Governance

The HikeWest Board comprises five elected Directors and up to two appointed Directors. The Board may also appoint Advisors. The five elected Directors must be members of the Association (either a member of a Member Club or an Individual Member), and are elected for an initial term of three years.  Appointed Directors are not required to be members and are eligible for re-appointment annually after an initial twelve month term. An Executive Officer (‘EO’) voluntary position was created by the Board in early 2018. The EO is appointed by the Board and takes  overall direction from the Board. The EO is empowered by delegation from the Board to operationally manage HikeWest and to drive and implement the current Strategic Plan set by the Board. The current President is also Acting EO.

President (& Acting Exec. Officer)	Dave Osborne Read More Dave had a career in oil and gas exploration and production, initially as a field geologist, then for many years he headed up the Australia office of a successful explorer and producing company, as General Manager and President. He has had a long behind-the-scenes involvement with HikeWest (previously the 'Federation...') since 2005 and has devoted much of his energies to sharing his love of bushwalking, partly through his website, WalkGPS, founded in 2003, and also through his membership since 2001 of Perth Bushwalkers Club. He has been a walks leader for many years and was President of that club 2013-2016, and is a life member. He was elected to the HikeWest Board in 2017.
Vice-President	Neil Gibson Read More Neil is a Director and Production Manager of a digital agency and has 20+ years’ experience in web development, online marketing, graphic design and publishing. He is a founding member of a local business support initiative and has an extensive network of business professionals. Neil is a keen bushwalker, walk leader and a walk organiser of the Redtails Walking Group. Through his membership of the HikeWest Board, Neil is excited to be able to contribute to the furthering of hiking in WA while also networking with like-minded individuals. He was elected to the HikeWest Board in 2019.
Treasurer	Lachlan Papworth Read More Lachlan is a CPA-qualified Accountant with over 14 years’ extensive experience across both the private and public accounting sectors in Victoria and WA. For the past eight years he has worked for a leading health care provider. He enjoys a range of outdoor recreational activities including surfing, hiking, cycling and swimming. Lachlan developed a love of nature while growing up in the coastal town of Jan Juc, Victoria. More recently that passion inspired him to complete a Graduate Certificate in Climate Change and Sustainability through Curtin University in 2020. He was elected to the HikeWest Board in 2021.
Secretary	Alan Hill Read More Alan has over 15 years’ experience in Western Australian member-based associations in the agriculture, health and vocational education and training sectors, where his responsibilities have included organisational governance, policy development, project management, advocacy, stakeholder engagement and the implementation of continuous improvement programs. Alan is a very keen, novice hiker, with a strong interest in assisting HikeWest to achieve practical and accessible outcomes. He was elected to the HikeWest Board in 2019.
Director (elected)	Mark Pybus Read More Mark is a Test Analyst and has been working in the finance industry for over 13 years. He is a keen hiker, mountain biker and trail runner, always exploring the trails and nature spaces of Western Australia. As the founder of The Life of Py, Mark has been an advocate for trail use through his website and photography. He was elected to the HikeWest Board in 2020.
Director (appointed)	Ellie Grace Read More Ellie has a B.Comm. in Marketing and Human Resource Development and has worked in various industries, including tourism, construction and mining and the finance industry. As a marketing and digital professional, she's passionate about delivering strategic outcomes and customer-centric solutions. She has experience in campaign delivery, media planning, event planning, digital content and social media. Ellie is a keen hiker and enjoys spending her weekends on WA's best walks. She's looking forward to helping grow WA's love of the outdoors and beautiful hikes. She was appointed to the Board in 2021.
Director (appointed)	Tracy Lindsey Read More Tracy is the founder and lead guide of Off The Beaten Track WA – a Perth-based hiking experience & adventure tours business. Established in 2017, her successful tourism business runs guided hiking experiences in the Perth Hills, South West & Great Southern regions of WA. Tracy’s background is in marketing and events. She loves being creative with nature and trails to carefully craft unique hiking experiences. Tracy looks forward to working with fellow HikeWest Board members towards the betterment of bushwalking in WA. She was appointed to the Board in 2021.
Board Advisor	Cameron Nobbs Read More Cameron’s 25 year career to date as a Mining and Civil Engineer includes extensive senior leadership and project management roles on many projects, plus business plan development, business transformation and financial management. He has a B.Sc. degree and is currently studying part-time for an MBA degree. While at University he served in the Army Reserve. He is a keen, active outdoors person, with interests in bushwalking, mountain biking and cycling. He was appointed as a Board Advisor in 2021.
Board Advisor	Adrian Rakimov Read More Adrian is a school science teacher with a doctorate in Zoology. He has been a contributor on school boards and has worked in regional locations including remote aboriginal community schools. He is a keen outdoors person with interests in bushwalking and the environment. He has also been a field assistant volunteer with DBCA and was an SES Search & Rescue volunteer. As a volunteer also for the Bibbulmun Track Foundation he is responsible for maintaining a section of track and a shelter. He was appointed as a Board Advisor in 2021.
Board Advisor	Magda Spychalska Read More Magda has a B.Comm. in Marketing, Management, Employment Relations, Entrepreneurship. She has a vast range of professional experience and knowledge in marketing, events, digital and communications, with established digital marketing companies. This has included responsibilities in online marketing such as website management, social media and email campaign marketing, including for a past Perth International Arts Festival. Magda is a lover of hiking, both locally and overseas, and is keen to continue to help HikeWest develop and grow. She has previously served as a Director on the Board and was appointed as a Board Advisor in 2021.

The current constitution or Rules of Association for HikeWest Incorporated (known as ‘HikeWest’) were lodged in the office of the Commissioner for Consumer Protection on 13 Nov. 2019.View: “Rules of Association for HikeWest Incorporated“.

HikeWest aims to always conduct itself through its policies and in practice in a manner that is true to its core values and behaviours as a peak body as espoused in our Strategic Plan:

HikeWest Code of Conduct

Core Values	Core Behaviours
Open, ethical, professional & accountable in all that we do	Operate proactively as a leader in the bushwalking community
Inclusive and respectful of diversity	Respond to stakeholder needs & aspirations
Respect & love of our natural bushwalking environment	Advocate for the community
Commitment & pride in HikeWest	Maintain best practice governance & management
Active in embracing change	Build an effective sphere of influence

Policies and positions reflected in HikeWest’s advocating and submissions on issues affecting bushwalking and the environment, and in our Risk Management Guidelines, Minimum Impact Bushwalking Code etc are consistent with the principles above and also with the objectives outlined in the constitution (also see ‘What we do’).

 

HikeWest is an independent not-for-profit organisation. Our financial base relies on the generous support of our several official Sponsors and from other sources, including advertising income and member club levies.

We are also grateful for the support of the State Government who, via DLGSC have provided funding for specific projects, including the inaugural WA Hiking Expo in 2021, and Lotterywest who provided a grant in 2018 to assist HikeWest with the costs of developing this current website.

HikeWest communicates  regularly with our members and the broader community through this website, via a regular eNews publication and Facebook. Board policies provide guidelines on HikeWest’s use of these media.

Disclaimer: Read more.