Governance

Jackie was appointed to the commUnity+ Board in 2020 
and the role of Chair in 2022. Jackie is a member of the
Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee.

Jackie is the co-CEO of Red Nose.

Jackie is a long-time resident of Melbourne’s Inner West and has a passion for creating and supporting vibrant communities that are inclusive and compassionate at their core. She brings 15 years of not-for-profit experience, along with a background in consulting and HR.

Jackie has a Bachelor of Commerce from Deakin University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Melbourne (ANZSOG). Jackie has certification from the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Emma was appointed to the commUnity+ Board in 2020 and 
role of Deputy Chair in 2022. Emma is a member of the Governance Committee.

Emma is an Executive Manager at Victoria Legal Aid (VLA). Emma is an experienced executive with broad expertise across the legal, not-for-profit, and government sectors in Australia and overseas. Her experience in leadership and management includes six years as a Co-Executive Director, Public Interest Law Clearing House (PILCH) Vic Inc. (now known as Justice Connect), seven years as a senior manager in the Department of Justice and Regulation, and four years at VLA in a variety of roles.

Emma is an advocate for not-for-profit organisations that seek to improve the lives of Victorians experiencing disadvantage. Her career has been based on her belief that a strong legal assistance sector is a way of ensuring Victorians experiencing disadvantage receive the advice and help they need when engaging with the law and the justice system, in turn strengthening communities and individual agency.

Emma has a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Adelaide, and a first-class Master’s degree in Criminology from The University of Melbourne. She is admitted to practice law in Victoria and holds a current practising certificate.

 

Greg was appointed to the commUnity+ Board in early 2017 
and the role of Treasurer in 2018. Greg is the Chair of the Finance,
Audit and Risk Management Committee.

Greg is the Chief Financial Officer at Trust for Nature in Victoria, a statutory authority protecting native plants and wildlife on private land in Victoria.

Greg has extensive experience in financial management. He has overseen large-scale financial and process management at the Australian Crime Commission and PMSC.

A certified TEFL teacher, Greg has worked overseas as an English teacher and is passionate about opportunities that arise through adult education. Greg brings his extensive financial and operational management experience to commUnity+.

Greg has a Bachelor of Business from Ballarat University and is a Certified Practising Accountant.

Brendan was appointed to the Board of commUnity+ in 2019. 
Brendan is a member of the Governance Committee. 

For more than three decades, Brendan has been a passionate and inspired contributor to non-profits in Australia. His substantial experience includes roles as Senior Executive, CEO, Director and Board Chair of a range of highly successful and strategically focused organisations. He has worked in community and social enterprises, as well as state and local governments.

Brendan has a passion for transforming organisations to better support the people and communities they serve. He also has interest and experience in helping organisations to identify and seize opportunities for alliances, partnerships and, when appropriate, mergers.

Brendan has an MBA from the Melbourne Business School, University of Melbourne. He is a Fellow of the AICD and holds an Executive Certificate in Non-profit Governance from the Harvard Business School (Boston, USA).

Kristie was appointed to the commUnity+ Board in 2022. 

Kristie is working as Director Corporate Services at Central Highland Rural Health. Kristie has well developed skills in stakeholder management, project management and leadership with several years’ experience leading teams in the public sector working across both State and Local Government. 

Kristie’s experience in leadership includes six years at Melton City Council, two years at Wyndham City Council and twelve years at the Department of Justice and Community Safety (formally Department of Justice).  Kristie has strong social justice values and having worked extensively with communities in the west, has developed an understanding of current and emerging trends that are unique to communities in the west, particularly more vulnerable cohorts such as women, children, and young people. Kristie is passionate about affecting real change and supporting place based, trauma informed and person-centred care to ensure that communities thrive and break the cycle of disadvantage. 

Kristie holds a Master of Business Administration, Graduate Certificate of Management and Advanced Diploma of Business (Legal Practice).  

 

Louise was appointed to the commUnity+ Board in 2020. 
Louise is a member of the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee.

Louise is the Assistant Director of Pricing at the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), where her role includes administering the NDIA’s Australia-wide pricing policy.

