Annual General Meeting and Annual Awards

07/12/2023

We recently held our AGM, followed by a dinner and awards evening which was attended by volunteers, staff and their guests.

2023 Annual General Meeting – Confirmation of Nominations

Nominations for the 2023 Annual General Meeting closed at 5 pm on Thursday 23 November 2023. The Board Secretary received a single nomination for each available position on the nomination form, which confirmed there were no contestable positions.

Nominations received were as follows:

The Board
• President: Jennifer Vernon
• Vice President: Tim Hale
• Board Member: Clint Gulliver
• Board Member: Lynette Pearks
• Board Member: Mike Chapman

Events Committee
• Chairperson: Margaret Cameron
• Vice-Chairperson: Mike Andreoli
• Committee Member (1): Sam Williams
• Committee Member (2): Simon Vernon
• Committee Member (3): Sandra Wrigley

Honoraria Committee
• Chairperson: Peter Carr
• Committee Member (1): Rod Bryant
• Committee Member (2): Diane Sharpe

Thank you to the nominated members above for accepting their respective roles; your commitment to the Society is greatly appreciated.

View Annual Report

Annual Awards

The annual awards is an important part of the Society’s calendar where we can formally recognise and celebrate our members, volunteers and staff for the work they did during the year.

• Rookie of the Year – Steve Foster (Fozzie)
The Rookie of the Year award was open to all employees who have been employed by the Society for less than two years.

"It has been some time since someone called me a rookie, but I was really humbled by the recognition, and I feel proud. I don’t do what I do expecting to win an award, so this was a complete surprise. I would like to thank my team for their support throughout the year," says Fozzie.

• Most Valued Team Member Award – Trevor Preece
The Most Valued Team Member award is open to all team members who have been awarded the monthly internal Copper Award throughout the year.

"I was shocked and surprised to hear my name called out, it was the last thing I was expecting. My wife Leonie and I were just sitting there enjoying the night with some great company. I’ve been here 19 years, and it was wonderful to be recognised. I have some great workmates so it makes my job easier and fun," says Trev.

• Employee Choice Award – Hayley Brosnahan
The Employee Choice award is peer-nominated with the team member being able to demonstrate exceptional performance, consistent dedication, and a positive attitude towards their work and colleagues.

“Thank you to everyone who voted for me, your support means a lot. I enjoy the variety of work, and the opportunities you all give me to visually communicate the stories that help different areas of the business,” says Hayley.

• Rimmington Award – Te Radar (Andrew Lumsden)
The Rimmington Award recognises an individual, community group or business that has gone above and beyond to support the Fieldays event.

Te Radar has been the voice and face of Fieldays for more than a decade. He has hosted television and media shows, as well as served as MC for many of our internal events. His exceptional ability to speak off the cuff and his minimal reliance on scripts is a talent that makes our event what it is. He is always willing to go above and beyond, and he works tirelessly for the four-day event and beyond. He is a huge asset to Fieldays and we are very fortunate to have him in the team.

"It is not often that I am lost for words, but when I heard my name called as the recipient, I was utterly flabbergasted and very humbled. I had never expected to receive such recognition and had just thought that I was being treated to a free dinner! Working at Fieldays always feels more like a weird reunion than a job, as I get to catch up with familiar faces over the course of the four-day event. It’s an honour just to be a part of the team," says Te Radar.

• John Kneebone Volunteer of the Year – Sandra Wrigley
Named after one of the Society’s founding forbears, the John Kneebone Volunteer of the Year Award honours an individual who has contributed at an extraordinary level to the Society. This year the prestigious award was handed over from Neil Quinlan to Sandra Wrigley.

Sandra started volunteering in 2008 and became a volunteer member in 2011. She has been an outstanding help for pre and post-event jobs across different teams and has given her time throughout the year to assist with gardening, painting, and sorting uniforms. During Fieldays, Sandra served as Team Lead for VIP/Mobility car park and was also a First Responder. Her dedication and hard work are highly valued by the team. In early 2023, she stepped into her first governance role by becoming a team member on the Events Committee and has been reappointed this year on the same committee. In 2023, she completed a total of 180 hours of volunteering.

“I am very happy to be the recipient of this award and feel proud to have won among a list of great contenders. I love what I do for the Society,” says Sandra.