Executive Board Members Chairman
Bob Welch
Bob Welch is currently engaged as Events Compliance Manager with TriEvents, a major community sport events manager and is widely regarded as one of Australia’s leading Sports Administrators. Bob is the Past CEO of WA Sports Federation and Surf Life Saving WA. His valuable contribution as a volunteer over many years has seen him inducted as a Life Member of the Scarboro Surf Life Saving Club. Residing in Duncraig, he is married with two grown up kids, one who surfs regularly. Bob is a keen recreational surf-ski paddler and an occasional bodyboarder.
Errol Considine is Corporate Communications Manager at Fortescue Metals Group. He is one of WA’s most experienced public relations strategists. His career has spanned over 40 years in a range of high profile corporate public affairs, consultancy positions and senior editorial roles in newspapers and television. He has been surfing for some 45 years and was a member of WA Surfriders’ Association (the forerunner to Surfing WA) from the late 1960s. He was Editor of WA’s first surfing magazine in the early 1970s and in recent years Contributing Editor for a national surfing travel magazine.
Tony V an Merwyk
Tony Van Merwyk is a partner at global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills and is the head of the Firm’s land access and approvals practice. Tony has also had a 25 year career advising sporting organisations on legal issues affecting them and applies that experience to the Board. Tony established his surfing career standing up at the age of eight on a GT foamie and has continued to surf for the past 40 years without any discernible increase in skill level. He is a passionate advocate for all aspects of surfing life and issues affecting the surfing community.
Tony Ince is currently employed at Deloittes as a Tax Accounts Manager and has a long serving history in the Financial Industry with many accounting firms. Tony is a keen and active surfer and is a life member of the Scarboro Surf Life Saving Club. His hobbies apart from the beach include his family and living a fit and active lifestyle. Tony has held a number of previous board positions in not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions and small listed companies.
Leon Norris 6
Errol Considine
Tony Ince
Leon Norris is a highly decorated, passionate surfer who resides in Geraldton. As a foundation member of the Geraldton Boardriders Club in 1976, he was awarded in 1999 with the honour of being the first Life Member of the Club. Since this time his efforts and accolades have not slowed down. Awarded an Australian sports medal in 2000, in 2008 recognised Nationally by Surfing Australia for his outstanding contribution to surfing in this country via the Hall of Fame Awards and recognized yet again in 2009 via the WA Surfing Hall of Fame Awards. Leon has represented WA 16 times in his competitive surfing career, is married with three children and has been an active member of the Surfing WA board for four years.
Annual Report