Congratulations Jean!

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Congratulations to Wagga resident Jean Haste on her well deserved 2007 Queen's Birthday Honour.

Jean has been awarded the OAM - Order of Australia Medal - for service to the community of Wagga Wagga through arts and charitable organisations, and to the field of accountancy.

We know Jean as the Chairman of the board of 2AAA. But there's many more reasons Jean has been honoured:

• Secretary, Wagga Wagga Jazz Inc, 1999-2005; Involved in Wagga Wagga Jazz Festival, 1999-2005.
• Deputy Chairperson, Forrest Centre Aged Care 'Together We Care' Campaign (fundraiser for facilities upgrade, has raised $2 million), since 2003.
• Chairman, Wagga Wagga Community Radio 2AAA FM, since 2002; Committee Member, since 2001; presents regular jazz program.
• President, Secretary and Treasurer, Save the Children Fund - Wagga Wagga Branch, various times from 1972 until 2000 when the Branch ceased.
• Volunteer, Australian Business Volunteers, since 1993; involved in skills transfer projects in the South Pacific in 1994, 1995 and 1998.
• Chairman, Wagga Wagga Branch Council, Australian Society of Certified Practicing Accountants (now CPA Australia), 1973-1974; Secretary, 1967-1971 and 1996; Member, Branch Council, 1993-1998; Member, NSW Public Practice Committee, 1980-1984 and 1996-1999; Fellow, 1981.
• Adviser, Riverina-Murray Institute of Higher Education (now Charles Sturt University), advised on the establishment of the Graduate Diploma in Taxation Law, 1980s, and the Master of Accountancy Degree, 1990; Member ,MAcc Course Advisory Panel, 1990s.
• Accountancy/Taxation Industry Representative, (former) NSW Higher Education Board Review Committee, 1980s.
• Member/Fellow, Taxation Institute of Australia, 1999-2003 (resigned).

As a member of the Wagga Jazz Inc, she was involved in developing the local jazz festival to the success it is today between 1999 and 2005 and through her role as chairwoman of Community Radio 2AAA, and a regular presenter, she is able to further partake in Wagga's cultural scene.

"I love music, I always have," Mrs Haste said.

"I'm really happy to be involved in 2AAA, I work with a great bunch of people who all have the same love of music that I do."

But in between her times on air, Mrs Haste has dedicated copious amounts of time to various organisations like the Save the Children Fund and the Australian Business Volunteers which saw her involve herself in a skills transfer project in the South Pacific during the 1990's.

Humbled by the Queen's Birthday honour, Mrs Haste said she was flabbergasted that she had left such an impression on someone, or a group of people, that they would go to the trouble of nominating her.

"I'd like to emphasise how honoured I am and thankful to the people how put the effort in to the nominations because it was a lot of work," Mrs Haste said.