The Board of Marine Rescue NSW is democratically elected from the organisation’s volunteer membership. The Board comprises three General Directors, elected by eligible members across the State, and six Regional Directors, elected by eligible members in their respective regions.
The 2019/2020 Board is:
General Directors: James Glissan AM ESM QC (Chair), Patricia Fayers ESM and Robert Wilson.
Regional Directors: Darcy Henriksen (Northern Rivers), John Lynch ESM (Mid North Coast), Jim Wright (Hunter/Central Coast), Kenneth Edwards (Greater Sydney), Keven Marshall ESM (Illawarra) and Glenn Felkin ESM (Monaro).
James Glissan AC ESM QC, General Director and Board Chair
Appointed Original Director
3 July 2009 – 11 December 2010
Elected
11 December 2010, 3 year term
23 November 2013, 3 year term
26 November 2016, 3 year term
23 November 2019, 3 year term
Mr Glissan is a member of Marine Rescue Botany Port Hacking, after joining the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association Botany Bay flotilla in 2008. He has been elected as Chair of the Board each year since 2010. He has been a Barrister since 1971 and a QC since 1985. With extensive practice in Company and Commercial law, Mr Glissan has served as a Public Defender NSW (1981-1984), Associate Judge, District Court of NSW (1989-1991) and on numerous Boards, including the Firearms Safety Awareness Council NSW. Mr Glissan was awarded the Emergency Services Medal in 2013 and made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2019.
Patricia Fayers ESM, General Director
Elected
29 November 2014, 3 year term
25 November 2017, 3 year term
Mrs Fayers is a member of Marine Rescue Central Coast and the first woman elected to the MRNSW Board. She has served more than two decades in volunteer marine rescue since joining the Central Coast division of the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol (RVCP) in 1998. She was appointed Divisional Commander from 2006 to 2010 and elected as Unit Commander from 2012 to 2014. A Skipper One, Mrs Fayers has participated in many rescue operations and has served in positions including Watch Officer, Assistant Quartermaster, radio invigilator and boat licence tester in MRNSW. She was awarded the Emergency Services Medal in 2013.
Robert Wilson, General Director
Elected
24 November 2018, 3 year term
Greater Sydney Regional Director
11 December 2010, 2 year term
24 November 2012, 2 year term
Mr Wilson is a member of Marine Rescue Botany Port Hacking. He joined the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association in 2007 and has held roles including Deputy Commander of the Botany Bay Coast Guard and MR Botany Bay and, since 2016, unit fundraising, public relations and events officer. Mr Wilson was MRNSW Company Secretary from 2011 until 2015 and Sydney International Boat Show and Trailer Boat Show coordinator for 10 years. A retired taxation agent and former staff member of the Australian Taxation Office, he holds qualifications in accounting, economics and taxation law.
Darcy Henriksen, Northern Rivers Regional Director
Elected
23 November 2019, 2 year term
Darcy Henriksen joined Marine Rescue Point Danger in 2007 and was elected to the Board in November 2019. Mr Henriksen brings 40 years’ experience in the Royal Australian Air Force and RAAF Reserves, as well as 12 years’ civilian career experience, to his role. A radio operator in training, his service with MR Point Danger has included fundraising, general maintenance duties, and terms as Administration Officer and Project Officer. He thanked the volunteers for their vote of confidence and said he was honoured and privileged to take on the position of responsibility. He said he had learned the importance of Professional Mastery – about being professional, striving for excellence and continual improvement – and equally, would have a strong focus on Social Mastery – leadership, character and professional ethics.
John Lynch ESM, Mid North Coast Regional Director
Elected
3 December 2011, 2 year term
23 November 2013, 2 year term
28 November 2015, 2 year term
25 November 2017, 2 year term
23 November 2019, 2 year term
Mr Lynch is a member of Marine Rescue Forster-Tuncurry, after joining the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol in 1995. He is a Life Member of MRNSW and a qualified offshore skipper, Watchkeeper and Trainer and Assessor. He has held positions including Administration Officer, Secretary, Treasurer and Unit Commander, along with Senior Regional Officer North Coast, Member State Rescue Board Accreditation Team and Delegate Great Lakes Emergency Management Committee. He is a former member of the Royal Australian Navy and Company Secretary of a regional Australian bank and its subsidiaries. He was awarded the Emergency Services Medal in 2016.
Jim Wright, Hunter/Central Coast Regional Director
Elected
25 November 2017, 2 year term
23 November 2019, 2 year term
Mr Wright is a member of Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie. He joined the RVCP on Lake Macquarie in 2008 and was the Commander when the division agreed to merge with the Swansea Coast Guard flotilla in 2010, following the formation of MRNSW. Mr Wright served as Unit Commander from 2014 to 2016. A Radio Operator and Coxswain, he undertakes regular duties and participates in crew training. Mr Wright is a former investigator with the Office of Fair Trading and at the time of his retirement was in charge of the Licensee Investigations Team. He also is a Justice of the Peace.
Kenneth Edwards, Greater Sydney Regional Director
Elected
24 November 2018, 2 year term
Mr Edwards joined Marine Rescue Hawkesbury in 2010 before transferring to MR Cottage Point in 2019. He has previously served as MR Hawkesbury Unit Commander (2016-2018), Deputy Unit Commander (2013-2016) and Administration and Stores Officer. Mr Edwards holds a Certificate III Marine Operations, a Master rating and a Certificate IV Training and Assessment and maintains his role as a regional Trainer and Assessor. A Justice of the Peace and licensed real estate agent, he has been the director of both a franchise and a family real estate agency for 33 years.
Keven Marshall ESM, Illawarra Regional Director
Elected
25 November 2017, 1 year term
24 November 2018, 2 year term
Mr Marshall joined the RVCP at Ulladulla – now Marine Rescue Ulladulla – in 1998. He has held a number of positions including Deputy Unit Commander, Training Officer, Assessor and Operations Officer. Undertaking regular Radio Operator shifts, he assists with fundraising and has been instrumental in the maintenance of the unit’s rescue vessels. A former skipper of an Australian Customs vessel, Mr Marshall holds a Master 5 marine qualification. Awarded the Emergency Services Medal in June 2017, he also is a Justice of the Peace. Mr Marshall was originally elected for a one-year term to fill a casual vacancy.
Glenn Felkin ESM, Monaro Regional Director
Elected
28 November 2015, 1 year term
26 November 2016, 2 year term
24 November 2018, 2 year term
Mr Felkin is a member of Marine Rescue Batemans Bay, after joining the RVCP in 2009. A Marine Master, he has held positions including Acting Deputy Unit Commander, Training Officer, Watch Officer, Crew Leader and maintenance controller. Mr Felkin was a crew trainer and assessor for the new MR Moama and an introductory trainer for the roll-out of the Seahawk vessel tracking system for units from Kioloa to Eden. He has a professional background in the aviation and motor industries, including more than 20 years with Qantas. He was originally elected for a year to fill a casual vacancy. Mr Felkin was awarded the Emergency Services Medal in 2019.
