Committee

The BFA committee includes the following who generously give their time and skill  to help young people in the arts.

John Bell AO, OBE

John Bell is one of Australia’s most acclaimed theatre personalities. In a career of acting and directing, John Bell has been instrumental in shaping the Australian theatre industry as we know it.
In 1990, Bell founded the theatre company Bell Shakespeare and has produced, among others, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, Richard III, Pericles, Henry IV, Henry V, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, The Comedy of Errors, The Merchant of Venice, The Tempest, King Lear, and Goldoni’s Servant of Two Masters.
In the New Years Day Honours of 1978 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). In the Queen’s Birthday Honours of 1987, he was named a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). In Australia Day Honours of 2009, he was named an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO).
His achievements in theatre have been acknowledged by the Universities of Newcastle (1994) and Sydney (1996) who have both awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Letters. In 2001 a painting of Bell by artist Nicholas Harding won the Archibald Prize. In 2002, Bell’s performance of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, in Richard III earned him a Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Play.
In 2003 the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, presented Bell with the Cultural Leader of the Year Award. In 2009 he received the JC Williamson Award for his life’s work in the live performance industry. He has been named an Australian Living Treasure.
For further information go to www.bellshakespeare.com.au

Corinne Attard

Corinne is a commercial lawyer of more than 30 years most recently practising in Sydney before moving permanently to Wagstaffe on the Bouddi Peninsula in late 2020.  A hobby artist, lifelong reader and enthusiastic theatre goer, it was a natural fit to offer her skills and time to the Bouddi Foundation for the Arts to support the cultural life and community of the Central Coast.
Corinne also sits on the committee of The Bouddi Society Inc. 








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Jenni Bourchier

Before retiring in 2014, Jenni spent over 30 years working in senior human resource roles in both local and global corporations across a wide range of industries (pharmaceutical, recruitment, oil and gas exploration, apparel manufacturing, FMCG).  In addition to her involvement with local community-based charity Killy Cares, Jenni serves as a Legatee and Board Member with Brisbane Water Legacy (NSW) Club and has previously volunteered with Primary Ethics and Central Coast High School Mentoring Program.  Jenni has a BA (Communications) and an MBA. 
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John Charrington

John and Pam sponsor the Charrington/McBride Award to assist a young person from the Central Coast with their education in the visual arts specifically Painting-Drawing and Sculpture.
Those eligible would be aged 18 to 30 years of age. Since moving from the UK in 1969 I have spent  some 35 years  in the investment industry  retiring in 2005 but continuing in a consultancy role  both in Australia and NZ. Since my retirement my partner Pamela and  I have  had more time to devote to our interest in the visual arts specifically drawing-painting and sculpture.
 We have recently bought a house in Killcare and became aware of the Bouddi Foundation for the Arts so it seemed only natural for us to give them our support. We are very keen to help young people on the Central Coast pursue their dream of a career in the arts through the award of scholarships/grants
 I am involved with a number of ‘not for profits’  primarily from the investment side but also in the making of grants. The main focus of those grants tend to have an educational bias, so I  have a clear understanding of the  difference  that assistance  can make  to students, who are about  to embark on their tertiary studies.
John and Pam sponsor the Charrington/McBride Award to assist a young person from the Central Coast with their education  in the visual arts specifically Painting-Drawing and Sculpture.
Those eligible would be aged 18 to 30 years of age.

Margaret Crane

After graduating from Sydney University with a degree in Mathematics, Margaret joined Unilever Australia in 1967 as a trainee programmer. To keep a competitive advantage Unilever was at the forefront of technology & as such she stayed with the company & became its first female manager. After 37 years with the company Margaret retired in 2003 having had an interesting career being a part of the evolution of computers in the commercial environment.
 After retiring Margaret started painting and continued her interest in sailing, bird watching and travelling. Her painting style has gravitated to realism and she mainly does paintings of birds and landscapes in oils.
 Margaret joined the committee of the Bouddi Society in 2009 and is currently the Vice President. For the past number of years Margaret has organised the Bouddi Art Show and in 2025 launched the inaugural Bouddi Sculpture Show.

Phil Donnelly OAM

Phil Donnelly has been President of the Bouddi Society for twelve years. Now retired he was formerly a senior executive in the Australian public service where he was responsible for national program delivery. He is the company secretary for a Sydney-based Aboriginal not-for-profit organization delivering sporting, educational and health programs across Australia.

