UPDATED: New Chairs and Directors appointed to Scouts NSW

A new Chair and Deputy Chair have been appointed to lead the Scouts NSW Board of Directors, following its Annual General Meeting in July.

Anthea Cudworth and Kaylene Hubbard are the respective Chair and Deputy Chair, with a Board comprising member representatives and independent Non-Executive Directors.

Anthea joined the Board as a Non-Executive Director in 2022, having volunteered for Scouts NSW as a Scout Leader and State Commissioner for more than a decade. She brings over 20 years of experience as a Coprorate Affairs executive, working in the UK, Europe and Australia. She holds international financial and communications qualifications and has previously chaired a not-for-profit youth organisation.

Kaylene was appointed to the Board as a Non-Executive Director with skills in governance earlier this month. She has more than 25 years’ experience in professional services. Kaylene previously served as the Managing Partner of the KPMG Greater Western Sydney Office and is now Partner in Charge of Tax Advisory in the Enterprise practice. She is also the Chair of the Board of Arthritis Australia.

The Board also welcomed Philip Cooper as a new Ex-Officio Director Region Chair representative and Niamh Hitchman as a new Ex-Officio Directure Deputy Chief Commissioner representative. Two other Directors moved into new roles on the Board, with a third continuing in a casual appointment. 

At the AGM on 20 July 2024, five Director roles were vacated, with Branch Council members required to elect an eligible candidate. Three candidates were endorsed by the majority vote on the day for three-year terms. The Board has agreed a further three roles which did not receive a majority vote at the AGM have therefore been appointed on a casual basis until next year’s AGM. These Directors are as follows:

• Philip Cooper – elected as Ex-Officio Director Region Chair representative – he is the Region Chair and Region Commissioner (Major Events) for Sydney North
• Richard Hodge – elected as a Non-Executive Director with skills in finance – he was previously Ex-Officio Director under-30s representative and Deputy Chair
• Nathan Leivesley – elected as Ex-Officio Director under-30s representative – he was previously the Ex-Officio Director Deputy Chief Commissioner representative
• Bernard Cronan – he continues in a casual appointment as Non-Executive Director with skills in organisational transformation
• Niamh Hitchman – casual appointment as the Ex-Officio Director Deputy Chief Commissioner representative
• Kaylene Hubbard – casual appointment as a Non-Executive Director with skills in governance.

The Board has agreed that the Ex-Officio Director Region Commissioner representative will remain vacant until after 31 October, at which time the Chief Commissioner will confirm his ongoing RC team.

At the AGM, we also said farewell to three long-standing Directors, Past Chair Kerry McGoldrick and Directors Janet Hale and Antony Keenan retired from the Board after serving for many years. We sincerely value and appreciate their service, particularly Kerry who served as Board Chair for over a decade, introducing contemporary governance to abide by our regulatory and legal obligations.

Chief Commissioner Lloyd Nurthen acknowledged their contribution to Scouts NSW at the AGM.

“I would like to thank our Chair Kerry McGoldrick, who has served on the Board for over a decade,” he said. “His contribution to Scouts NSW has been immense. He has quietly and collaboratively led the Board and overseen major improvements in governance, decision-making and diversity, providing support and guidance for the many CEOs and Chief Commissioners over that time.

“I would also like to thank Janet Hale, who has served on the Board for an amazing 14 years, and Antony Keenan, who has served for two three-year terms.”

Kerry thanked all those who had been involved in Scouts during his time on the Board.

“I have had the privilege to serve as a Director since 2012 and Chair since 2015,” he said. “It has been an immense honour to work with CEO Carolyn Campbell and Chief Commissioner Lloyd Nurthen and their exceptional, dedicated teams.

“Through all the challenges and achievements, I have had the great benefit of working alongside a phenomenal cohort of Directors whose support, guidance, expertise and humour has been truly inspiring.”

Anthea said, "It is a privilege to support an organisation that has made such a positive impact on thousands of young people and adults across generations. Scouts played a formative role in my youth, and it's exciting to help this long-cherished organisation evolve its valued life skills so that they remain relevant for our local communities year after year."

Lloyd said he was excited by the energy and enthusiasm the new Board would bring to the Association.

“With Anthea and Kaylene’s appointments as Chair and Deputy Chair, we have secured outstanding skills to help us set out a future strategy that navigates the many challenges facing not-for-profit member organisations around the country,” he said.

“After celebrating 50 years of females in Scouting last year, I’m proud and excited to see where this new leadership takes us in the future.”

