Helen Sands
Chairperson
(Retired..School Principal)
Helen was elected to the Management Board of Gawler Community Retirement Homes in October 2010 and is currently the Chairperson.

She was previously Principal of Gawler Primary School. A dedicated leader and innovator she oversaw the management and building of the new Gawler school and the full restoration of its 1878 original heritage building.

Helen also assisted in gaining funding for and was instrumental in the establishment of the very successful Gawler and Districts Children’s Centre holding the position of Chairperson of its Management Group until 2017.

Over her many years of service to the various communities within Gawler and its Districts she has worked tirelessly with many groups and on committees to best serve them in achieving their desired outcomes.

Helen acts on both the Marketing and Finance Committees and is very active in supporting our activities. She is usually on hand at most of our functions and assists at the expos and the Gawler Show.

Naomi Reschke
Deputy Chairperson
(Education & Community Support)
Naomi Reschke was elected to the board in February 2020.
Naomi brings to the board a background in Education and the Arts. Her education experiences include the positions of principal of schools, Director of Education and Director of Early Childhood development, strategic planning and project implementation. Naomi has been responsible for the educational leadership of principal and preschool directors in regions and areas.
She has also had responsibility for the provision of support services and the management of regional resources including budgets, human resources and accountability systems across education sites. Naomi had leadership for the development and implementation of Children’s’ Centres across the state working with groups to focus on allied health, speech pathology, childcare, governance and finance.
Her experience includes extensive involvement as a volunteer in the community. As a member of Zonta International, a service club with a focus on advocating for the rights of women and girl’s she has served as an International Director and chairman for an International Convention in Australia. Following her retirement Naomi completed a master’s degree in art history and was elected for a term as the Coordinator of the Gallery Guides at the Art Gallery of South Australia.
She is driven by a strong sense of social justice for disadvantaged groups within communities.

Shane Hennessy
Board Member
(Retired.. SA Health)
Shane Hennessy joined the Board of GCRH in February 2010. He has extensive experience within the SA Government, having been a public servant within many agencies from 1985 to 2014. His positions included Manager, Operations Family and Youth Services and Projects Team Leader, SA Health. These roles involved him in aged care and commercial construction. Shane also brings experience as a Board Member of sporting organisations at both the State and National level.

His Board duties include being Deputy Chairperson and a member of our Finance Committee.

Shane has been a resident of Gawler for the past 30 years and believes that GCRH is a part of and continues the tradition of communities looking after their own.

His education includes University of SA (Graduate Diploma – Business Administration); and is Formerly a Fellow of Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Phil Zeunert
Board Member
(Local Builder)

Phil Zuenert joined the Board in October 2006. He joined as an experienced builder, working in is family’s local business for over 40 years. They focus on building domestic housing and additions.

Originally from Mannum, the family moved to Gawler and he has lived in the town since 1968, where he attended Gawler High School.
Over the years, Phil has been involved in other community organisations. This included experience in local tennis administration. He is currently the vice president of the Gawler Club; and is also on the property committee of the Gawler Lutheran Church.

Dr Malcolm Richards
Board Member
(Local GP)
It has been a tradition and a privilege for the Gawler Community Retirement Homes to have had a doctor on the Board from virtually our first meeting. For many of those years it was Dr Curtis Deland. Since 2005 Dr Malcolm Richards has been a member of the Board of GCRH. Malcolm has been a General Practitioner in Gawler since 1990. During that time, he has been an enthusiastic member of the Gawler and Trinity hockey clubs until he retired from playing. He now rides his bicycle with the Team Barossa riding group. He also enjoys painting and drawing and his work may be seen on malcolm-richards-slyg.squarespace.com/. Some of his paintings can be found in the new Gawler Civic Centre.

Nick Pullman
Board Member
(Lawyer)

Nick Pullman joined the Board in October 2009. He is a Partner at Rudall & Rudall Lawyers, the oldest law firm in Gawler with origins dating back to 1854.

Nick has a special interest in wills and estate planning, deceased estates including disputes such as inheritance claims, and business law. In addition, Nick has extensive experience in insurance including compulsory third party (CTP), workers compensation, and total and permanent disablement claims.

Nick attended Gawler East Primary School and Faith Lutheran Secondary School where he was the Captain in his senior year.

Nick has a Bachelor of Laws and Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice and is admitted to the Supreme Court of South Australia and High Court of Australia. He is a member of the Law Society of South Australia, a board member for both Gawler Community Retirement Homes and Xavier College, and a Trust and Estate Practitioner accredited with STEP (the leading worldwide professional body for practitioners in the field of trusts, estates and related issues) and where he is a member of Special Interest Groups concerning Business Families and also Contentious Trusts and Estates.

Chris George
Board Member
(Marketing/Business Management)
Chris George was elected to the Board in November 2016 and is a son of Humphrey George, long time Board Member; so, Chris comes to the role with a significant understanding of GCRH.

His background includes business management skills; including people management, financial management, and strategic and operational business management. Also, he has worked in marketing roles.

In recent years, he has completed a Bachelor of Veterinary Bioscience and has his own property where he farms sheep, goats and cattle.

Chris has shown his enthusiasm for the position, taking up roles on marketing and finance committees. He has also attended a number information session presented for the retirement sector.

Sam Harnett
Board Member
(Structural Engineer)
Sam Harnett joined the Board in October 2017. He brings a strong Gawler background to the role. Both his grandparents and parents have been involved in Gawler businesses over many years. His grandfather Gil Harnett, was Mayor of Gawler from 1978 – 1989.
Educated locally at St Brigid’s then Xavier College; Sam gained his Civil Engineering (Structural) Degree at Uni SA. He has since set-up his own company, based at Willaston.
He provides civil and structural designs, including footing designs, structural steel/ timber/ masonry/ concrete, storm water and waste water management. His community involvement has included his time as a house leader at Xavier; and playing basketball at both Gawler Gunners and Central District Lions. In his business role he also works alongside many local tradesmen.

Craig Gogoll
Board Member
(Community Aged Care)
Craig Gogoll was elected to the Board in November 2019.
He brings to the role a background in community Aged Care; after studying Occupational Therapy at the University of South Australia. Craig currently is the regional manager of assessment teams in SA and QLD for Access Care Network Australia, where they complete assessments in the My Aged Care framework. He has been involved in numerous trials and projects undertaken by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing including the testing of assessment tools in the community and residential setting.
He previously worked for Domiciliary Care in the Salisbury and Playford teams, following a short stint at MIND Australia community mental health services. He has a devoted passion to assisting people to live the best lives possible.
Craig grew up in Nuriootpa, moved to Adelaide to study and work for 12 years, and recently returned to Gawler with his young family. Through his sporting and academic achievements while completing high school, he was awarded the South Australian and Barossa Council Young Citizen of the year award in 2002.

Janet Done
Board Member
(State Govt, Local Govt)
Janet was elected as a Board Member of Gawler Community Retirement Homes in April 2022.
Janet previously worked in State government for the local member for Gawler for 7 years and before that worked in Local Government in Salisbury, Gawler, Tea Tree Gully and Albany and Esperance in Western Australia over the past 17 years.
Over her years of service to the various communities within Gawler and districts she has worked tirelessly with many groups and committees. Seeking to best serve them in achieving their desired outcomes; they include the Zonta Club of Gawler, the Gawler Road Safety Group and the Gawler Show Committee.
Janet is also a Justice of the Peace and volunteers at the Gawler Civic Centre and the Playford Stretton Centre.
She is looking forward to supporting our activities and gaining a better understanding of the support we provide to our residents.