Our Team
Adam Gowen
Centre Manager
Adam is a Wiradjuri man who is passionate about the Shoalhaven and Higher Education. Having lived in Ulladulla for over 25 years he is keenly aware of the obstacles local university students face. He holds a first class honours degree in Indigenous Studies (UOW), and a Graduate Certificate in Theology from Indigenous perspectives (University of Divinity/Whitley College/NAIITS). He has previously worked in a variety of roles for UOW including as Indigenous Future Student and Community Engagement Ambassador for Batemans Bay and Bega campuses, and as a tutor in the Indigenous Studies and Sociology disciplines. His dedication and effectiveness in this space has been recognised by the awarding of the (UOW) Vice-Chancellors Award for Excellence in Community Engagement (2018), and the Woolyungah Indigenous Centre Commitment to Regional Students Award (2019).
Dr. Brendan Riddick
LSA (Learning Skills Advisor)
Brendan has been actively engaged in education in the Shoalhaven region for twenty years. After completing an honours degree (first class) at UOW’s Batemans Bay Campus in 2008, Brendan received an APA scholarship to complete a PhD through the School of Media and Communication Studies at UOW’s Faculty of Arts. During this time Brendan taught primarily in History and Politics at UOW and was successful in gaining publications in peer-reviewed journals and presented a paper at the International Conference on Communication and Conflict in Eastern Europe which resulted in the publication of a book chapter on the communication of political violence during the Iraq war. Between 2015 and 2022 Brendan taught senior Modern History, Society and Culture, and Aboriginal Studies at Ulladulla High School and is currently lecturing and tutoring in International Politics and History on UOW’s Wollongong campus.
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Carly McTavish
Widening Participation Officer
As one of CUC Southern Shoalhaven’s first students, Carly has lived experience with the invaluable benefits the Centre offers students in the local community. In 2023, she graduated with her second Bachelor’s degree - a Bachelor of Arts with double major in sociology and creative writing - and began working as the Widening Participation Officer at CUC Southern Shoalhaven.
With a passion for equity and social justice issues, Carly has worked in communications in the not-for-profit sector for the past 15 years in the First Nations health and education, housing and sexual consent sectors. Carly also works as a freelance writer and sessional tutor for the school of arts and media at the University of New South Wales (UNSW).
Sophie Linehan
Community Engagement Co-ordinator
Sophie has a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Natural Resource Management and Geography, from the Australian National University (ANU). She has lived in rural communities for most of her life and has been in the Southern Shoalhaven region since 2021.
Sophie is passionate about helping people, with a strong dedication to inclusivity, equality and mental health and wellbeing. She has worked in federal bushfire recovery for her local town of Jindabyne, as well as for a nation-wide First Nations grass-roots health promotion charity. Assisting and supporting remote and rural communities is something she has been a part of for many years and is excited to continue within Ulladulla and surrounds.
Sophie is an environmental advocate and volunteers with a local charity on local projects to improve the local environment and communities. She is also a performing member of the Milton Follies, a local theatre production group based in Milton.
Eva Davis-Boermans
Operations Assistant
Eva has a Bachelor Double Degree in Journalism/ Arts (majoring in cultural studies) from the University of Wollongong. She grew up in the Eurobodalla shire and after living in Sydney, Wollongong and travelling Australia has called Southern Shoalhaven home since 2022.
Eva cares strongly about social justice and the natural world and always finds a way to tie her work in with her passion. During her studies Eva was the lead organiser of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition Wollongong Branch and since graduating she has worked in digital communications and events organising at 1 Million Women. She now also works casually as a Kayak and Hiking tour guide out of Batemans Bay and freelances as a photographer, videographer and writer.
Eva is a people person who loves being part of the local community. You can find her out in the surf, hiking local trails, or volunteering on the beach during shorebird nesting season to help monitor and protect our local endangered shorebirds.
Our Board
Libby Davies AM
Chair
Libby is a past Board member of the Maggie Beer Foundation and South Pacific Heathland Trust Ulladulla. In 2015 Libby was awarded the NSW ‘For Purpose and Social Enterprise’ Telstra Women in Business Award, winner in the 2016 100 Women of Influence Awards and finalist in University of Newcastle National Leadership Alumni Awards. In 2018 she was awarded Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in recognition of her service to the community through leadership and advisory roles. She is a graduate of the University of Newcastle, University of Sydney and completed the AICD’s course.
