sense of belonging. Along with the staff, volunteers and fellow Board members, my goal is to maintain the financial health of the Co-op so that we are around for a long time, thus ensuring that your lifestyle choice of supporting a local, sustainably sourced food outlet can continue. My background as an educator has taught me that learning is a lifelong experience and the Co-op has had much to offer. Each Board member comes to the job with varying skills and life experiences but in the end it’s the willingness to learn and have a go that is particularly important.
Xanthe Peterson - Secretary
As the Secretary of the Board, I bring with me over two decades of diverse experience in health and business. My journey began in 1998 as a natural health practitioner, where I dedicated myself to helping people improve health and balance in their lives. This passion for holistic health inspired me to own two health food stores, where my aim was to create vibrant communities centered around healthy living. In addition, I have over ten years’ experience in business administration, corporate project management, operations, and ICT infrastructure implementation. I’m excited to combine my health and business knowledge to contribute to our board. I'm thrilled to be part of this incredible team and look forward to making a positive impact together.
Anthony Nocka
I’m Anthony Nocka. I moved to the village of Rydal in 2020 where my partner, Lis and I bought a property with a view to a simpler, more sustainable life. We joined the Co-op in Bathurst as we were up for the challenge of shopping and consuming in a more ethical manner. We commenced volunteering as it afforded the opportunity to meet people in the region who share similar values. Following our long careers in the field of social work, we’ve enjoyed the experience of working in the retail space and connecting with those that value this important local community resource.
Amanda Perrin
Has been a volunteer and ongoing customer of the co-op family. Amanda loves the experience of shopping at the co-op, buying local organic food and the connections through meaningful chats with volunteers and staff. It's incredible to be part of a team who are passionate about food and environmental sustainability! Amanda has experience in not for profit organisations and brings passion, motivation and resourceful energy to the team.
Alan Smith
We came to Bathurst in 2021, after living on the coast, Rathmines, for almost 40 years. As it turns out, we wish we had come here many years before. With my wife Janelle , we owned Rathmines Pharmacy for 29 years & Wangi Pharmacy for 10 years. In 2014 I was suffering from burnout so we sold up & retired. My attraction to the Co-op was being able to buy fresh coffee beans & produce without packaging. What I hope to bring to the Co-op is my experience in running a business.
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