We want to celebrate and pay tribute to a woman who was not simply part of our Foundation, but central to its story, Lynda Dean.

Lynda was there from the beginning. NRCF first took shape around Lynda and her husband Chris’s kitchen table, where a group of community leaders, businesspeople and local citizens came together with a shared belief: that our communities should not wait for governments or others to solve every challenge, and that local people should be empowered and resourced to create local solutions.

That belief still beats strongly in the heart of NRCF today.

Lynda remained involved with the Foundation throughout our journey and formally joined the Board as Deputy Chair in 2017. At the time of her passing, she was the last member of NRCF’s originating group still serving on our Board, representing nine years of formal stewardship, and a much longer contribution to our formation, direction, and values.

Lynda led with both her head and her heart. She could listen to a long and complicated discussion, then offer one wise sentence that cut through the detail and returned us to what mattered. She brought a broad perspective, decades of knowledge, and deep connections across the Northern Rivers. Above all, she brought a love for the whole region and a determination to make it stronger and more inclusive for everyone.

Lynda helped kick-off and lead the NRCF Women’s Giving Circle, bringing together women from different backgrounds and walks of life to give collectively and back women and girls across our region. It reflected something Lynda understood deeply: when people come together around a shared purpose, their contribution becomes much more than the sum of its parts.

She was a stalwart of NRCF’s granting and community impact work, contributing to grant assessment panels and helping guide our approach over many years… whether around a table in Byron, from beneath the pergola at her and Chris’s beloved Carrara, Italy, or with her beloved grandkids scampering around her at home.

Following the devastating floods of 2022, Lynda was instrumental in helping NRCF rapidly adapt our grantmaking – she knew that we should adapt to community needs, rather than expecting communities to adapt to us. Her leadership helped us move funding to grassroots organisations and local charities in record time. This moment continues to earn respect from other communities responding to disasters.

For our staff, Lynda was often the first port of call for advice. She generously supported recruitment panels, bringing experienced judgement alongside a rare ability to see the person behind the application. Her wisdom, humanity and calm presence helped guide our team through change and growth.

Lynda loved to say with a knowing smile: “We are not just growing a tree, we are growing a whole forest.”

Under her stewardship, the Foundation has supported innumerable locally led projects and communities to turn their knowledge, agency and care into lasting change.

Lynda helped plant the earliest seeds of NRCF. The forest she envisions will continue to grow and thrive.

Vale, Lynda Dean. Keep shining bright.

Thank you for bringing us around the table, for always returning us to what matters, and for helping us build a stronger community together. We love you, we will miss you, and we will carry your wisdom and your legacy with us always.