Farm Machinery Industry Association forges new path forward after losing patriarch to cancer earlier this year

The Farm Machinery and Industry Association of WA is finding a new path forward after losing its much-loved executive officer John Henchy to pancreatic cancer earlier this year. The well-known organisation held its first official meeting in months on Friday, November 3, to work out what president Brad Forrester said was “how the association would look without John”. Mr Henchy — a FMIA life member who served in the executive officer role for 15 years — left a huge hole in hearts when he died in September. Mr Forrester said the organisation took a pause while members came to terms with his death. “He was the association,” Mr Forrester said. “He loved his work and did a huge amount of service to industry in terms of advocacy, engagement and providing information.” Mr Forrester — who works as the AFGRI aftermarket general manager based in Perth — said the organisation had appointed Ken Brown as its new executive officer. The role will look a little different, with a bigger focus on administration, while what Mr Forrester called the “engagement piece” would be picked up by himself and other members of the FMIA executive. “So things like speaking at meetings and conferences, those things will be done by the executive... we will move forward like that and see how it goes,” he said. Now retired, Mr Brown spent 22 years working in finance at Wattleup Tractors in Kewdale. The FMIA plans to hold a special celebration of Mr Henchy’s life on December 7, with the event set to include its annual general meeting. Mr Henchy had been FMIA of WA’s executive officer since September, 2007 and a board member on the national Tractor and Machinery Association since July, 2015. Prior to that, Mr Henchy worked for John Deere Australia and New Zealand as the division marketing manager and later product development manager.