Paul Goodwin
Non-Executive Director
Paul Goodwin is currently a Senior Project Officer with the NSW Department of Education. Paul’s role is to work across local high schools on the South Coast and Industry employers to strengthen relationships, build partnerships to education young people on the career and work opportunities across industry partners. Paul works closely with industry and community groups such as the Business Chambers, Shoalhaven Defence Industry Group, various Local, State and Federal Government agencies, Employment Service and Education/Training providers, facilitating projects that meet future workforce and industry needs. Paul has been the former Chair of Shoalhaven Workplace Learning Program and The Far South Coast Gateway strategy leadership group, former committee member for Regional Development Australia Far South Coast, Shoalhaven Business Chamber, NSW South East Regional Leadership Group AND Local Planning Committee for the Regional Jobs Investment Package.
Paul has an extensive background in Tertiary and Vocational Education and Training, Business Development, Community and Regional development. Prior to this role, Paul was the Senior Manager for TAFE NSW, managing the campuses across the three Local Government areas of the South Coast region for the former Illawarra Institute, managing the physical and human resources to deliver training for up to 10 000 annual student enrolments annually and Project Manager for Regional Development Australia – Far South Coast.
Denise Lofts
Non-Executive Director
An Australian Comm Bank Teaching Award Fellow, Denise has been a passionate and influential educator in NSW Public Schools for over 34 years. She has successfully taught across a diverse range of schools, Inner City, Western Sydney to remote rural locations, her breadth of experience has enriched her educational experience and influence. Currently, Denise is the principal of Ulladulla High School, President of the Secondary Principals Illawarra South Coast and Deputy President of NSW Secondary Principals, she has been focussed on equity for all public school students, by having access to the best education possible.
Her innovation is reiterated through her numerous research scholarships, awarded the NSW Premiers PWC Leadership Scholarship and Department of Education Leadership Fellowship to research professional practices that supports future global learning. On completing her Masters, at UTS, Denise is currently working on her Doctorate with UNSW, researching how philanthropic support enhances equity in rural education.
Donna Payne
Non-Executive Director
Donna has lived and worked in the Southern Shoalhaven for over a decade, contributing her expertise in economic and community development across the non-profit, government, and private sectors.
She co-ordinated the development of the business case that established CUC Southern Shoalhaven in 2019 and has remained a passionate advocate for equitable access to higher education ever since. Her professional background includes managing regional development programs, securing government and industry funding, and supporting key sectors such as defence and advanced manufacturing.
Donna is deeply committed to connecting people and ideas to solve complex problems and drive impactful projects forward. She brings strong influencing and relationship-building skills to her work, fostering collaboration across diverse stakeholders.
She holds a Bachelor of Business from Western Sydney University and a Graduate Certificate in Business and Technology from UNSW.
Dugald Lamont
Non-Executive Director
Dugald has a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics from UNE and Masters of Commerce from UNSW. He grew up on a farming property in Southern NSW and has been holidaying in Mollymook for 50 years and has recently relocated to live in Mollymook full-time. Dugald spent 30 years working was an executive director at Citigroup and JP Morgan in sydney. He specialised in fixed income sales covering a diverse group of wholesale clients both domestically and from offshore.
In Dugald’s executive role he was very involved in the strategic planning of the fixed income sales business with a strong focus on building strategic partnerships for the banks. He was also heavily involved in the recruitment of graduates and the training within these programs.
He is passionate about the professional development of high school and university students as they look to transition from study to the professional world.
Leanne Brook
Non-Executive Director
Yousif Aziz
Secretary
As a Legal Studies teacher at Ulladulla High School for 10 years, Yousif has been actively involved in local students' pursuit of tertiary education, particularly into the legal field. He is passionate about the Ulladulla community and the aspirations of local tertiary students. Yousif is particularly driven to promote equity and social justice across all parts of civil life and considers CUC a crucial aspect of that promotion in the community. As a lawyer, Yousif has also committed to striving for human rights, writing submissions to Parliament along with other young lawyers of the Law Society Human Rights Sub-Committee.
John Broughton
Treasurer
I originally joined Tailor-Made Financial Services in 2005 as a Financial Advisor specialising in paraplanning. In 2015 I became a director and now as a Certified Financial Planner®, I provide holistic financial advice on Self Managed Super Funds (SMSFs), superannuation, retirement planning and investment advice.
With a strong interest in finance since studying Economics in high school, Financial Planning particularly appealed to me as it provided me with the tools to manage my own finances and also be able to pass on this knowledge to others. This ultimately helps reduce the client’s financial stress giving them the freedom to focus on what they enjoy doing.
I moved to Milton-Ulladulla in 2008 after commuting from Nowra for two years. I love living in a country town near the beach where I only have a short drive to work. Out of the office you will find me participating in community activities with Apex and the Milton Ulladulla Business Chamber or spending time with my family and friends. I have been the Treasurer of Apex since 2011 and on the Executive Committee of the Milton-Ulladulla Business Chamber since 2015.
Previous Board Members
Dr. Gina Haddad
Wayne Dedden
Inaugural Chair
Violet Green
Robert Richards
Paul Ell
