Meet the Team

John Wood, Director

John Wood

Director

One of Western Australia’s leading entrepreneurs, John was named WA’s Young Entrepreneur when he was just twenty.

One of Western Australia’s leading entrepreneurs, John was named WA’s Young Entrepreneur when he was just twenty and went on to establish and build many successful businesses.

After a successful career in retail, real estate, caravans and manufactured homes, John founded National Lifestyle Villages which has now become WA’s largest lifestyle village operator, servicing over 4500 homeowners.

The recipient of many business and environmental awards, John has been innovating in the early retiree lifestyle sector for over 30 years and continues to work closely with government in developing legislation to benefit consumers in WA.

He is the proud father of two adult children and loves keeping fit so that he can continue to enjoy the company of friends, good food and a beverage or two.

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John Green, Director of Group Operations

John Green

Director of Group Operations

A true stalwart of the industry, John started in Perth’s lifestyle village sector during the early 1990’s.

A true stalwart of the industry, John started in Perth’s lifestyle village sector during the early 1990’s, where he worked at Fleetwood Corporation alongside long-time friend and colleague John Wood.

John spent over a decade at Fleetwood Corporation where he undertook a variety of senior roles including Operations Manager within the Homes Division, Manager of the Established Homes Division and CEO of the Caravan Company.

John then joined National Lifestyle Villages Executive Leadership Team as Group Operations Manager, before leaving and starting RGSC Investment Group with John Wood to commence development of the Helena Valley Lifestyle Village. Since then, Helena Valley has grown to be one of the premium lifestyle villages in WA and is widely regarded to be amongst the best in Australia.

With an unsurpassed knowledge of the lifestyle sector, John has also served on the Executive of the Industry Association and has advised government on behalf of the industry.

John is one of the most experienced lifestyle village operators in WA and is perfectly placed to ensure the successful implementation of operations for Providence.

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Blake Duffield, Lifestyle Sales Manager

Blake Duffield

Lifestyle Sales Manager

Blake Duffield has been assisting people with their property needs for 25 years.

Blake Duffield has been assisting people with their property needs for 25 years including experience in established homes, off-the-plan project homes, and vacant land.

He now looks forward to helping people looking to downsize in style and explore the options and facilities at Piara Waters Lifestyle Resort. The happiness and comfort of his clients is extremely important, and he believes great communication and service are key to ensuring this happens.

Blake grew up in Perth, is married with 3 children and away from work enjoys golf, boating, travel, and the company of good friends.

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Janine Thomas, Creative Manager

Janine Thomas

Creative Manager

Janine has been selling projects right across Perth for over 24 years.

Janine has been selling projects right across Perth for over 24 years.

Her interest in property started when she developed her own duplex, triplex and renovation projects until she switched to a full-time role selling Apartment Towers off the plan for various developers.

In more recent years she focused on selling Land Estates and Retirement Living before switching to Lifestyle Resorts with Providence – Piara Waters.

She was the first staff member to commence at Piara Waters – when it was merely a paddock – so was instrumental in getting the sales and marketing off the ground.

As the business grew, her role became intrinsic in developing the house designs, the detail of the Resort facilities and the interior decorating of the homes. Her vision for the look and feel of the project is a vital part of ensuring Providence Resorts are deemed as best in class. This reflects through to the marketing of all four Resorts within the group which Janine and Ella also incorporate into their busy schedules.

Janine grew up on a farm in NZ and emigrated to Perth at age 21. She has a 14-year-old daughter and lives in Salter Point.

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Brett & Shellie Gaskin, Resort Managers

Brett & Shellie Gaskin

Resort Managers

Brett and Shellie understand lifestyle community living and all the opportunities and adjustments that come with it.

Brett and Shellie understand lifestyle community living and all the opportunities and adjustments that come with it. They’re a great team, having worked side by side for the past 15 years, firstly in WA’s spectacular Margaret River region, and then in Victoria. On the east coast, they worked for one of Australia’s largest and most professional over 50s lifestyle community operators.

