Meet Our Team
Board Members
Eva James – Chair
Eva is passionate about the forestry industry. She started her career as a millhand nearly 30 years ago, stacking timber in a drymill, then worked her way through the industry in various roles. She’s been a site cleaner, a production clerk, regional stock controller at French’s, Auspine and Gunns Sawmills, then as a project manager – Tasmanian Training and Skills Development Service at ForestWorks.
Eva moved into the Safety aspect of forestry with AKS Forest Solutions and is now enjoying her role as the Safety Manager at Reliance Forest Fibre.
In addition to being the Chair of our Board at Arbre, she is also the Chair of the Tasmanian Forest Industry WHS Committee.
Eva firmly believes that training, safety, and teamwork are the key ingredients for the successful future of the forestry industry the Chair of the Tasmanian Forest Industry WHS Committee.
Stephen Rymer- Vice Chair
Stephen has over 20 years’ experience in the Australian forestry industry. He has worked in a variety of roles across the ACT, Green Triangle, New South Wales and Tasmania, in both the public and private sectors and in plantations and native forests. Stephen has broad experience in many aspects of forestry, including harvesting and transport management, softwood and hardwood plantation establishment, fire management and certification.
In February 2021, Stephen began working for Sustainable Timber Tasmania and currently holds the position of Assistant General Manager Operations where he is responsible for oversite of planning, roading, harvesting, transport and reafforestation operations across Tasmania.
Stephen holds a Bachelor of Forest Science from the University of Melbourne.
Bree Robson - Secretary
Bree Robson is Land Manager at Forico, where she is responsible for a broad range of land management activities across Tasmania's forest estate. Her work spans public access, property and land management, stakeholder engagement, land transactions, water resources and strategic land use matters, while supporting the operational and long-term objectives of the business.
Bree enjoys working with forestry operations, neighbouring landowners, government agencies and industry stakeholders to find practical solutions to complex land management challenges. She focuses on balancing commercial outcomes with environmental stewardship and positive community relationships to ensure Forico's land assets continue to deliver long-term value.
Based in Launceston, Bree is particularly interested in improving land management systems, strengthening governance, and supporting sustainable outcomes for Tasmania's forest estate. Through her involvement with Arbre, she hopes to help create opportunities for emerging forestry professionals and showcase the breadth of rewarding and diverse career pathways available within the forest industry. She is passionate about encouraging the next generation to explore all that forestry has to offer and supporting their development as future industry leaders.
Gayle Quin - Treasurer
Gayle has a background in the training sector and after joining the forest industry with Timberlands Pacific in 2018, she soon uncovered a passion and fascination for all areas of forest management. She currently holds the position of HSE Advisor, working across health and safety, stewardship and people and culture. Her experience as a trainer and assessor, and responsibility for certification gives her a solid understanding of training needs in our industry.
Gayle believes life-long learning across the industry is crucial to the future of the industry.
Jillian Aylett Brown
Jillian is an enthusiastic advocate for the forestry industry and the value it provides in strengthening rural and regional communities across Tasmania.
With over 30 years of experience in the forestry sector, Jillian is committed to fostering a sustainable industry through best practices and a people-focused approach.
As CEO of MechLog, she leads high-performing teams and is focused on developing a skilled, long-term workforce through innovative training methods and career pathway planning.
Jillian is also an experienced Director, graduate of the AICD, an active member of the Tasmanian Forest Industry WHS Committee, and a member of the AIHS. Recently, she completed a three-year tenure on the Forest Practices Advisory Committee.
Francis Richardson
Francis currently works as the Business Systems Manager for Orana Enterprises and has worked in the role for the last 7 years. Francis has been in the industry for just over 10 years with previous roles seeing him work in the Gippsland and Green Triangle regions.
His role with the company has developed over the years and has involved the implementation of systems such as MT Data tracking systems, Guardian fatigue management devices and a range of other supporting systems to improve efficiency and effectiveness which has been instrumental to the significant growth in the business.
Francis has a passion for the forest industry and continuously strides to introduce and improve technology in the sector for long term sustainability.
Jason King
Jason is the State Territory Manager at Brandt, who are the new dealership for John Deere Construction Forestry. He has over 35 years’ experience in the Tasmanian Construction and Forestry Industries. He has worked mainly with the Supply and Maintenance of Equipment used to Harvest and Haul timber from all corners of the state’s Forest.
Jason has worked on the implementation of purpose-built machines into the Tasmanian Forest that has made working in this industry safer and given contractors the ability to run machinery for longer with less breakdowns.
One of the most pleasing things he has seen from the industry is that some people who started off on the ground or as junior machinery operators are now successful business owners that are passionate about the Tasmanian Forestry industry and its best practices.
He is looking forward to seeing the Tasmanian forestry industry grow through education, training and innovation.
Jacqueline Hogarth
Manager
Born in rural Tasmania, Jacq was raised in the Northern Midlands on her parent’s merino wool sheep farm. Her father ran a log truck business, and she grew up as a true farming and forestry kid.
Jacq began her professional career with ANZ Bank, where she worked for 12 years, before moving to Les Walkden Enterprises for five years. She then spent 17 years with Pitt & Sherry Engineering, followed by a return to Les Walkden Enterprises for nearly another five years. Just before Christmas 2025, she embarked on her next adventure, joining Arbre.
Outside of work, Jacq enjoys bushwalking, mountain bike riding, fishing, and travelling, having visited 21 countries around the world. With a strong passion for the forestry industry, Jacq is excited about the challenges ahead and looks forward to taking Arbre to the next level.