Meet the Founders
Adam DeMamiel
Co-Founder & General Manager
Adam was born in Leeton, NSW and grew up in towns including; Cowra, Forbes, Narrandera and Barellan.
Adam completed a Bachelor of Education, Primary (Special Education) and had been teaching Special Education since 2005.
Adam is married to Angela and they have two daughters- Zahli and Emmi and a son- Jed.
“I have loved seeing Boys To the Bush grow from being an idea to a reality. I am so proud of what we have achieved so far and I am excited for what the future holds. I can 100% say that we are making a difference.”
Richard Leahy
Co-Founder
Richard was born and raised in Howlong, NSW. Richard has always loved camping, fishing, hunting and sport.
Richard Completed a Bachelor of Business – Commerce and Marketing, Dip Ed. He is currently employed as a high school teacher.
Richard is married to Lisa and has three young boys- Jack, Charlie and Billy.
“Boys to the Bush is something that is changing lives. Boys to the Bush gives boys a chance to connect with their communities and build relationships with positive role models. It allows the boys to be hands on and learn through doing…”
Tim Sanson
Co-Founder & Director
Tim was born and raised in Lake Cargelligo, NSW. Tim grew up on the land with his family and loves nothing more than drawing upon his past experiences to assist youth.
Tim completed a Bachelor of Education, Human Movement and has been teaching for over 20 years.
Tim is married to Fiona and has two sons- Charlie and Roley and a daughter- Olivia.
I have a great passion for the land and I want to use this to engage with boys that may not be as fortunate as I have been to have positive males in their lives. I really enjoy getting back to basics and keeping things simple.”
Meet the Board
Clare Bailey
Board Member & Secretary
Clare grew up in the Wheatbelt of WA and has relocated across Australia to a number of different locations and now calls Albury home. With over 10 years experience as a Personal Assistant, Clare is based in the Albury office of Findex as the PA to 3 Partners. Clare has been involved with many different volunteer roles such as Carevan and visiting the elderly at Lutheran Aged Care as well as a previous board role at Albury Wodonga Connected Communities who have been a big supporter of Boys to the Bush.
Clare became involved with Boys to the Bush as she has a passion for helping others and believes that all boys should grow up with the opportunity to become good men.
David Cooper
Board Member
David grew up in Melbourne where he worked as an engineer until relocating to the border with his wife Wendy, in the late 1990’s.
David and Wendy formed Milspec Manufacturing in 2002 and now employ almost 100 locals’, manufacturing for the defence, aerospace and rail sectors.
David has always enjoyed the outdoors and has hiked and camped in every state in the country and appreciates what getting out and doing something different can do for you.
Boys to the Bush gives these young guys the opportunity to learn that there is so much more and offers them an opportunity to grow.
"It’s an honour to be part of the team."
Charles Kay
Board Member
Charles was born in Corowa and grew up north of the town on his family’s farm, attending primary school at a local small bush school before then going to Sydney for secondary and tertiary education.
In the late 1990’s he returned to the family farm and has spent the time since then working in Agriculture, He has broad industry experience including hands-on farming, corporate agriculture and has served on several industry boards and committees.
During the last twenty-plus years, Charles has been involved in local community organisations such as sporting clubs and have also placed an emphasis on environmental work and investments.
His involvement in Boys to the Bush comes from his belief that to be good at being a citizen, you should belong to something greater than yourself and that a worthwhile society should look after those that have fallen through the cracks, especially in this case through no fault of their own.
Karen Kenny
Board Member
Karen was born in Leeton NSW and grew up on a sheep and grain farm.
She brings extensive commercial leadership and governance experience from a successful career in senior roles with Rabobank Australia and New Zealand, and as Director of Cooperative Business New Zealand (Not For Profit), specialising in business strategy, communications, governance and risk management.
Karen has completed the Institute of Directors New Zealand Company Directors’ course and holds a UTS Master of Arts in Communication Management qualification.
“I am excited about joining the Boys to the Bush team to build on the achievements so far and create a better future for the boys in need”.
Ryan Lumby
Board Member & Treasurer
Ryan was born and raised in Wodonga, finishing school at Wodonga Senior Secondary College. He graduated from Charles Sturt University with a Bachelor of Accounting. Currently, he is working at Findex in Albury as an Accountant. In the past Ryan has got involved with Movember, organising fundraising events.
Boys to the Bush are an organisation that he had been familiar with for many years before joining. Ryan loved that the experience provided was completely hands-on. To give the young men an opportunity to see another pathway in life is extremely valuable. When the treasurer position became open he saw an opportunity to have an impact from a back of house position which best suited his skill set and was extremely excited to get involved.
Simon McMaster
Board Member
Simon was born in London and then grew up in Wellington, New Zealand. He completed his Bachelor of Commerce Degree at Otago University in Dunedin, before returning back to London to build his Advertising career with the biggest agency network in the globe, TBWA.
When his two boys reached an age where inner-city living in London wasn’t ideal, the family moved to Sydney for the Aussie lifestyle. The next stage was a tree change, moving to Albury six years ago and now Simon is running his own advertising agency, and working on a number of Boards and community groups.
Simon started working with Boys to the Bush as a sponsor through pro bono advertising and marketing support, and he jumped at the chance to more formally assist by joining the Board.
"When I first engaged with Boy to the Bush, I loved the concept and the impact that this organisation is making on so many lives, and at all levels. Whilst it is making an immediate impact on these boys, it is also a future-focused initiative that will make an impact on our communities for years to come."
Meet the staff
Jarred
Central West Area Manager
Boys to the bush
Andrew
Forbes
Boys to the bush
Brodee
Albury
Boys to the bush
Cassandra
Forbes
Boys to the bush
Dave
Bathurst
Boys to the bush
Dean
Albury
Boys to the bush
Garry
Albury
Boys to the bush
Jarred
Orange
Boys to the bush
Johnny
Albury
Boys to the bush
Mark
Lake Cargelligo
Boys to the bush
Trey
Wagga
Boys to the bush
Warwick
Forbes
Boys to the bush