Craig Smith-Gander
President
Elected as President of SLSWA in August 2014. Craig is a former president of North Cottesloe SLSC and a life member of the club. He is a past Chair of Surf Sports for SLSWA and past member of the Australian Surf Sports Advisory Board.
Craig is the owner and Managing Director of Kwik Logistics, Director of the Future Force Foundation and Chairman of the Western Roads Federation. Craig has had a lifetime involvement in sport, including hockey and surf boats at an elite level, and competed in Australia and overseas in cycle road racing. He played plenty of rugby union in the Army and has tried his hand at pretty much every sport available. Craig continues to cycle and competes as a sweep in surf boat competitions.
Dr Leesa Equid
Board Member
Appointed to the SLSWA Board in July 2019, Leesa is SLSWA’s Honorary Medical Officer and 2015 SLSWA DHL Lifesaver of the Year.
As an active member of Swanbourne Nedlands SLSC since 2009, she has held Higher Education and First Aid Officer positions at her club, and was a member of the SLSWA Lifesaving Advisory Committee from 2015-2016.
In addition to her lifesaving duties, Leesa has also been a fierce surf sports competitor, achieving 7 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals at WA Championships and bronze at a National level.
Leesa is currently an Emergency Medicine Trainee Registrar, due to complete her training in 2020. She completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine and Surgery (HONS) in 2012 at the University of Western Australia and has since gained her Certificate IV in Training and Assessment; Introduction to Epidemiology and Introduction to Biostatistics (University of Queensland); and most recently, her Certificate of Clinician-Performed Ultrasound (CCPU) AAA and eFAST (Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine). Leesa was also named the 2016 Emergency Medicine Registrar of the Year at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
Chris Brien
Board Member
Elected to the SLSWA Board in August 2014. Chris has been an active patrolling surf lifesaver since 1991, after gaining his bronze medallion at Scarboro SLSC. After moving in 1994 he became a member of Esperance Goldfields SLSC.
As well as rowing and sweeping surf boats, Chris is also a trainer, assessor and officiates at carnivals. Chris has held a wide range of positions at Esperance Goldfields including 10 years as president and is a life member of the club. In his early years as a club president, Chris sat on the state council until the governance change in 2005. He then attended president forums until he resigned as president in 2012.
Chris has been key in establishing the Jet Ski Team in Esperance and is the Coordinator and Duty Officer for the South East region. In 2010 Chris was awarded a citation of appreciation from the Western Australian Police for his leadership during the Bremer Bay search.
In 2011 he was honoured with the inaugural SLSWA Support Operations Volunteer of the Year award. Chris has owned and run several businesses since leaving the Army in 1984. For the past nineteen years has been operating a successful concrete and roof truss business in Esperance.
Garry Williams CSM
Board Member
Appointed to the SLSWA Board in April 2013. Garry and his family (Megan, Andrew and Jessica) are all active members of Secret Harbour SLSC, having joined the club in 2005, and among other things, Garry is the clubs Youth Involvement Program Coordinator.
He is a trainer, assessor, competitor and official with a passion for the ongoing development of our youth as not only lifesavers but as future leaders in our community. He was awarded Surf Life Saving’s National Volunteer of the Year in 2009.
Garry is an Aeronautical Engineer, a serving member of the Royal Australian Navy and has over 35 years of Heavy Lift Helicopter Aviation Engineering Experience both in embarked Navy Frigates and ashore in Naval Aircraft Squadrons. He is a recipient of the Defence Conspicuous Service Medal for meritorious achievement and devotion to duty. Garry has extensive leadership and project management experience gained through his work in Defence and is currently the Navy Project Manager for the integration of the 24 Navy Sea Hawk (MH60 Romeo) Helicopters into the Navies ANZAC Class Frigates
Jarod Stone
Board Member
Jarod was appointed to the Surf Life Saving WA Board in May 2012. Jarod is a Chartered Accountant who has worked in the accounting and finance industry for more than 20 years.
Jarod has previously worked with Ernst & Young, Gooding Partners Chartered Accountants and spent time working in the UK and Europe. After returning to Perth he worked in two private family offices during which time he gained experience across industries including television and film production, aviation, domestic and international property, commercial aquaculture, construction, corporate healthcare and finance.
Jarod was most recently the Financial Controller at Wabtec Control Systems, a leading provider of communication and signalling solutions for both the freight and passenger rail markets. He is currently the Chief Operations Officer at Hoppr Ltd, a technology company delivering targeted digital content globally to individual consumers and network service providers across mobile and TV platforms.
He is also a Director and Shareholder of Clear Corporate Solutions, an outsourcing company specialising in finance and administrative placements, and is a Director of the Azure Capital Foundation
Heidi Gan
Board Member
Appointed to the SLSWA Board in September 2017. Heidi is a two-time Olympian in the sport of open water swimming, has competed at the world championships in both surf lifesaving and swimming, and is a multiple medallist at both the State and National Surf Lifesaving Championships. Sporting success aside, Heidi is an Associate in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice of Clifford Chance, a leading international law firm. She has experience in high profile commercial litigation and complex regulatory investigations. Her experience includes advising listed and private companies, and individuals on a broad range of areas including contractual claims, Corporations Act matters, corporate disputes, investigations, class actions, and directors’ and officers’ liability.
Heidi has been an active patrolling surf lifesaver since 2005 and has most recently been a member of the City of Perth SLSC. Heidi is also a committee member of the Law Society of Western Australia’s Young Lawyers Committee, and a tribunal panel member of Football West. She has extensive experience in the not- for-profit sector and is a passionate advocate for community clubs and grassroots sports.
Heidi was named the 2020 Women Lawyers of Western Australia Junior Lawyer of the Year, 2020 Law Society of Western Australia Lawyer of the Year (<5 years PQE) and 2021 Asian Australian Lawyers Association Diversity Leader of the Year.
Sarah Leonard
Board Member
Appointed to the SLSWA Board in October 2014. Sarah is the Group Legal Counsel at Monadelphous and was formerly a partner at the national law firm, Corrs Chambers Westgarth.
She is an experienced projects lawyer who has worked on some of Western Australia’s largest resources projects, including the Ichthys LNG Project and the Roy Hill Iron Ore Project. She has strong experience in contract negotiation and risk allocation.
Sarah was recognised in the “Best Lawyers” peer review in Construction/Infrastructure in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Sarah was formerly the Education Officer at the City Of Perth SLSC and was a participant in the SLSA National Leadership Development Program.
