President
Holger Topp
Holger is a Civil Engineer with life membership to the Institute of Engineers Australia. He spent most of his career in the mining industry on site and in corporate roles. Holger’s special area of interest was rehabilitation both here in Australia and in the US. As a result of a “tree change” Holger and his wife live on small acreage on the Capel River.

Vice President
Bill Biggins
Bill has an affinity with the open air and community service having been youth member and more recently, a District Commissioner with the Scout Association of Australia. He is a rural land owner in the Shire of Capel, a member of the Capel Land Conservation District Committee and the Shire of Capel Environmental Subcommittee. Bill has held various roles in technical service and sales management, providing commissioning and technical support for industrial automation products and systems. He holds a Graduate Diploma in Marketing from Edith Cowan University.

Secretary
Kathy Rutgers
Kathy has lived most of her life in the Busselton area. About 20 years ago Kathy and her husband Peter bought a property at Ludlow, that adjoins the Ludlow Tuart Forest National Park. Her concern for the poor state of the Tuart Forest and the decline of the Ludlow settlement heritage buildings prompted her and Peter to join the Ludlow Tuart Forest Restoration Group in 2018. 

Treasurer
Tonina Pinneri

COMMITTEE

Des Donnelly
Past President
Des started work in the timber industry in 1955 and then joined the Forests Department as a forestry cadet in 1959. He gained experience in all aspects of forest management throughout the south west of WA. In 1972 Des was promoted to District Forester at Ludlow. There he successfully established tuart seedlings, ceased tuart timber harvesting in the tuart forest and finally closed the tuart sawmill in 1975. In 1976 Des was promoted to Chief Utilisation Officer in CALM specialising in plantation softwood utilisation, research and development. He played a key role in the introduction of softwood house framing and power poles into WA.

After leaving CALM in 1996 Des set up a saw mill in Capel cutting salvaged tuart logs. Since retiring in 2007, Des has maintained his passion for the Tuart Forest through active community involvement. He brings to the Ludlow Tuart Forest restoration Group a wealth of knowledge and experience in Forest Management. Being a former resident of the Ludlow Settlement, he is committed to its restoration.

Evelyn Taylor (Past President)

Nick Hornibrook

Jules Hogan
A past resident of Ludlow, Jules has returned as an adult to the playground she once called home.  The journey in between has been a wonderful adventure and, raising an incredible family has been at the heart of it all. Commencing working life as a school teacher, the years that followed were filled with twists and turns that led to a career in leading and developing high performing sales teams across Australia.  Now, semi retired, Jules enjoys part time leadership coaching and working with the wonderful team of the LTFRG on the amazing vision for Ludlow.

Yolanda Cool
Yolanda has a connection to nature, community, and adventure.  On moving down to the Southwest in 2022,  the decline of the Ludlow settlement heritage buildings prompted her to join and get involved with the Ludlow Tuart Forest Restoration Group. Yolanda enjoys finding ways in supporting the next generation in gaining skills/knowledge and facilitating opportunities and conversations. 

Debbie Spalding

Diana Fisher
Diana is a fourth-generation local of the Capel region with a lifelong connection to the land. Raised alongside the Capel River and on her family's mixed farming enterprise, she developed a deep appreciation for agriculture, natural environments, and rural communities. After completing a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Diana spent 25 years with the Western Australian Department of Agriculture. Living in the Manjimup region for 27 years further strengthened her passion for agriculture, forests and their rich environmental and cultural importance. Since returning to Capel in 2019, Diana has actively contributed to the local community through volunteering and community engagement, finding a strong sense of purpose, belonging, and value in supporting initiatives that enhance the wellbeing and sustainability of the region.

Jenny Hake

Michelle Flood