SHBG - Key Persons


Charlotte Webb

Job Titles:
  • Chairman and Chief Executive Officer / Founding Member of Southern Highlands Botanic Gardens ( 1999 )
More than 30 years' experience in the landscape industry, including landscape design, horticulture and the nursery trade. Charlotte has previously established and managed a wholesale and retail nursery, managed an exhibition garden for 18 years, while concurrently running a landscape design practice in the Southern Highlands of NSW. An avid plant collector with an interest in rare plants. A specialist landscape heritage consultant and a founding member of Southern Highlands Botanic Gardens.

Chris Levy

Job Titles:
  • Director
Chris brings skills in business development and marketing, following a career in business in marketing and sales roles. He was Managing Director of Pizza Hut Australia, Area Vice President for Australia and SouthEast Asia, Managing Director of the Sizzler Restaurants group and Managing Director of The Executive Connection, which mentors and develops the CEOs of Australian companies. For ten years up to 2009, Chris was an honorary board member of The House with no Steps. He lives in Bowral and runs a business consultancy specialising in executive coaching and mentoring, strategic planning, marketing and franchising.

Chris Webb - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman
  • Director and Chairman of the Friends / Founding Member of Southern Highlands Botanic Gardens ( 1999 )
Following graduation from Sydney University with a degree in Agriculture, Chris returned to manage the family farm in the Southern Highlands for the next 12 years. After obtaining his Associate Dip Landscape he became a full time Landscape Designer and Horticultural Consultant, working in the Southern Highlands since 1998. Being the 5th generation of the Webb family in the local area he has a passion for the history of the Southern Highlands and an avid interest and concern in its ongoing development. Chris is a Past Chairman and committee member of the Australian Garden History Society Southern Highlands Branch (7 years), Past Secretary and Chairman of the NSW DFA Moss Vale Branch (4 years), member of Rotary Club of Berrima District since 2001.

Christine Hafey

Job Titles:
  • Member of Committee

Christine Hawkins - Secretary

Job Titles:
  • Company Secretary
  • Director
Christine's career has been in economics, finance and tax, with the Reserve Bank of Australia, chartered accounting firms and investment banks. She has a long career as a company director, including as chairman of companies in environment and resource management, plant biosecurity, agriculture and food, textiles and fashion, and higher education. Christine has been Chairman of a Ministerial Council and a non-executive director of major Commonwealth statutory corporations. She is part of the professional faculty of the Australian Institute of Company Directors for her expertise on corporate governance. Formal qualifications are a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) and Master of Commerce degrees from the University of New South Wales, Fellow of CPA Australia and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Christine loves gardens and spends inordinate amounts of time wandering around gardens in the Southern Highlands, where she lives.

Jenny Marston

Job Titles:
  • Member of Committee

John Swainston

Job Titles:
  • Director
Well-known amongst the gardening and arts groups in Bowral, John is an award-winning and published photographer and writer, with extensive board experience and over four decades in senior international executive roles in more than 60 countries. He brings deep skills in technological change and cross -cultural management. John has an impressive record of developing and managing companies and major events in the photographic industries including the Nikon Photo Media Centre for 800 international

Judy Keast

Job Titles:
  • Member of Committee

Kathryn Jeffrey

Job Titles:
  • Member of Committee

Laurel Cheetham

Job Titles:
  • Member of Committee

Lyn Collingridge

Job Titles:
  • Director
  • Retired Solicitor
Lyn is a retired solicitor with over 40 years' experience in Commonwealth and NSW public sectors and several years in private law firms, specialising in superannuation and corporate law. Lyn was General Counsel for 11 years and one year as A/CEO in the NSW public sector. She has extensive experience in policy development, compliance and corporate governance and is a past director of a superannuation fund board of trustees. Lyn's formal qualifications are a Bachelor of Arts in Administration, Bachelor of Laws, Registered Justice of the Peace and Executive member of Southern Highlands Branch of the NSW Justices Association (voluntary role).

Lynda Cowley

Job Titles:
  • Director
  • Fellow of CPA Australia
  • Member of Committee
Lynda's background is finance and accounting, with expertise in systems integration, process re-engineering and team building, payroll Lynda is a Fellow of CPA Australia and a Graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) from Bristol University and graduate conversion from UTS. Lynda is involved in several gardening organisations in the Southern Highlands and is Treasurer of the Bowral Branch of the Australian Garden History Society.

Michael Marston

Job Titles:
  • Member of Committee

Peter Evans

Job Titles:
  • Director
Peter Evans joined Ramsay Health Care in 1969 and served as Non-Executive Director for 24 years, then Deputy-Chairman from 2014 to 2021. He is also a Non-Executive Director of Paul Ramsay Foundation Ltd and the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation. He is a Chartered Accountant and, prior to joining Ramsay Health Care, was in public practice for more than 20 years with predecessor firms of KPMG. Peter has been actively involved with several charitable organisations over many years, including the Southern Highlands Foundation, Hope Health, Church Army, Shoalhaven Anglican and the Anglican Diocese of Sydney. He is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow Chartered Accountant and Fellow of the Tax Institute.

Peter Scott

Job Titles:
  • Member of Committee