Meet the Board
DBNSW Board
The DBNSW Board is a team of sports leaders who work continuously to improve all aspects of the sport.
Chair - Gillian McCallum
Gillian has been paddling since 2017, representing the Southern Region in 3 consecutive National Championships and Auroras Senior B in 2019.
Gill has been the President of Merimbula Water Dragons for the past 4 years and has grown the club from a low of 14 members to a current high of 52 members. With a loss of key members due to ill health and Covid the club was left with no coaches and minimal Sweeps.
During COVID, Gillian became a Level 1 Coach and Level 1 Race Official and as the race season began again achieved Level 3 Sweep. Gill has now attained the Level 2 Coach accreditation and has acted as Assistant Coach for Southern Region on 2 occasions.
As a Coach and President of a ‘Masters’ team Gill has focused on creating an inclusive, friendly club that allows everyone to participate no matter their skill level. Regional clubs face difficulties when trying to race and rely heavily on WARATAH teams to participate.
Gill is a member of the Regional Committee and works with all southern regional clubs with racing opportunities and the development of Coaches and sweeps.
After many years of managing a large Shared Services division for a large engineering company and a retail communications business, Gill has retired and spends most of her time either paddling or thinking about paddling. Gills skills in developing, working with small teams, and mentoring staff (paddlers) have helped a small dragon boat club to flourish.
Finance Director - Neil Herbert
Neil was appointed to the DBNSW Board for a two-year term as Finance Director at the 2025 AGM. He is a retired bank executive with over 40 years’ experience in financial markets and bank management, primarily in the management of credit risks when lending to business and institutional borrowers. He has many years’ experience leading diverse teams and holds tertiary qualifications in Financial Markets and a post-graduate qualification in Bank Management. He is a past-Fellow of FinSIA and a past-Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management.
Neil is a relative newcomer to dragon boating, signing up to the sport in 2022 at a “come and try day” with his local club in Shellharbour: the Sudu Dragons. That first introduction soon grew into a passion, and he has since represented his club at two AusChamps, the Southern NSW Region in three campaigns, NSW State at AusChamps in Perth in 2024, is a Level 3 Sweep, and a Level 1 Coach.
At Sudu Dragons, Neil is passionate about leading by example … getting in the boat and encouraging his team to be the best that they can be. His passion extends off-the-water too, and to getting involved. He recently completed three years on the Sudu Dragons’ Board of Directors including two years as club President. He was motivated to join the DBNSW Board by a desire to use his experience to contribute to good governance of the sport through responsible financial management.
Director - Clarice Sam-Yue
Clarice brings enthusiasm and a fresh perspective to the Dragonboat NSW board, having been involved in the sport since 2018. She first discovered dragon boating through IBM's corporate team and, wanting more racing opportunities, joined Flying Dragons Club that took her to China. After Covid-19 times affected those clubs, she found a home at Different Strokes, where she continued to develop as a paddler. Clarice is passionate about growing the dragon boating community, engaging university crews, and creating new competitive opportunities to bring fresh energy into the sport.
Professionally, Clarice is a product designer with eight years of experience, including five years in startups. As a product designer, Clarice brings strong problem-solving, user experience, and systems-thinking skills to the board, helping to create streamlined processes, improve communication, and ensure the sport remains accessible, well-organized, and engaging for paddlers at all levels. With a background as a technician and a freelance web developer, she brings strong technical skills to the board, helping DBNSW adopt efficient and easy-to-use solutions to streamline operations. As the director on the board involved in the working group for Bank Street Park development, she is dedicated to ensuring dragon boating has a strong voice in shaping the future of the space. Representing prems, she brings a fresh and modern perspective to the board, advocating for innovation and inclusivity in the sport. A strong supporter of diversity, Clarice is committed to making dragon boating a welcoming and accessible community for all paddlers.
Director - Jodie Dang
Dragon boating has been a significant part of my life for the past ten years. Throughout my journey, I've been fortunate to paddle alongside incredible athletes and contribute to the growth of Paradragons, reinforcing my belief that our sport should be inclusive and accessible to everyone.
Director - Andrew Coe
Andrew Coe was appointed to the Dragon Boats NSW Board at the September 2026 AGM for a two-year term. Based in Bathurst, Andrew has been a member of Bathurst Pan Dragons since 2021 and is an active paddler, certified Level 2 sweep, and club volunteer.
Andrew brings more than 15 years of executive leadership experience across governance, strategy, risk, and organisational performance. A graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, he previously served as Group Chief Executive Officer and Company Secretary of Western NSW Primary Health Network, accountable to two boards for a $50 million not-for-profit portfolio.
He also serves on the Australian Dragon Boat Federation’s Nominations and Governance Committee and has contributed to governance and strategic planning at Bathurst Pan Dragons.
Andrew is committed to helping clubs thrive, supporting volunteers and making dragon boating welcoming and accessible. He brings a regional perspective and a collaborative, practical approach to growing participation and strengthening the sport across NSW.