Meet Our Team
Board Members
Darren Herd – Chair
Darren is an experienced Senior Manager currently responsible for overseeing the planning and wood supply team at Forico Pty Limited. He commenced working for North Forest Products in 1996 at Burnie before taking on several different roles right across the NW, SE and NE of Tasmania for both North Forest Products and Gunns Limited. Darren has held various positions in Tasmania over the last 25 years with a focus on harvest systems, resource management and sustainability. In September 2014 Darren was employed by Forico to lead the Resource and Wood Supply Teams in the rebuilding phase of the business. In his current role he has a focus on the integration of technology and the innovative and adaptive use of these investments into the Forico business. Darren has a BSc (For) from the Australian National University, is a member of the AICD and is a Registered Professional Forester in Australia. Darren is currently a representative on the Forest Safety Code review Steering Committee.
Darren has a vision for the forest industry where by we can fully integrate all advanced data sets from our forest environment, which will provide a truly optimised, value adding, safe and modern supply chain from the seed to customer.
Eva James - Vice Chair
Eva is passionate about the forestry industry. She started her career as a millhand nearly 30 years ago, stacking timber in a drymill, then worked her way through the industry in various roles. She’s been a site cleaner, a production clerk, regional stock controller at French’s, Auspine and Gunns Sawmills, then as a project manager – Tasmanian Training and Skills Development Service at ForestWorks.
Eva moved into the Safety aspect of forestry with AKS Forest Solutions and is now enjoying her role as the Safety Manager at Reliance Forest Fibre.
In addition to being the Vice Chair of our Board at Arbre, she is also the Chair of the Tasmanian Forest Industry WHS Committee.
Eva firmly believes that training, safety, and teamwork are the key ingredients for the successful future of the forestry industry the Chair of the Tasmanian Forest Industry WHS Committee.
Stephen Rymer - Secretary
Stephen has over 20 years’ experience in the Australian forestry industry. He has worked in a variety of roles across the ACT, Green Triangle, New South Wales and Tasmania, in both the public and private sectors and in plantations and native forests. Stephen has broad experience in many aspects of forestry, including harvesting and transport management, softwood and hardwood plantation establishment, fire management and certification.
In February 2021, Stephen began working for Sustainable Timber Tasmania and currently holds the position of Assistant General Manager Operations where he is responsible for oversite of planning, roading, harvesting, transport and reafforestation operations across Tasmania.
Stephen holds a Bachelor of Forest Science from the University of Melbourne.
Gayle Quin - Treasurer
Gayle has a background in the training sector and after joining the forest industry with Timberlands Pacific in 2018, she soon uncovered a passion and fascination for all areas of forest management. She currently holds the position of HSE Advisor, working across health and safety, stewardship and people and culture. Her experience as a trainer and assessor, and responsibility for certification gives her a solid understanding of training needs in our industry.
Gayle believes life-long learning across the industry is crucial to the future of the industry.
Clinton Dean
Clinton started work in the late 80’s as a Boilermaker Welder with Salisbury Engineering who specialised in the manufacture of forestry machine products such as log grabs and machine guarding for forestry excavators and skidders. In 1994 Clinton went to BOC Gases as a welding consultant and in 2002 moved into the forestry equipment sales area for a short time with Partek Forest selling Valmet and Timbco machines. In 2005 Clinton went back to the gases industry with TasGas as the Commercial Marketing Manager for the rollout of the Natural Gas pipeline throughout Tasmania and during this time he completed a Graduate Certificate in Business with UTAS. In 2009 Clinton we back into equipment sales with Hitachi and John Deere and is currently working for RDO Equipment specialising in the sale of John Deere forestry equipment for Tasmania.
Paul Morgan
Paul has been involved from an early age with Kevin Morgan group and the Tasmanian timber industry full time for 38 years. He has actively participated in forest operations, harvesting and haulage, sawmilling and processing, infield mobile chipping, cable harvesting and steep country harvesting with tethered equipment.nsend.
Jillian Aylett Brown
Jillian is an enthusiastic advocate for the forestry industry and the value it provides in strengthening rural and regional communities across Tasmania.
With over 30 years of experience in the forestry sector, Jillian is committed to fostering a sustainable industry through best practices and a people-focused approach.
As CEO of MechLog, she leads high-performing teams and is focused on developing a skilled, long-term workforce through innovative training methods and career pathway planning.
Jillian is also an experienced Director, graduate of the AICD, an active member of the Tasmanian Forest Industry WHS Committee, and a member of the AIHS. Recently, she completed a three-year tenure on the Forest Practices Advisory Committee.
Airon Denwer-Ripper
Airon has worked in the forest industry for 8 years in various roles including tree improvement and harvesting supervision. He has worked in the NW, Nth and SE of Tasmania looking after harvesting operations in both native regrowth thinning and plantation. He has experience in contractor management, stakeholder engagement and FPP planning. He is currently employed as Harvesting Coordinator-North for Midway Tasmania and works largely in the NE and on the Eastern Tiers.
Airon has worked in various roles prior to working in the forestry sector and is a qualified Arborist and has supervised crews in the North and North West of Tasmania undertaking vegetation management programs for Hydro Tasmania and Transend.
Airon has a certificate IV in Forest Operations and is a practicing Forest Practices Officer (FPO)
Staff Members
Denise DeBattista
Manager
Denise has worked for 11 years in the Forest Industry, previously for the Tasmania Forest Contractors Association, the Australian Forest Contractors Association and the past 6 years for Arbre. Prior to that her role was Personal Assistant & Human Resources Administrator.
Sandy Bramley
Administrative Assistant
New to the forestry industry, Sandy has previously worked in tool hire and for the National Blood Service in the UK. Returning to Australia with her husband to establish a family farm in Tasmania and raise three boys.
Sandy returned to the workforce as an administration assistant for Woolnorth Wind Farm and she now works part time for Arbre on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.