Carolyn Campbell, CEO of Scouts NSW, added, “I am pleased the Board is reflective of the communities in which we operate, with a good mix of age, gender, geography and commercial skills. Together, this team can bring its frontline Scouting knowledge and professional experience to guide Scouts in continuing to change and grow into the future.”

The newly appointed Directors will join the continuing members of the Board:

• Renee Burkinshaw – Non-Executive Director
• Brett Grimmond - Ex-Officio Director
• Lloyd Nurthen – Chief Commissioner
• Stuart Thorpe – Non-Executive Director, Treasurer.

Philip Cooper – Ex-Officio Director

Along with his experience as the Region Chair and Region Commissioner (Major Events) for Sydney North Region, Phil also currently serves on the Scouts NSW Insurance sub-committee. He began his adult Scouting life in Cheltenham in 1997, holding various Group, District and Region roles.

Richard Hodge – Non-Executive Director

Richard was elected to the Scouts NSW Board on 17 July 2021 and has been a member of the Finance Committee since July 2017. He is presently a Senior Advisor within the Policy and Budget Group of the NSW Treasury. A qualified Chartered Accountant, his professional experience also includes working as a Policy Advisor to a NSW Cabinet Minister and as a Senior Accountant within the Audit and Assurance division of KPMG. Richard has been involved in Scouting for more than 20 years as a Cub Scout, Scout, Venturer Scout and Rover Scout and wants to ensure that young Australians have the opportunity to grow and develop by experience the youth program that Scouting offers.

Nathan Leivesley – Ex-Officio Director

Nathan joined the Scouts NSW Board in 2023. He has been a member of the Scouting Movement for more than 15 years in many capacities, including as a youth member, Leader, Assistant National Commissioner, and Assistant Contingent Leader for the Australian Contingent to the 2016 New Zealand Venture. In addition to his uniformed role as Deputy Chief Commissioner Governance, Nathan currently holds appointments on the Scouts NSW Nomination Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee.

Outside of Scouting, Nathan works as a lawyer in private practice advising on risk, compliance, and governance matters among other things. Nathan utilises the qualities that Scouting has instilled in him – a willingness to ask questions, a sense of adventure, and a joy in finding creative solutions to tricky problems – to maintain Scouts NSW’s position as a leading organisation for young people.

Bernard Cronan – Non-Executive Director

Bernard was elected to the Scouts NSW Board in 2023 as a casual appointment. A qualified Chartered Accountant, his extensive professional experience includes external financial audit, management consulting, talent consulting and talent development executive roles with EY, Barclays Bank and a number of not-for-profit organisations. He was also a Non-Executive Director of a youth refuge service in NSW. Bernard started Scouts as a Cub Scout and continued through to Rover Scouts before he became an adult Leader running large-scale activities for Scouts NSW (Dragon Skin) and Scouts Australia (Jamboree). With degrees in management and certifications across technology, innovation and leadership, Bernard is a strategist at heart, a consultant by nature, an auditor by training and a Scout in values.

Niamh Hitchman – Ex-Officio Director

Niamh has been a member of Scouts NSW since 2019, starting as an Assistant Venturer Scout Leader and subsequently taking on a number of different roles such as Youth Safe Advocate, and a member of several working groups and initatives. She was appointed Assistant Chief Commissioner for Program in June 2023 and later took on her current role. Additionally, she holds an appointment as an Assistant Leader Trainer.

Professionally, Niamh is an Operations Manager with a background in IT management, cybersecurity, change and risk management and corporate governance. Before her tenure with Scouts NSW, she volunteered with the Red Cross, managing large teams of volunteers delivering harm minimisation at major music festivals. 

Niamh leverages the skills and values from her professional and volunteer experiences to maintain and enhance Scouts NSW's mission and impact.

Kaylene Hubbard – Non-Executive Director

Kaylene has more than 25 years’ experience in professional services, with technical expertise in tax. She has previously served as the Managing Partner of the KPMG Greater Western Sydney office and is currently the Partner in Charge of Tax Advisory in the Enterprise practice. Kaylene also has a strong commitment to community, volunteering at grassroots sports associations, school fundraising committees and local initiatives. She also has a strong commitment to Scouting, seeing her sons thrive from Cub Scouts to Rover Scouts. She has strong appreciation for the value and history of the Scouting Movement in Australia and is keen to play her part in taking this forward and growing the reach of Scouts.