About The Chamber

As president of the Hawkesbury Valley Chamber of Commerce I see Hawkesbury as a tight-knit community that is supportive and passionate about small business.

My vision for our town is to empower, educate and advocate for the vibrant small business community that makes Hawkesbury unique. This will enable business owners to flourish and for the Chamber to provide them with the resources they need to grow. We also will assist them in navigating the challenges but leveraging their strengths. By facilitating connections between businesses, forging partnerships, and offering valuable educational resources, the Chamber will become a catalyst for innovation and prosperity.

Together with the Executive team we can ensure that small businesses not only survive but thrive and as a result, become the backbone of a vibrant and resilient economy.

Personal information:

I am a Director, a wife to a wonderful and supportive husband and a mother to two beautiful children (Luke and Hayley). I savour family time and we always prioritise spending time together, creating amazing memories.

Like my husband I am also a motorsport fanatic, love cars and tearing up the Motokhana racetrack. There is nothing like navigating a circuit – a challenge for the mind and an adrenaline rush at the same time!

Born and bred in the beautiful Hawkesbury, I got involved in the Chamber to give back to the area I grew up in, and still reside at, with my extended family.

With a goal to expand the Chamber by improving its capacity to help local businesses learn, network, advocate and grow, I stood for election with our President Gabrielle to hopefully make life that little bit easier for Hawkesbury businesses.

Practising my whole career of 20+ years exclusively in insolvency and business rescue, I’ve assisted over 1,000+ businesses in all levels of debt distress across all manner of industries.  Seeing struggling businesses turn around and thrive again is the most rewarding part of our work.

And with such services being located almost exclusively in capital city CBDs, I am particularly proud to have established MaC Insolvency’s practice locally at Windsor and Penrith.  We also have a strong culture of educating businesses and business advisors how best to help their clients, so joining the Chamber and being able to put back into my local business community was a no brainer.

Outside of work I’m a 30+ year golfing member at Richmond GC and keenly await the Parramatta Eels to win another NRL premiership.

I am working as an accountant at Peter Vickers & Associates for the past Year. I worked in Multinational Corporation before this and acquired experience in both small and large-scale business operations. About my academics, I have completed a Master’s in Professional Accounting and Bachelor’s in Commerce. Presently, I am working towards my CA Qualification. As an Accountant, I strongly believe in Transparency, Confidentiality, and Genuity.

I first moved to Hawkesbury in 2019 to be away from city life. It has been a life-changing decision for me with a new lifestyle and community. The scenic beauty of Hawkesbury has made me fall in love with it.

Being a member of the Chamber helped develop good relations with various business owners and develop a  sense of Unity. There is always a lot to gain from being a member with strong leadership.

I am always looking for more ways to give out to the community. Hence, I took up the role of Treasurer with the Hawkesbury Chamber of Commerce. So, I Will be able to use my skills to serve the Hawkesbury Chamber of Commerce and help the Hawkesbury community thrive.

I have lived in the Hawkesbury all my life and love our region. I am especially interested in ways to support local producers and small businesses in our community, so I am glad to take on the role of Secretary of the Hawkesbury Chamber.

I see Chamber’s position to provide opportunities, support, education and advocacy to help businesses become more resilient, build connections and grow.

Together with the others on the Executive team, I look forward to bringing this to our members and expand the Chamber itself to support even more business and champion all that makes Hawkesbury great!

My own business Aster HR operates from the Hawkesbury, supporting other businesses in their journey of employing staff by providing personalised guidance to overcome challenges, provide clarity and assurance.

I’m semi-retired currently working one day per week as a Director of C-Mac Industries (Aust) Cooperative Ltd promoting and advocating for more employee-owned cooperatives. My other role within the Hawkesbury is that of Business Chaplain, Greater West for Christ.

Actively involved in Hawkesbury Valley Baptist Church and Scouting which has always been part of my life, currently a member of the Hawkesbury Blackhorse Scout Fellowship.

A toolmaker tradesman, a production engineer, then employed in the family business as General Manager for 27 years. Retrained in Chaplaincy Pastoral Care before transitioning family business to all employees. Lived and raised a family in Glossodia over the past 40 years.

Looking forward to continuing with my probono chaplaincy work by being present to listen, providing support and encouragement, care and assistance, praying if requested and empowering business owners.

Compassion, hope and humility based on my biblical understanding of humanity.

Bio not yet available

Deborah Shepherd CEO, Cancer Wellness Support, which provides affordable and accessible complementary care for individuals and their families living with cancer. Being a community-led, purpose driven not for profit organisation, it is self-funded and covers the Blue Mountains, Nepean and Hawkesbury area.

Prior to this appointment, she held global executive leadership roles, built organisations within the wealth management industry, and headed up businesses focussed on access, education and the advancement of the wellness industry.

As a qualified wellness practitioner, she has personally supported many people through her services of energy healing, Reiki and aromatherapy. While also creating a purpose-driven community, who educated the general public on the benefits of complementary health through their experiential and innovative events.

She is widely known across the industry and broader community for her commitment to developing the professionalism and accessibility of the wellness sector.

Having spent her first years of married life in the Hawkesbury, there is a sense of nostalgia reconnecting via the Chamber and looks forward to contributing and being part of the community.

When not working and driving, spends time with her husband. Be it working in the garden, grabbing a bite to eat at a beach café or spending a lazy afternoon with a glass of bubbles in front of a fire.

Shai is an accomplished sales, learning and development professional and Business Relationships Manager for The Epiphany Group and The Change Network.

With The Epiphany Group, Shai has managed the operations and advisory of ‘Business Connect’, a government-funded programme that provides tailored and trusted advice to help start, adapt, grow, and manage small to medium sized businesses across NSW. Shai collaborates closely with clients to understand their unique challenges, tailor support to their specific requirements, and manage the delivery of programmes, group and executive coaching, HR and marketing services.

Shai is dedicated to assisting clients in achieving their objectives by focusing on performance improvement, delivering tangible results, and fostering long-term business revenue growth and efficiencies.

The Change Network is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO No: 90299) helping people and businesses make positive career and development changes. The Change Network works with but is not limited to industries such as council, construction, engineering and hospitality, with fee-for-service programs and government-subsidised courses across Greater Sydney and regional NSW delivering qualifications in Leadership & Management, Workplace Health & Safety, Business, HR, Project Management and Hospitality Management.

Throughout my career I have performed a range of administrative tasks at various levels and I know the importance of having effective admin systems in place to help things run smoothly. The Administration role within the Chamber supports both the Executive and the members.

I currently run byDesign Graphics P/L – a graphic design business specialising in magazine design, brochures, flyers and all other company collateral. I work closely with a number of businesses in the Hawkesbury, assisting them with marketing, social media and graphic design.

Previously I published a high quality consumer magazine, Sydney Hills & Hawkesbury Living, which morphed into Greater Sydney Living in which the Hawkesbury was always heavily featured – deservedly so. Sadly I ceased publishing at the onset of Covid in 2020.

Having grown up in the Hills district I have had a love of the Hawkesbury especially as one of our go-to areas for horse-riding. My interests also include meeting new people, snow skiing, travel and reading.