New Chair to take the helm at AWBF

Retirement of Chair, Joy Phillips

The success of the Australian Wooden Boat Festival is built by passionate and dedicated volunteers, including the Board Members and Chair. 

Joy has served as Chair for the last two years and as a Board Member since 2017. Importantly Joy has been involved in the festival since she first stepped foot in Hobart, volunteering at the second festival in 1996.

She understands the challenges and deep rewards of being a part of this community through Wooden Boat ownership, sailing and service. Joy speaks passionately about the efforts of everyone involved in making the festival happen, and has personal knowledge of many of them: as a boat owner, volunteer, festival goer, Board Member, and Chair.

Joy’s chairing of the organisation has been generous. Not afraid of hard work and with a strong sense of stewardship, she has captained the organisation through the post covid era, enhancing governance, successfully working to increase funding, and supporting the induction of patron, John Bertrand AO.

Her time as chair followed a strong line of woman leading the festival – Cathy Hawkins a co-founder and the late Jayne Wilson being the first Chair.

Joy is looking forward to spending more time on Holger Danske, her cruising ketch, and looks forward to seeing everyone at the next festival in 2025.

New Chair to take the helm at AWBF

We would like to also give a big welcome to Scott Rankin, who will be taking the helm as Chair. Scott is a writer, director and producer and is also been the CEO of Big hART – one of Australia’s leading arts and social change organisations. We look forward to working with Scott, as we plan for the Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2025.

Read the full statement from the AWBF below.