Louise is dedicated to supporting commUnity+ towards its vision of building safe and vibrant communities in the West, where people are engaged, respected and in charge of their future. She brings a decade of experience delivering business improvement programs across private and government sectors, as well as experience in the financial services and technology industries.

Louise is a local resident of Newport and has held a number of non-executive volunteer positions, including as a Board Director of the Brain Injury Foundation of Victoria.

Louise has an MBA from Melbourne Business School, University of Melbourne, and certification from the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Nella was appointed to the commUnity+ Board in 2016. 
Nella is a member of the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee.

Nella is the Associate Director of Legal Practice at Victoria Legal Aid. Nella has significant experience in criminal law and more than 10 years’ experience working in the delivery of legal services through her role in the Legal Practice Directorate.

Nella is a local resident with a strong interest in social justice. She is an advocate for the work of commUnity+ in local communities and is committed to improving service provision in the Western Suburbs. Nella is particularly interested in providing better services in the Melton area for new and emerging communities and people experiencing family violence.

Nella has a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences, a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from La Trobe University and is an Australian legal practitioner.

Olivia was appointed to the commUnity+ Board in 2020. 
Olivia is a member of the Governance Committee.

Olivia is a Manager at Nous Group, an international management consultancy, and is passionate about instrumenting meaningful change through social policy and community development.

Olivia has worked with not-for-profit, government and member-based clients across a range of sectors, including education, human services, health and justice. She has worked extensively in business development, public policy, regulation, organisational performance and strategy. Olivia currently volunteers as a mentor through YWCA’s Asista program, which links girls aged 12–18 in the child protection system with a positive female role model to build self-esteem, resilience and confidence.

Olivia has a double degree in Law (Honours) and Commerce (International Commerce) from Monash University and undertook postgraduate studies in globalisation and international economic law.

Poonam was appointed to the commUnity+ Board in 2022. 

Poonam currently works as a Business Manager for the Department of Health and has industry experience in: Government, Non-profit Organisations, Mining & Resources and Financial Services.  Poonam has held several senior finance positions including Chief Finance Officer, Project Director and Finance Manager.  

Poonam provides expert advice on finance and operations to support business planning, governance and risk management.  

Poonam is passionate with her work with different communities. She is part of the Sikh Community and volunteers for her local Trillium community to build a vibrant neighbourhood, where the people who live there can form strong and lasting relationships. 

Poonam has a Bachelor of Commerce from Murdoch University and is a Certified Practising Accountant. 

 

Susanne was appointed to the commUnity+ Board in 2016.
Susanne is a member of the Governance Committee.

Susanne is the CEO of Plan International Australia and
an advocate for community development, gender by quality and youth participation. Susanne has previously served as Chief of Staff to the Victorian
Minister for Energy, Resources and Community Development and the Arts, where she contributed to key policies on energy and climate change and led the implementation of A Fairer Victoria – a whole of government social policy action plan to address disadvantage and promote inclusion and participation.
Susanne has dedicated her career to working on social justice issues, tackling family violence, poverty, youth unemployment, and homelessness.

Susanne has a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from Flinders University and a Master of Arts (Professional
Communication) from Deakin University.

Valerie was appointed to the commUnity+ Board in 2022. 

Valerie is currently Head of Strategy & PMO at David Jones.  She is a highly commercial Strategy, Transformation and Project Management leader with experience across diverse industries 

including retail, digital media, FMCG, waste management and community services. Highly agile and consumer-centric, Valerie brings outstanding skills in developing and implementing strategy aligned to organisational objectives.  With a passion for solving complex problems and continuous improvement, Valerie has deep experience leading multi-disciplinary teams and applying exceptional communication, collaboration, stakeholder management and influencing skills. 
 
Valerie is passionate about the work of community organisations that seek to empower people affected by disadvantage and inequality in the community.  She previously served as President of the Committee of Management of Banyule Support and Information Centre (BANSIC), a not-for-profit incorporated association based in West Heidelberg.  She was a 2022 recipient of a scholarship for the Women’s Board Leadership Program (WBLP) through the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing’s Office for Women in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).  Valerie is a strong believer and advocate of the power of diversity, particularly in board and executive representation.  
 
