Meet Your Executive Team

The people behind Business Taree.

John Stevens | Taree Business Chamber

John Stevens

PRESIDENT

John is an accredited Exercise Physiologist. His area of passion is in pain management and patient education – working with clients on a variety of musculoskeletal rehabilitation needs. He has a keen interest in sports and athletic performance and consults with elite sporting teams.

Ivor Thomas | Taree Business Chamber

Ivor Thomas

VICE PRESIDENT

Ivor is also a multi-disciplined individual with several strings to his bow. He is Property Consultant at Ray White Manning Valley and has a passion for creating successful outcomes for buyers and sellers. Ivor is a keen cyclist and recently completed 4000k to raise money for kids with cancer.

Lisa Proctor, Secretary | Taree Business Chamber

Lisa Proctor

SECRETARY

Lisa Proctor is the owner of Blue Sky Planning and Environment, a town planning and environmental assessment consultancy based in Taree. Lisa has a long professional history of town planning and environmental assessment within both the public and private sectors both locally, throughout Australia and overseas. Lisa grew up locally and returned twelve years ago to work and raise her young family in the beautiful Manning Valley. Lisa is passionate about economic, environmental and social sustainability and equality and believes in the potential of our amazing town.

Jackie Burley | Taree Business Chamber

Jackie Burley

TREASURER

Jackie is a Partner at TJL Business Advisors and Accountants and has worked in the accounting industry for more than 20 years. Jackie spends a lot of time working in a business advisory capacity, helping small business clients develop strategies to grow their business. She is an enthusiastic advocate for the Manning Valley and everything the region has to offer, and is proud to be involved in the annual TasteFest on the Manning.

Our Mission

Business Taree exists to support local businesses – by providing networking opportunities, support services and access to local, state and federal leaders.

Business Taree is a passionate advocate for business in the Mid Coast region – working with local business owners, professionals and community representatives to create positive change.

Business Taree works to strengthen and promote the economic, environmental and social wellbeing of our businesses. We believe it is important for our business community to succeed, because prosperity creates new jobs, social wealth and better communities.

We are a non-profit organisation operating with a for-profit philosophy. We believe every community deserves and needs a thriving and dynamic Chamber of Commerce – to act as the voice of the Business Community.

We are proud to operate alongside our fellow Business Chambers – Wingham, Harrington, and Old Bar – within the Mid North Coast Business Chamber collective, and we collaboratively work to ensure our members are well informed and well represented.

Our Mission is to support local business to thrive – and we focus on these six core areas:

Helping businesses:-

  • Make more money

  • Spend less money

  • Make important connections

  • Learn how to better run their company

  • Have a voice

  • Create the next generation of successful businesses owners

History

The Taree Business Chamber was launched in 1999 to bring together business owners, professionals and community members to identify and promote the benefits of living in Taree and help businesses maximise their potential. In early 2020, following a statewide rebrand from NSW Business Chamber to Business NSW, so too was our brand updated to Business Taree.

Over the years, Business Taree has helped new businesses integrate into the region, introduced countless members to members, promoted the region and local businesses and lobbied politicians, councillors and Industry leaders to further the interests of local businesses.

We organise monthly breakfast and lunch meetings where Members have the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals to share the issues of the day, discuss opportunities for the region, and promote their own business and ideas to a receptive and supportive audience.

We invite guest speakers to share their wisdom and inspire Members, we host workshops to expand our knowledge base and learn new skills and we provide support services to actively help our Members.

We work closely with local, state and federal government departments to represent our area, we work with MidCoast Council on important local issues and we have strong ties with Regional Development Australia, with Destination North Coast and with our fellow chambers in the Mid Coast region – Wingham, Harrington and Old Bar.

We are THE Business Voice of Taree.