Marine Rescue NSW Board of Directors

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
19 November 2022, 3 year term

James (Jim) 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 KC 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.

Appointed
25 November 2023,  3 year term

The Honourable Robert McClelland AO is an Australian judge and former politician who has served on the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia since 2015 and is a former member of the Australian Labor Party. He is currently the Deputy Chief Justice of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and is the Chair of the Family Law Council. In 1996, Mr McClelland was elected as the Member for Barton, and held this position until his retirement from politics in 2013. During his political career, he held numerous Ministerial appointments and was the Commonwealth Attorney-General for five years from 2007-2011. He was responsible for implementing recommendations of the Victorian Bushfire Royal Commission, including the implementation of a National Emergency Warning System. In 2022, Mr McClelland was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours for “distinguished service to the people and Parliament of Australia, to the law, social justice and law reform”.

Appointed
25 November 2023,  3 year term

Nola Watson has deep Board and management experience across private sector, government and not for profit organisations. She is currently a Director of CareSuper and Chair of Australian Business Lawyers & Advisers.  She is also a Director of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a Director of Business NSW and Vice Chair of the global World Chambers Federation.  For 16 years, she held executive leadership roles in Insurance Australia Group (IAG) and prior to this worked in Senior Executive Service positions within Commonwealth and New South Wales governments, including NSW Police.  Nola is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a former Telstra Australian Businesswoman of the Year.

Appointed
3 May 2024, 2 year term

Hannah Damkar PSM is the Executive Director, Partnerships and Engagement at the Premier’s Department and is Chair of the Premier’s Department WHS Committee. In January 2020, Hannah sought out a secondment to the Bushfire Recovery Taskforce to assist the community impacted by the 2019-20 bushfires. This turned into an 18-month secondment as Communications Director at Resilience NSW, before being appointed to her former role as Director of Communications at the Department of Premier and Cabinet. She is involved in the NSW Government’s Senior Leadership Aboriginal Mentoring Program and is a mentor in the NSW Government Young Professionals Network program.

Elected

23 November 2019, 2 year term
20 November 2021, 2 year term
25 November 2023, 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.

Elected

20 November 2021, 2 year term
25 November 2023, 2 year term

A member of Marine Rescue Forster Tuncurry, and former member of the Marine Rescue Crowdy Harrington unit, Roman (Ray) Mazurek joined the then Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol in March 2004, and was elected to the Board in December 2021. As a marine engineer, Mr Mazurek worked on a range of small ships for the Australian Army, before moving on to civilian employment where he worked for several large air conditioning companies. With the decline of the domestic air conditioning industry, Mr Mazurek ran a successful heavy haulage and earthmoving business until his retirement. Mr Mazurek brings considerable experience to the role of Director, notably his small ships military experience, 17 years’ experience as a Marine Rescue volunteer and personal experience as a boat owner. As a MRNSW volunteer, Mr Mazurek has served in roles as diverse as Divisional Commander, Watch Officer and Coxswain, giving him a broad understanding of the needs of members, and he still heads out regularly to help boaters in need.

Elected

25 November 2023, 2 year term

Captain Robin Heath has been appointed as Hunter Central Coast Regional Director for a two-year term. Robin joined Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie in 2021 and in early 2023 gained the rating of Coxswain. He is a recently retired Marine Pilot with over 40 years’ experience in the maritime domain in Canada and Australia. He currently sits on the Board of the Canadian Coast Guard College Alumni and was the technical advisor to the Sydney Pilot Service Board. Captain Heath brings a wealth of skills, knowledge and experience to the Board and looks forward to making a greater contribution to the strategic objectives of Marine Rescue NSW.

Elected

23 November 2024, 2 year term

Peter Steigrad has been a committed member of Marine Rescue NSW for over 15 years, holding leadership roles at Marine Rescue Middle Harbour as Unit Commander (2018–2024) and Deputy Unit Commander (2016–2018). A Marine Rescue NSW Master, he holds an AMSA Certificate of Competence M<24M and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. He brings extensive business governance experience as Chair or Director for organisations including the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Australian International Hotel School and was the Trustee of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia and Chair of Indigenous Community Volunteers. A Foundation Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, he also served on the State Council (1990–1996).  His dedication to Marine Rescue NSW has earned him a Premier’s Citation (2021) and a Commissioner’s Citation (2024).

Elected

23 November 2024, 2 year term

Elected

23 November 2024, 2 year term