Deborah Johnston

Before retiring in 2024 Deborah worked for over twenty years as a University and Tafe Teacher across several faculties including Graphic design, Interior Design, Radio and Communications, Fine Arts and Sustainability. Before then she worked in Book and Magazine Publishing as a Graphic designer for several large publishing companies including Paul Hamlyns, Angus and Robertsons, Bay Books, and William Collins. Since retirement she has been doing voluntary work for Bouddi Foundation for the Arts, Electrify Bouddi, Hardys Bay Club's Hardys Archie Exhibition and Hardys Scapes Exhibition, Killcare Surf Club and Empire Bay Tennis Club. Deborah has an Undergraduate degree from UNSW in Political Science, a Masters in Design and Multimedia from UTS and a Vocational Graduate Certificate from Swinburne in Business and Sustainability. Currently Deborah teaches Ethics at the local primary school at Pretty Beach. Deborah is a practising artist painting in oils and has recently exhibited in the Gosford 20x20 Exhibition. She is in the Bouddi Artist Trail for 2025. My aim is to bring all my skills to support the Foundation and all the wonderful opportunities the Foundation creates for young creatives on the Central Coast.

Joy Park

Joy Park has worked in the field of academic and business research over the past 35 years, most recently with the global management consulting firm, McKinsey and Company. With McKinsey, Joy's role as a knowledge and web manager has spanned extended stints in offices in Washington, D.C., London and Sydney.
Appointments in American academic libraries at Harvard University (Cambridge), Simmons College (Boston), and George Mason University (Virginia) were augmented by adjunct faculty appointments teaching online research methods to Master's students. Joy was awarded  Harvard's first Bryant Fellowship to study quality in online research providers.
Joy has published several articles about online research and collaborated on a book on the topic.
While working in McKinsey's London office, Joy founded a European music festival which attracts over 100 'closet' musicians from McKinsey's offices throughout Europe and America. Colleagues across all levels of the organization gather in the Austrian Alps once a year and make non-stop music (orchestral, jazz, rock, choral) for four days.  Now in its 10th year, it continues to bring together many ages, tenures, nationalities, and genres in a community building event many participants rank as the best 'corporate' event they attend - every year.
 Joy enjoys making music with several local ensembles, including  cello with a Killcare Baroque ensemble, and  trumpet with the U-Bouddi big band

Peter Park

Since joining the Bouddi Society Management Committee in 2015—a year after retiring to Australia from a 35-year career as a senior executive with the U.S. Department of Defense—Peter has enjoyed serving and contributing to this welcoming community. His global public service experience, with key postings in Washington DC, Buenos Aires, Colorado Springs, and over a decade in Cambridgeshire, UK with U.S. European Command, continues to inform his local involvement.
Peter has served as Editor of Bouddi News, Vice President, and since 2023, President. He values the privilege of working with the Society's dedicated, multi-talented Committee members, all committed to enriching the cultural life of the Bouddi Peninsula through engaging events, historic preservation, and quality entertainment.
His volunteering also includes supporting young creatives through the Bouddi Foundation for the Arts, helping nurture emerging talent across the Central Coast.

Anne Riches

​Anne Riches AM has contributed significantly to both legal and leadership fields. Her career in law led her to be sought after by organisations such as the Australian Medical Association (AMA), Rothschilds, and the Judicial Commission of New South Wales (NSW). 
Anne has also been a professional speaker for over 30 years, initially focusing on organizational change and leadership. She now speaks to leaders and various audiences about the connection between mental health and leadership.
She holds several degrees and postgraduate qualifications in law and change management and has authored over 200 publications, including books, articles, papers, and e-books. Anne is also a Certified Speaking Professional with Professional Speakers Australia3
In addition to her professional roles, Anne held many voluntary positions including President of the Women Lawyers Association of NSW and a member of several Ethics Committees. Anne now gives most of her time to mental health initiatives, working with non-profits like the Black Dog Institute and R U OK Day.
Anne was named a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2022 in recognition of her significant service to community mental health programs and initiatives. 
And while Anne has enjoyed and is proud of her career, her true loves (other than her husband) are scuba diving and hiking!
Her website is www.anneriches.com

John Stedman

John Stedman is currently Honorary Treasurer of both The Bouddi Foundation for the Arts and its related incorporated association, The Bouddi Society Incorporated.
John was for over 50 years ,including 40 as a partner, with a Big Four accounting firm specialising in the Transport, Marketing and Health Care Industries.
He was a fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and CPA Australia.
His career provided the opportunity for he and his wife to live and work in the USA, South Korea and Taiwan and to benefit from being immersed in those very diverse cultures.
Since his retirement, he has served on a number of not for profit committees in Sydney and after also purchasing on the Bouddi Peninsula joined the committees of The BFA and Society being impressed with the great work both associations do in supporting the local Bouddi community and its creative youth.