Committee

Local U3A: Kiama

Email: president@u3anet.org.au

Denis Simond has an extensive history with U3As including arranging the sponsorship of the first printed list of U3As in Australia; attending 2 world conferences, one in Wuhan as a keynote speaker; attending numerous State Conferences in Victoria and NSW; being a committee member and Past President and a current presenter at U3A Shoalhaven and a presenter at many U3As from Bundaberg, Qld to Albany, WA, and many in between.

Prior to his retirement, he was Executive Director and CEO of The Australian and New Zealand College for Seniors Ltd, a Not for Profit, university based, educational travel program operator. He attended Macquarie University and graduated from the School of Education, specialising in Adult Education.

Local U3A: Nepean Blue Mountains 

Email: vicepres@u3anet.org.au

I first heard of U3A late in 2017, when a friend told me that U3A Nepean Blue Mountains ran a weekly chess class in Penrith. I joined that class and a table tennis class. Shortly after, I took over the running of the table tennis class and joined the committee as Course Coordinator, a role that I held until recently. I am currently President, and have been so for 2 years.

Outside of U3A I’m Secretary of the Austin Motor Vehicle Club of NSW, maintain (play with and drive) a 1958 Austin A105, enjoy DIY and kayaking.

I have a Mechanical Engineering degree, and worked in various manufacturing industries before retiring. I have been a Project Engineer, Production Manager, Manufacturing Manager and Plant manager. At other times I have had hands-on positions in maintenance, machine programming, designing and building machines. I also used to have a fork truck licence and boiler licence (long expired). I have worked in the auto industry, the metal industry, printing (tags/labels/business forms/cheques, and credit cards), paper coating, chemical plant, vacuum forming, making edge-banders and vacuum presses, and making timber windows and doors. I’ve always been into making things. In my photograph I’m in a pair of overalls at home doing some welding.

Local U3A: Shoalhaven

Email: secretary@u3anet.org.au

Warren Mason retired in 2015 and moved from Orange to Bomaderry where he began attending Shoalhaven U3A activities. He soon joined the management committee and oversaw the conversion from manual to electronic administration, enrolments and payment. Warren served as president of Shoalhaven U3A for 2 years. He is currently a member of both Kiama and Shoalhaven U3As.

Warren’s working life was in agricultural science, beginning with a PhD from the University of New England. That was followed by stints with Iowa State University, CSIRO and the Victorian and NSW Departments of Agriculture. The final 25 years of his working life was spent as a research and development consultant, primarily to the Rural Industry R&D Corporations.

Local U3A: Leeton

Email: treasurer@u3anet.org.au

Greg Brown is a retired irrigation farmer living in Leeton NSW. He was a part of the steering committee leading to the creation of Leeton U3A in 2016 and served as Vice-President of Leeton U3A, where he is still an active member. At the Regional Forum in May 2019, he was appointed as the Riverina (formerly Murrumbidgee/Murray) Regional Representative on the U3A Network NSW Committee. Prior to taking on the role of Treasurer Greg was Secretary of the Network.

Greg has a lifetime of experience in executive positions in a number of community organisations including as a District Governor of Rotary. He has represented ricegrowers on many local, state and national committees, serving as a member of the Rice Marketing Board and as a Director of Sun Rice.

As a former Major in the Australian Army, he has also been President of Leeton Legacy since 2005.