Valerie has a Bachelor of Science (Major in Business Administration & Accountancy) from the University of the Philippines and is a non-practicing CPA.  She is a Project Management Professional (PMP), an MAICD and a member of the ICDA. 

 

Tracey is an accomplished leader with more than 20 years’ experience 
in executive and governance roles. Her previous CEO roles for community and for-purpose organisations include Respect Victoria and the Amy Gillett Foundation. Her governance roles have included Vice President Union Cycliste Internationale where she chaired the global Women’s Commission and Advocacy Commission.

Tracey has led organisations to focus on crucial prevention and early intervention research; policy and programming initiatives supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in local, regional, national and international communities.

Tracey is dedicated to supporting and enhancing the diverse communities that commUnity+ serves and has brought significant knowledge, experience and insights to commUnity+.

Tracey holds Bachelor degrees in Commerce and Science from Deakin University, a Masters in Management from the National Graduate School of Management, Australian National University, and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Aimie brings extensive experience in senior leadership roles in for-purpose 
and government positions spanning corporate services, finance, program management and strategic projects.

Aimie is passionate about creating better community outcomes. She has a strong belief that everyone deserves to have a community in which they feel safe, empowered and engaged. Her experience in housing has highlighted the challenges that our communities face, and she believes effective community
organisations are one way to develop thriving communities. Aimie comes from both the disability and community housing for-purpose sectors with a wide
range of experience across many corporate functions.

Aimie has a Master of Business Management, Graduate Certificate Business Management (Project Management), Graduate Certificate in Social Sciences (Housing Management and Policy) and a Bachelor of
Commerce.

Cameron has extensive experience working in a number of 
Community Legal Centres across Victoria where he has worked in a wide variety of roles, including management positions. He has experience working in a wide range of areas of law and has previously specialised in working with young people, victim-survivors of family violence, and people with significant mental health conditions and acquired brain injuries. Cameron also has experience volunteering at a number of community organisations, and is currently a board member and the public officer for United Housing Co-Operative, a social housing co-operative based in the Inner-West that provides affordable housing to people experiencing disadvantage and at risk of homelessness.

Cameron joined commUnity+ at the Generalist Lead Lawyer of Brimbank Melton Community Legal Centre in January 2021, and moved into the role of Manager Legal Services and Principal Lawyer in July 2022. In October 2022, he moved into the role of Acting General Manager, Family and Community Services.

Cameron holds Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor (post-graduate law) degrees from the University of Melbourne, and he is currently studying a Master of Public Policy and Management part time, where he is focusing on social policy development and community sector governance.

Mabel has been engaged in the education sector for over thirty (30) years, including private and public

high school education, adult and community education, higher education, and vocational education

and training in TAFE and Private RTOs. Mabel’s roles in education have included classroom teacher,

program manager, head of department.

Mabel sums up her passion for education in the following: “Education provides knowledge of the world

around us, broadens our perspective, and helps us understand that the world is bigger than our backyard.

With a proper education, one holds opinions substantiated by fact and reality, rather than assumptions.”

Mabel’s passion for community education comes from her belief that no-one is an empty vessel, and

everyone brings something to the table and together we can build a beautiful and well-informed community.

Mabel is and has always been an active member of her community wherever she lived. She has held

voluntary roles as Board Member Auckland Asylum Seekers Support Trust, Member Auckland Council Ethnic

People Advisory, Founder Member of the New Zealand Based Trust – Sharing Used Resources for Education (SURE).

Mabel is an active member of the Wyndham Council Building Blocks Community Leadership Program 2023 - Allies in the Community Project, and the Wyndham Council People’s Advisory Panel.

Melbourne based for seven (7) years, Mabel holds a Bachelor of Arts, Graduate Certificate in Education, Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, Certificate IV in Workplace and Business Coaching, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Management. Mabel is a Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders Australia and New Zealand (IMLANZ).