President

Ryan Bear

Ryan’s background is in Law, completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice/Social Science in 2012 and a Bachelor of Laws – LLB, Law in 2018.
Ryan is passionate about maintaining quality support services in the local community, joining Open Arms Care in 2021 Ryan hopes to achieve this purpose by contributing to the Not-For-Profit sector through sound governance and leadership.
Ryan is a lawyer Director at Coastal Law and Conveyancing and a Director at Line & Length.

Vice President

Cassandra Ball

Cassandra Ball joined the Board in 2021.
Cassandra is the Director of a HR Consulting firm and a Director of Ballpoint Kitchens, a local cabinetry business. Cassandra completed her Bachelor of Business and embarked on her early career in Corporate HR before running her own businesses in Holiday Resort Management. Cassandra is community minded, having held many volunteer and leadership positions, and has a passion for ensuring essential services are available to the local community and delivered with care.

Secretary

William Buckingham

Will is an IT specialist and the Director of Blue Sky IT Consulting.
Will’s extensive knowledge and experience in all aspects relating to information technology, computing, networking, and software solutions adds incredible value to the Open Arms Care Board.
As a local business owner/operator, Will is passionate about our local community and contributing to maintaining services locally.
Will’s business acumen contributes greatly to the governance of Open Arms Care with a person centric approach.

Treasurer

Damien Attwood

Damien Attwood is the founder of a boutique business consultancy, with over a decade of expertise in finance, insurance, and banking. His specialisation lies in analytics, risk mitigation and change management. Damien holds a wealth of expertise supporting small to medium-sized businesses in achieving their goals. He thrives on fostering collaboration among people and is renowned for his leadership and ability to unite groups effectively, driving impactful social change.

Public Officer

Jo Brotherton

Jo was appointed to the Board in 2016.
Jo has a diverse range of experience in the banking, finance and tourism industries in front of house, reception and customer service-based positions, as well as running her own small business locally in Urunga.
Most recently, Jo was elected as a Councillor of Bellingen Shire Council and has also previously served as the Urunga Lions Club Secretary and Vice President of the Urunga- Mylestom Chamber of Commerce.
Jo is a vibrant, caring and passionate person who spends much of her spare time supporting the local community.

Board Member

Katika Adams

Katika is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist with extensive experience in State Management Operations and Workers Compensation across multiple state legislations, as well as in Commonwealth and private sectors.

She has successfully led high performing teams at both state and national levels, combining operational due diligence and customer-focused service with a strong commitment to community well-being.