Having helped many hundreds of homeowners navigate the often-daunting downsizing journey, Brett and Shellie can offer the Resort’s new homeowners much wisdom. They’re a great sounding board for those wanting to chat about how to best harness the opportunities and possibilities of a different way of living, and their newfound freedom and fun.

Brett and Shellie have always adopted a healthy lifestyle, and have a combined wealth of experience in gardening, landscaping, nutrition, naturopathy and herbal medicine. They love to swim, cycle and walk on the beach.

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Ella Wood, Creative Manager

Ella Wood

Creative Manager

Ella’s creative flare and eye for detail has led her to take on a new role as a Creative Manager.

Having worked for Providence Piara Waters for over 2 years as the Sales and Operations Coordinator, Ella’s exceptional organisational skills have become an integral part of the business, particularly in supporting the sales manager with behind-the-scenes processing, marketing and coordination.

As the company has grown Ella’s scope of work has expanded to incorporate the finer details of the 14 home designs, the décor of the Lake House, interior decorating of the display homes and ensuring the Hamptons aesthetic of the Resort is upheld.

Ella’s creative flare and eye for detail has led her to take on a new role as a Creative Manager alongside her colleague Janine. This role covers all Resort locations and will ensure that Providence Lifestyle Resorts are in a league of their own.

Ella lives with her partner in Cottesloe and enjoys going to the beach, cooking, and socialising with friends.

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Katrina Reynolds, Executive Assistant

Katrina Reynolds

Executive Assistant

Katrina Reynolds joined the team following two years within the Mining industry working under a CEO and Executive team.

Katrina Reynolds joined the team at the end of 2022, following two years within the Mining industry working under a CEO and Executive team, and 6 years as a Dispensary Assistant/Medical Receptionist.

She is a country kid at heart, growing up in the town of Narrogin, who moved to the suburbs at the beginning of 2018 to commence university studies. Katrina is undergoing a Bachelor of Law, trains and competes horses in the discipline Eventing, and is most often, accompanied by two mini dachshunds.

With extensive experience in complex and fast-paced working environments, Katrina looks forward to her new role (and challenge of) working alongside John Wood and the broader Providence team.

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Stewart Kestel, General Manager

Stewart Kestel

General Manager

Influenced by his family’s lifetime involvement in tourist caravan parks and lifestyle villages, Stewart has spent...

Influenced by his family’s lifetime involvement in tourist caravan parks and lifestyle villages, Stewart has spent more than 30 years in property and related industries, specialising in valuation, finance, development and capital raising.

While Managing Director and equity partner at Hegney Property Group – which was at the time the largest independent valuation business in Western Australia – he was instrumental in growing the business statewide and launching the first buyers agency in WA.

In addition, Stewart has held roles in acquisitions with Satterley Property Group, securing large englobo land for future master planned community developments and negotiating significant tourism sites for Aspen Group.

Recently, he has raised in excess of $10m equity for revolutionary technology company WarpForge Limited and was Director Loans and Investor Relations with PrivateInvest, a private commercial non-bank lender.

Based in Perth, WA, Stewart holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Property) and is an Australian Institute of Company Directors graduate.

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Letitia Sawyer, Office Administrator

Letitia Sawyer

Office Administrator

Letitia is a highly organised and detail-oriented professional with over 30yrs of experience in office administration.

With over 30 years of experience in office administration, Letitia is a highly organised and detail-oriented professional. She is known for her exceptional ability to support and enhance business operations. As the Office Administrator at Providence Lifestyle, she plays a pivotal role in ensuring that every aspect of the office runs smoothly and efficiently.

Letitia’s extensive career spans multiple industries, where she has honed her skills in managing complex tasks and driving organisational success. Her diverse background has equipped her with a deep understanding of how to navigate and excel in various environments, making her an invaluable asset to the team.

