Curriculum Vitae
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CURRICULUM VITAE William James Thompson Commins Hendriks Pty Ltd Solicitors PO Box 36 COOLAMON NSW 2701 Ph. 02-6927 3106 (bh) Ph. 02-6927 3503 (ah) Mob. (0427) 273106 Email: [email protected] 1 ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS 23 April 1979 – Bachelor of Arts Degree – Australian National University 26 May 1982 - Bachelor of Legal Studies – Macquarie University 3 June 1983 - admitted to Supreme Court of New South Wales. 2 SOLICITOR 2.1 Admitted as a Solicitor in 1983. 2.2 Member of the South West Slopes Law Society and the Riverina Law Society 2.3 Together with Freer Green of Warren, longest serving member of The Law Society of New South Wales Rural Issues Committee. 2.4 1993 New South Wales Solicitor Community Service Award 2.5 Health & Aged Care Member of The Allawah Lodge Aged Persons Hostel Committee 1988 – current; publicity and fundraising coordinator Member of Junee-Coolamon Hospital Board 1985 -1987 Board Director Wagga Wagga Base Hospital 1987 – 1996 Member Wagga Wagga Base Hospital Local Advisory Board 1996 – 1987 Coolamon Shire Citizen of the Year 2006 Coolamon Shire Citizen of the Year 1993 Coolamon Rotary Community Service Award - Paul Harris Fellowship 3 PERSONAL 3.1 Law Clerk-Student, Commins Thompson Junee 1979-1983 3.2 Solicitor with the North West Queensland Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Legal Service January 2004-January 2005 3.3 Commins Thompson 1985-1991 3.4 Partner/Director, Commins Hendriks 1991-current specialising in small business, farming and succession planning 4 COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS 4.1 1986 – current Secretary, Kindra Park Trustees responsible for the Kindra Park Complex 1991-current Chairman, North East Riverina Rural Counselling Service 2005-2006 Chairperson, The Riverina Anglican College Parents & Friends’ Association Member of Coolamon Shire Council Commercial Development Committee 1985 - current Member of Coolamon Lions Club (President 1988 and various Executive positions) Coordinator & Trustee of various community disaster appeals including fire appeals, appeals for people with health problems Trustee of The Coolamon Shire Council Community Benefit Fund Patron, Coolamon Sub-Branch of RSL Honorary Solicitor for the following organisations and have been involved in drafting Constitutions, advising on Corporate Governance issues, assisting with fundraising, contract preparation and general legal advice concerning incorporation, amalgamations, planning for the future: i. Riverina Football League, Coolamon Rovers Football Club, Ganmain Football Club, Northern Jets Football Club, Marrar Football Club, Henty Football Club, The Rock-Yerong Creek Football Club ii. Licensed Community Clubs – Coolamon, Ganmain, Junee, Wagga Wagga, Henty, Yerong Creek iii. Honorary Solicitor for RSL Sub-Branches throughout the Riverina iv. Honorary Solicitors to various community, sporting and church organisations v. Licensee of the St Michael’s Hall since 1985 – current 5 FAMILY Married to Gabrielle since 1983. Three children – Alexander (21), Jack (19) and Charlie (13). Eldest son, Alexander, suffers from Asberger’s Syndrome (high performing autism) and have gained an insight into the challenges faced by families with disabilities when dealing with education, employment programs, etc. I am fortunate to have a supportive wife who is the Thompson family coordinator and my assistant for the business and community work set out below. We have made a choice to be based at Coolamon so that we can be actively involved in local sports, school and community organisations and see our kids grow up. Gabrielle has committed herself to this role and has provided outstanding support and assistance. 6 BUSINESS With the support of business partners and staff, I have developed the following: i. One of the biggest succession planning practices in country New South Wales specialising in farming and small business. ii. Ignored directions in 1985 to centralise at Wagga Wagga and to develop a branch office at Coolamon which has had up to three solicitors and a law clerk and 10 back up staff specialising in small business and rural matters. iii. The firm took over a Henty legal practice in 1997 which was opened two days a week and now this office is open full time with a solicitor attending 1-2 days per week. iv. Our Ganmain Office was open two days per week and is now open five days a week. 7 RURAL LOBBYING I have been actively involved in the following: i. The fight to save the Coolamon-Ganmain Hospital and maintain and develop health and aged care facilities including retirement village. With the assistance of my late father, I have encouraged community members to donate millions of dollars to local projects. ii. Actively involved and chaired and coordinated meetings opposing amalgamation of local Councils. iii. Prepared submissions, appeared before Government enquiries and Ministers on rural issues such as: (a) the inequities of the Assets Test for farmers. I have been actively involved in changes to the Assets and Income Tests which have resulted in fairer rules for country people. (b) Lobbied for the maintenance of rural counselling services, assistance to drought-affected people both financially and emotionally. (c) Actively involved in campaigns to resist Government Departments and big corporations taking services from country towns and regional centres. 