Clare Pullar - Chair

Senior Consultant, Marts & Lundy

Clare has 30 years’ experience in building the capacity of institutions through strategic philanthropy. She served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Advancement) for the University of Queensland (UQ) from 2009 to 2016. Prior to this, Clare led Development at Trinity College University of Melbourne, Melbourne Business School and Goulburn Valley Grammar School. She is chair of Janet Clarke Hall University of Melbourne and served as a Board member of the Australian Youth Orchestra for 9 years. Clare and her husband David had run family orchards in Ardmona for 20 years from the early 1970s to 1990s. She also taught English at Mooroopna High School and Goulburn Valley Grammar during that time.

Sandy Clark AO - Deputy Chair

Sandy is a Director of the Brandenburg Orchestra Ensemble, the Trinity College Council, the Barr Family Foundation, the Malcolm Robertson Foundation, the Playking Foundation, and a number of private companies.

His long association with the wine industry has included time as Chairman of Australian Grape and Wine Inc, the Winemakers Federation of Australia, Brown Brothers, Mitchelton Wines, and as a Director of Stonier Wines. In addition, he has served as Chairman of the Arts Centre Melbourne Foundation, the William Buckland Foundation, the Aviva Australia Insurance Group, the Brotherhood of St. Laurence, and the Melbourne Grammar School Council; as Deputy Chairman of the Myer Family Company Ltd, of Eastern Energy Ltd, and the Legal Practice Board of Victoria, and as a Director of ANZ Wealth Companies, Oasis Funds Management Ltd and One Path Custodians Pty Ltd, Select Harvests Ltd, Southern Cross Broadcasting (Australia) Ltd, and the Victorian Arts Centre Trust.

Adam Furphy

Managing Director, J. Furphy & Sons

Adam is the Managing Director of J. Furphy & Sons and holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from RMIT. He has a strong interest in regional education and previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE and as Chairman of the LaTrobe University Shepparton Campus Regional Advisory Board. Adam is a current member of the LaTrobe University Council, a Trustee of the Shepparton Mechanic’s Institute, a member of the Board of Directors of the Galvanizing Association of Australia, a member of the Weld Australia Council, and Chair of the Greater Shepparton Lighthouse Project – a project that engages the Greater Shepparton Community to improve happiness and health of our children.

Adam was born and raised in Shepparton, where he continues to live today with his wife and three children. He is also a great, great grandson of John Furphy who founded J, Furphy & Sons in 1864.

John Head

CEO, Shepparton Foot Clinic

John has been a Podiatrist and Shepparton Foot Clinic CEO since 1983. He served on the Victorian Podiatry Association Council (1992-1994), the Victorian Podiatry Registration Board’s Prescribing Practice Advisory Committee (2007-2016), the External Advisory Committee for the Schools of Podiatry at Charles Sturt and La Trobe Universities, as well as the Australasian Podiatry Council External Accreditation Panel for Podiatry at four Australian Universities. He was Chair of Leading Within (2010-2013), a not-for-profit mentoring program dealing with youth suicide in the Goulburn Valley, he was on the Goulburn Valley Grammar School Finance Committee (2007-2013), Shepparton Festival Board (1999-2015) in the role of Artistic Director between 2006 and 2015 and was awarded ‘Shepparton Citizen of the Year’ in 2012. He was the ‘Community Representative’ on the ‘New SAM Project Building Committee’ from 2016-2018. on the SAM Ltd Board since 2017, including as Chair until 2018.

John has been on the SAM Foundation Board since 2017, serving as Chair from 2017 to 2024, and has been a Committee Member of Shepparton Theatre Arts Group (STAG) since 2013. He joined the ‘Calder Woodburn Memorial Avenue Advisory Committee’ in 2022, where he is the current Chair. John is also an actor, playwright, painter and arts philanthropist in his spare time.

Polly Symons

Director, Morrison & Sawers Lawyers

Polly is a Director at Morrison & Sawers Lawyers. Born and raised in the Goulburn Valley, Polly completed her Bachelor of Laws (Hon) and Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Marketing at Deakin University in Geelong before returning to Shepparton in 2013. She was a committee member of the Goulburn Valley Young Professionals and has volunteered at the GV Community Legal Centre and as a mentor through the Bridge Young Person Mentoring program.

Polly would love to see the Goulburn Valley become a prominent regional destination for young professionals, whether they are returning for work or newcomers to the area, and create a strong social network that promotes a sense of community and cultural diversity with a strong focus on the arts.

Wendy Brooks

Managing Director, Wendy Brooks & Partners

Wendy is passionate about visual and performing arts, heritage, and culture, and is a keen supporter of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and culture. Her career has spanned law, music, business, marketing and fundraising. Wendy has a Bachelor of Music (Melb) and a Bachelor of Law (Hons). Wendy continues to perform viola and has played in many chamber ensembles and orchestras in Australia and internationally.

In addition to being Managing Director of Wendy Brooks & Partners, Wendy holds a number of community sector leadership roles. She is Co-Chair of the Human Rights Watch (HRW) Australia, Deputy Chair of Geelong Community Foundation and a founding Board Director and past Chair of InLife Independent Living Ltd. Wendy and her family are committed to giving back to the community through philanthropy and volunteering.