Beyond her professional life, Letitia enjoys the peace and tranquillity of her property, where she spends time in her garden and engages in outdoor activities. She treasures quality time with her family, including her two energetic Border Collies, and enjoys sewing as an escape from the busyness of life. Whether catching up with friends or exploring new hobbies, Letitia’s vibrant and balanced lifestyle mirrors her approach to work and life.

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Sandra Klarich, Head of Development

Sandra Klarich

Head of Development

Sandra Klarich has extensive experience in the procurement, management and delivery of award-winning land...

Sandra Klarich has extensive experience in the procurement, management and delivery of award-winning land and built form developments through each stage of development cycles, stringently managing stages to safeguard completion within timeframes and budgets.

She has a thorough understanding of the complexity of land development and built form, particularly in the retirement living sector. With a background in town planning and construction, Sandra has successfully delivered planning, engineering, environmental, construction and civil scopes, and is adept at preparing appropriate briefs and managing consultants and contractors through the life of a project.

Her work on exciting yet challenging projects makes her an excellent asset and allowed her to consistently demonstrate her capacity to extensively engage, negotiate and resolve issues to satisfy all stakeholders.

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Justin Hatch, Head of Construction

Justin Hatch

Head of Construction

Justin has 25 years of experience in architecture, specialising in modular lease communities and sustainability.

Justin began his career in the architectural design industry, gaining valuable experience at some of Perth’s leading architectural practices. Over the course of 25 years, he has developed extensive expertise across the full project lifecycle, including development design, project management, construction, and contract administration.

As a registered builder, Justin is skilled in a wide range of building methodologies and has a comprehensive understanding of Environmental Sustainable Design (ESD) and sustainability. His specialist construction experience spans high-rise residential, commercial, industrial, and luxury residential projects, however in recent years, he has specialised on modular lease communities.

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Darlene Formentin, Lifestyle Sales Consultant

Darlene Formentin

Lifestyle Sales Consultant

Darlene has been working in the over 50's resort living sector for the last 7 years. 

Darlene has been working in the over 50’s resort living sector for the last 7 years. During this time she has been selling both off the plan for new builds & on-selling homeowners existing homes.

Previous to this Darlene spent over 12 years in the building industry helping people achieve their dream of a new home.

She is looking forward to assisting people in their quest to downsize their homes while upsizing their lifestyles. Watching homeowners find a new lease on life with like-minded neighbours who soon become friends brings her great joy as is one of the reasons she enjoys this sector so much.

Darlene grew up in Gingin WA, enjoying a rural lifestyle. Now married with 4 children she loves nothing more than being around family & devouring good food in good company.

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Duane Vanderburgh, Resort Care and Maintenance

Duane Vanderburgh

Resort Care and Maintenance

Born and raised in Tasmania, Duane initially worked primarily in construction with a cabinetmaking qualification.

Born and raised in Tasmania, Duane initially worked primarily in construction. In his late 20s, Duane pursued and completed a trade qualification in cabinetmaking.

After moving to Perth and spending a few years working in civil construction, Duane relocated to Darwin, gaining experience in both the construction and mining industry. Eventually, he discovered his passion for gardening, returning to Perth in 2023.

Duane was thrilled to be offered a position maintaining the gardens around the Piara Waters resort — a role he absolutely loves.

Outside of work, Duane enjoys listening to music, watching sports, and taking on word games.

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Alan McKinley, Site Manager

Alan McKinley

Site Manager

Alan is a seasoned Carpenter Joiner with nearly two decades of experience in building and installing homes across WA.

Alan is a seasoned Carpenter Joiner with nearly two decades of experience at Fleetwood, where he honed his skills in both building and installing homes across Western Australia.

This extensive background has perfectly positioned him for his current role as Site Manager at Providence Piara Waters. In this role, Alan oversees the scheduling and coordination of trades to ensure that every home is completed on time and ready for our homeowners.

When he’s not at work, Alan is passionate about golf and spends his weekends on the course. His love for the game is evident, and you can often find him perfecting his swing or enjoying a round with his mates.

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