Our People
Our professional team love the life-changing opportunities that our facilities provide
Brett Walker
General Manager
Brett has specialised in developing high performance people and teams, providing strategic advice and direction on growing a business, and value adding to commercial goals through better analysis and by developing better business metrics.
With 6 years plus of people management (direct reports team sizes 18-50) he has also successfully developed and implemented a large NFP business from an outsourcing delivery model to in-house direct management (team size 55). Brett has been a senior commercial business consultant for over 5 years and a regional and interstate sales manager for 5 years with 15 years Pharmaceutical sales experience.
Meet
the wonderful team at Camp Breakaway
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Board Members
Ruth Sumners
Deputy Chair
Worked all her professional life in education; Foundation -President of the Metropolitan East Home Economics Association. Ruth has volunteered at Breakaway for the last 20 years.
Mark Taylor
Director
Mark brings 40 years of experience in entertainment and corporate technical production to Breakaway. He is an allrounder at infrastructure. Mark founded his own technical production business in 1979 and the highlight production was the installation and operation of video replay systems at most of the Sydney Olympic venues. This involved a crew of 75 working for two months.
Jennifer Taaffe
Chair
Worked in the NSW Public Service for 35 years as a Teacher, Home School Liaison Officer, Assessment and Compliance Officer, Community Program Officer, Child Protection Caseworker, and Manager of Disaster Recovery. Jennifer cared for her late husband with Multiple Sclerosis for over 10 years.
Paul Warwick
Diane Wigglesworth
Experience in the banking and retail sector including Children’s Services in Tasmania, the English Scottish and Australian Banking Ltd; Branch Supervisor at Medibank, branch manager for NIB at Top Ryde Branch, Bankstown, and Mid-City Centre and Westpac; Managed her own florist shops, Greenacre Florist, Daisy's at Jannali and Yagoona Flowers.
Paul Parks
Treasurer
Paul became a member of Breakaway in 2016. Since then, he has attended several camps and events, as well as many meetings.
Gillian Cornford
Michelle Price
Director
CEO Director of Allcare Nursing Service, Toukley; Educator for ET Australia and universities; Breakaway Life Governor, volunteered at Breakaway since inception; Awarded OAM for commitment and dedication to nursing including for people with disabilities and by Rotary International for her contribution to humanity.
Pauline Maniskas
Director
Volunteer carer at Camp Breakaway for eighteen years; program coordinator for twelve years; Founding member and secretary of the Central Coast branch of the Disabled Surfers Association of Australia; treasurer of Northlakes Disability Tourism Precinct; Volunteer for twenty years for Father Chris Riley’s Youth off the Streets.
Suzie Hong
Director
Has 15 years experience in the disability industry both in government and not for profit organisations. Currently runs her own disability service Care 2 the Max.