Our Governance & Leadership

Peppercorn Services Inc. (Peppercorn) is an incorporated organisation governed by a Board of Governance. It was established by Hawkesbury City Council in March 2001.

Peppercorn is a not-for-profit community organisation and a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission.

The Board of Governance holds legal responsibility for the operations and activities of Peppercorn Services Inc. The Board of Governance may also be called the Management Committee or Board or Board of Directors.

The role of the Board is to:

• be responsible for the governance of the organisation;
• exercise leadership by setting Peppercorn’s strategic directions and monitoring progress towards the achievement of outcomes;
• be accountable for the organisation on behalf of the community, and in accordance with the requirements of the Associations Incorporation Act, the organisation’s Constitution, and all contracts that Peppercorn has with funding bodies.

Peppercorn’s current Board:

Rob Ewin

Rob is a Hawkesbury Community Board representative and currently Chair’s our Board. He has lived in Kurrajong since 1998 and had a 40 year career working in the banking & finance industry. Rob retired from corporate life in 2014 as General Manager for Westpac’s Western Sydney Region. He has a Bachelor of Business degree and since retiring from Westpac, remains active in the Hawkesbury Community. Rob is an active Rotarian and is currently a Director of both New Haven Farm Homes and Muru Mittigar. He is also the National Chair of the Westpac Group Alumni.

Michael Howard

Michael holds the position of Treasurer and is a Senior Finance and Strategy Manager in the Commonwealth Bank. He has over 20 years’ experience in finance, business planning, analytics and strategy roles within large organizations (including CBA, Woolworths and Spotless) and has MBA and CPA certifications. He has been on the board since 2013 (originally with Blacktown Community Transport / Easy Go Connect) and is also active in several junior sports clubs in the local area in committee and coaching capacities.

Meagan Ang

Meagan is the Board’s Secretary and Public Officer and represents the Hawkesbury City Council in her capacity as Director of City Planning. She has been on the Board since 2011. Meagan has extensive experience in the Home and Community Care Services sector, and her position at the Council focusses on sector development and support for the Hawkesbury local government area.

John Baker

John joined the Board as a community representative in September 2019. John was admitted to practice as a solicitor in 1972 and practised in the Hawkesbury since 1985. He is now retired. John is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Richmond and continues to serve on the Board of the Club. He has been a Rotarian for 39 years. He served as a director of the Richmond Club for 9 years and retired from that position in 2016. He also served as president of the Lapstone Preschool and Early Intervention Service Inc. for a period of 3 years.

Melissa Stubbings

Melissa is a Dharug woman of the Buruberongal and Warmali Clans. Melissa is privileged to live and work on the traditional lands of her family and ancestors. Melissa has been working in the Dispute Resolution Industry since 2005. . Today Melissa combines her dispute resolution skills to also conduct Family Group Conferencing. Melissa is on the panel of FDRP’s at Legal Aid. Through her private business Melissa offers facilitation, cultural supervision, training, mentoring and consultation on Aboriginal protocols and practices. Melissa manages Merana Aboriginal Community Association for the Hawkesbury Inc in Richmond NSW since 2017. Melissa has four children and three grandchildren.

Ed Elkins

With over a decade of healthcare experience spanning Australia and Canada, Ed is a quality improvement leader with a passion for up-stream thinking and healthcare redesign. Driven by a commitment to innovation and collaboration, he is dedicated to driving positive change in the healthcare system. In his most recent role, he provides after-hours operational management for a quaternary-level hospital. As a Registered Nurse specialising in Intensive Care, Ed brings a deep understanding of the clinical frontline to his work. He is excited to join the board to support the amazing work undertaken by everyone at Peppercorn and Active Care Network.

Anne Hurni

Anne is the Research and Policy Lead of the National Growth Areas Alliance (NGAA), the peak body for local government in Australia’s outer metropolitan growth areas. Prior her appointment to the Board of Community Culture, Anne was a director of Great Community Transport, Active Care Network, since 2018. Anne has extensive experience in urban, transport and social research. She has had a diverse career in policy and planning across Australian, State and local government. Most recently, Anne was Research and Policy Coordinator, City Strategy, at Penrith City Council. Her professional experience has been grounded in community development practice and working with marginalised communities in Western Sydney. In 2015 Anne completed her PhD investigating the role of transport in the everyday lives of children and young people, focused on communities in Blacktown City. Anne is a long-time resident of the Blue Mountains.”

Kevin Richards

Kevin has over 17 years serving on the board, including many years as Chair. He has over a decade of governance experience in small and medium sized not-for-profits. Kevin is now retired and comes from a career background of project and operations management. He volunteers with the Digital Literacy Foundation, was a founding member of the Central Mountains Men’s Shed in Lawson with 18 months as Treasurer and is an active member of the Springwood Rotary Club.

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