Our Team

Peter has led a variety of not-for-profit organisations for over two decades. Before that, he had over twenty year’s management experience with Commonwealth Bank.

Peter has been awarded three Orders of Australia (all for different contributions to the nation).  In part, these awards are in recognition of his outstanding ability to support philanthropy work he is passionate about.

Peter was appointed Governing Board Chair for the Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) in July 2023, after joining the Board in January 2023. Peter has served as the Chief Convenor of the Prime Minister’s Community Business Partnership, serving under three Prime Ministers. He is the founding Chair of Rural Health Research Foundation and a director of the charitable organisation The Patricia Dukes Foundation.  He is also the custodian of Moripo Park, a gift of parks and gardens he hopes will be bequeathed the nation.

Peter is known as a natural leader and has led many worldwide expeditions, including the Spirit of Australia South Pole Expedition which was the first Australian expedition to ski unsupported to the South Geographic Pole. As well as many other accomplishments, he holds two Karate black belts, an MBA with distinction from Queensland University of Technology and has written five books.

Cass Wilson is a connector, collaborator, and builder of ideas who has spent her career bringing people together to create real change. With experience spanning government, corporate, and the not-for-profit world, she has a unique ability to navigate complex systems while keeping communities at the heart of her work.

On the North Coast of NSW, Cass has led major regional initiatives through senior roles in the NSW Government, from designing large-scale consultation strategies to fostering cross-sector collaborations that shape policy and unlock new opportunities for regional communities. She’s known for turning conversations into action, building partnerships with Ministers, industry leaders, philanthropists, and grassroots organisations alike.

Before joining government, Cass pioneered Uniting’s first place-based social impact projects, growing them across multiple communities and attracting both philanthropic and government support. Earlier in her career, she held senior roles in the banking sector, sharpening her leadership, strategy, and community development skills.

Cass is also deeply committed to giving back. She mentors emerging leaders, champions women in leadership, and supports local initiatives ranging from education programs to community sport.

At her core, Cass loves creating something from the ground up — building trust, weaving together unlikely partnerships, and helping ideas grow into lasting impact for people and communities.

Bronnie Taylor has spent her life working in and for regional communities. Before entering public life, she was a registered nurse for almost 20 years, specialising in cancer and palliative care. She was among the first McGrath Foundation Breast Care Nurses and later served as Director of Cancer Services for the Southern NSW Local Health District, experiences that shaped her commitment to improving health outcomes for people living outside major cities.

Bronnie was elected to NSW Parliament in 2015 and served as Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Women, Minister for Regional Youth, and the state’s first Minister for Regional Health. She was the first woman in over a century to be elected Deputy Leader of the NSW Nationals. During her time in government, she championed policies and programs that improved access to care, strengthened mental health services, and supported regional families and communities.

She now currently serves as Chair of Motherland Australia, is a member of Chief Executive Women, a Non-Executive Director with Boyce, board member for the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, and a member of the Women for Election political advisory board, a cross-party initiative supporting women’s participation in politics. In these roles, she brings her experience and insight to strengthen leadership, governance, and community impact across regional Australia.

Bronnie brings lived experience of rural life.  She is passionate about supporting regional communities, often rolling up her sleeves to help with farm work, local events, and grassroots initiatives. Her hands-on approach reflects her belief that strong communities grow when people contribute their time, energy, practical skills, and ideas.

Paul Connor is the Group Financial Controller at Essential Energy, a government-owned electricity network operator headquartered in Port Macquarie, New South Wales. With over two decades of experience in finance leadership across both public and private sectors, Paul brings a strategic and performance-driven approach to financial management.

Before joining Essential Energy in 2023, Paul served as Director of Finance & Performance at the Mid North Coast Local Health District, where he led financial strategy and operational performance initiatives. His earlier career includes a significant tenure at Boral, where he held multiple senior finance roles including Executive General Manager, General Manager, Finance Transformation, and Manager, National Finance. He has also held senior finance roles at Parker Hannifin and Omron Asia Pacific, contributing to his broad industry perspective.