8 NERRCS NERRCS have been involved in pilot projects and community building and enhancement projects which have helped encourage and foster the following: i. Aged care unit development at Ariah Park ii. The return of banking services through the Wagga Mutual Credit Union to Ganmain. iii. The development of one of the most effective Rural Transaction Centres in Australia at Ganmain. iv. Our current program involving the development and building of resilient rural communities has assisted with the establishment of community groups and/or programs ranging from the Barellan Centenary to a Jazz Festival at Ardlethan to the John Harper ‘Mate Helping Mate’ Mental Program. NERRCS provides administrative back up, assistance with coordination, fundraising and mentoring for such projects. SEVEN YEARS’ LONG, STILL HANGIN’ ON! One of the most successful and rewarding organisations I have been involved with was the brainchild of a young businessman in 2007 due to the concerns of seven years of drought and failed harvests, a free community concert was organised on 30 November 2007 at the Coolamon Sport & Recreation Club which was attended by 3,000 people which included free BBQ, children’s entertainment and live music. This Committee has continued and has organised last year a major Darren Coggan Concert on 16 August 2008 and provides funds for groups such as the Coolamon Skate Park. COOLAMON SKATE PARK Together with my youngest son, Charlie aged 13, and a group of other parents and young individuals, the Coolamon Skate Park Committee is in the process of raising $15,000 towards a Skate Park at Coolamon. This has involved mentoring and encouraging young people from primary to high school to become involved in the project. 9 SPEAKING EXPERIENCE I have: i. Delivered presentations to organisations from solicitors, accountants, financial planners, community groups, CWA, Progress Associations, sporting organisations from Berri and other regional towns in South Australia to Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales. ii. The presentations have ranged from key note speaker to seminar presenter to seminar coordinator and chairperson. 9 AUTHOR/MEDIA i. Author of articles for local and national papers including: (a) Sydney Morning Herald – Money Section on small business and business planning. (b) Law Society Journal including two stories that featured as the main article on the front page of the Journal. (c) Involved in articles that have appeared on succession planning in The Reader’s Digest, The Land, The Farm Journal, other rural publications. ii. Radio and television. I have been interviewed and featured on programs such as: (a) Landline (b) Getaway (c) Today Show (d) Local and national radio. iii. Unique publicity campaigns that I have been involved in: (a) The ‘Coolamon Dirty Weekend’ press release by the Coolamon Shire Council Commercial Development Committee which resulted in a national media frenzy involving Today Show, Getaway, regional and local media. (b) Changes to the Assets Test 10 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT I have had the pleasure in being involved as a legal advisor in relation to various projects. Some of the successful ones include: i. Allawah Lodge Hostel + Dementia Unit + Retirement Units ii. Establishment of the Henty Community Bank and the Henty CCC Inc.? which has used moneys raised from the Bank to do a joint venture with the Community Club to erect an interconnecting hall valued in excess of $1 million. iii. Working with farming families and small business where there is only sufficient income to support one family and to structuring an arrangement whereby the parents can retire with dignity and the younger generation can continue on. 11 CONCLUSION For the maintenance, improvement, development of self help, small business, community and sporting organisations in small to regional communities. The development and improvement of the country offices that I am responsible for being Coolamon, Ganmain and Henty have shown that you can have viable, professional business’ in smaller communities with good back-up staff, training and being prepared to ‘look outside the square’. It is crucial to be realistic and utilise the skills, talents and opportunities around without being