Paul holds an MBA (Executive) from the Australian Graduate School of Management, and his expertise spans financial transformation, mergers, supply chain finance, and performance improvement.

Madeleine is the CEO of Regional Development Australia Mid North Coast, focused on improving the lives and services for the Mid North Coast of NSW, and regional Australians more broadly. She brings to the role experience in the National Health Workforce Taskforce, running a Headspace service, leadership roles in local government and her experience working multi-jurisdictionally across Australia’s policy and program landscape to deliver improvements.

Madeleine completed her master’s in public policy and management, her PhD in Social Policy and has experience in consulting in organisational improvement in the UK and Australia. She hopes to bring her experience to the Board of the Rural Health Research Foundation to assist in increasing the equity of transformational health research for rural and regional Australians.

Andrew is a paediatric Clinical Psychologist by training and brings to the role extensive clinical, senior management and senior executive experience across private, NGO, NSW Government (Health, Education, Family and Community Services). Andrew has an undergraduate degree in (Psychology) (Hons) and Clinical Doctorate (Clinical Psychology).

From 2000 to 2006 Andrew worked as a psychologist across private, educational and NGO sectors. Between 2006 and 2015 Andrew worked as Clinical Psychologist and Senior Clinical Psychologist.

Andrew has worked with MNCLHD since 2015, with roles including Operations Manager for the MNC Aboriginal Health Accord, District Manager Health Promotion and Director Research and Knowledge Translation. Andrew was seconded (2016-2018) to the role of Executive Operations Officer for the Department of Family and Community Services Mid North Coast, with responsibility for Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Community Services and Housing portfolios.

In his role as Director Research & Knowledge Translation, Andrew is committed to ensuring the MNCLHD is actively engaged in strategically aligned research and innovation that is relevant to the needs of rural and regional communities, while addressing health service issues. Andrew oversees the development of strong and purposeful collaborations with our multiple university and research institute partners

John began his career with a large international accounting firm before moving into health, where he has built more than two decades of leadership in health finance, strategy, and governance. He is currently Director of Finance & Performance with the Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD), where he has driven major financial reform and recovery programs, multi-year strategic financial plans, and efficiency improvement programs—all designed to strengthen sustainability, service access, and patient flow.

Alongside his financial and strategic leadership, John has a strong interest in research as a driver of improved health outcomes. He is committed to embedding evidence-based approaches into planning, resource allocation, and performance frameworks, ensuring that research findings translate into practical improvements in patient care and system efficiency. His work consistently supports innovation, evaluation, and continuous improvement across clinical and operational domains.

John has extensive experience engaging with Boards, Chief Executives, and Ministries of Health, ensuring accountability and transparency in financial management and performance reporting. He has co-led infrastructure developments and overseen property and asset portfolios to achieve efficiency and sustainability.

Kellon Beard is a respected regional leader with more than 35 years of management experience across diverse sectors.  As Regional Director for Business NSW for nearly two decades, he has been a steadfast advocate for regional business, representing members in media, political forums, and high-level stakeholder engagements.  His leadership is grounded in integrity, adaptability, and a strong results-oriented ethos.

Before joining Business NSW, Kellon led the Hastings Business Enterprise Centre, supporting startups through advisory services and targeted training programs.  His career includes a range of roles that have broadened his skill set and deepened his strategic insight.  Academically, Kellon holds a Master of Commerce in International Management from Charles Sturt University, along with graduate and undergraduate qualifications in commerce, management, and accounting.

Kellon’s expertise spans strategic planning, budgeting, human resources, sales, negotiation, and workplace safety.  He is also deeply committed to community development, serving on several committees, including Mid Coast Connect, YP Space, and the Port Macquarie Dementia Friendly Alliance.