ACOSS Board
The ACOSS Board is comprised of representatives of our National Member Organisations of our National Member Organisations
and State Councils of Social Service.
Board elections are held every two years.
ACOSS President - Simon Schrapel
Simon is the Executive Director of Strategy, Policy and Services at Anglicare SA. He has been an ACOSS Board Member for 20 months and is an ACOSS Policy Advisor on Community Services.
With over 25 year's experience in community services, Simon has had extensive executive level responsibility in both the public and non government sectors in Australia, the United Kingdom and Sri Lanka.
Simon's commitment to public policy and sector development is demonstrated through a long history of involvement in peak bodies and advocacy groups. He has been Chair of SACOSS and Child and Family Welfare Association of Australia and a Board member of Families Australia.
Treasurer - Barry Hansen
Barry is a Chartered Accountant working in public practice.
Based in Darwin, Barry has extensive involvement in a range of community organisations and has been President and Treasurer of NTCOSS.
Barry has also served as Treasurer of ACOSS since July 2008.
National Member Organisation representatives
Maryanne Diamond - International and Stakeholder Relations Manager, Vision Australia
Maryanne is blind and has been all of her life. She has four children, one of whom is vision impaired. She was employed in the information technology industry for many years before moving into the community sector. She is currently employed by Vision Australia as General Manager International and Stakeholder Relations. Maryanne has held a range of positions on community, local, state, national and international boards and committees for over 20 years. She is currently a board member of the Australian Pacific Islands Disability Support, a member of the Australian Disability Development Consortium policy committee and Australia's National People with Disability and Carers Council.
Maryanne's major focus over the next four years is her leadership of the World Blind Union, a global organisation representing the estimated 161 million people who are blind or have low vision.
Graham Douglas-Meyer - Chair, Australian Federation of Disability Organisations
Graham Douglas-Meyer was appointed NAPWA's (the National Association of People living with HIV/AIDS Australia) representative to AFDO in May 2005. He has represented NAPWA and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual,Trans and Intersex people to Centrelink. He is also the AFDO representative to Centrelink.
Graham was appointed to AHEC (Australian Heath Ethics Committee) at the end of 2009.
He has been an advocate for PLWHA since shortly after being diagnosed HIV positive in 2001. He has also been an advocate for human rights and equality before the law for GBLTI people generally, for some time.
Graham is currently the Chairperson of AFDO.
Lisa Fowkes - CEO, Job Futures
Lisa Fowkes is the CEO of Job Futures, one of the largest non profit providers of employment services. Job Futures is a network of community based organisations that collaborate through the national body to provide quality services from remote Australia to the inner cities.
Job Futures model is aimed at facilitating local control over employment services in an increasingly competitive international market.
Samantha Page - Executive Director, Family Relationship Services Australia
Samantha (Sam) Page is the Executive Director of Family Relationship Services Australia (FRSA). FRSA is a national network of community organisations that deliver relationship and support services to families, children and young people. Established in 2007, FRSA supports the delivery of quality services and engage in the development of public policy. FRSA has 145 member organisations and receives funding for sector support from the Australian Government.
Sam is a member of the Institute of Company Directors and has served on the boards of peak bodies and community service providers for more than a decade. At the national level she recently joined the Board of the National Roundtable of Nonprofit Organisations. At the local level she is President of Parentline ACT and a member of the Canberra Fathers and Children Service (CanFACS) management committee.
Adrian Pisarski - Chair, National Shelter
Adrian Pisarski has a 30 year history in the community sector including roles with housing and youth peak bodies in Tasmania, Victoria, NSW, Queensland and nationally. He has been the Executive Officer of Queensland Shelter since 2002 and the Chairperson of National Shelter since 2004.
Adrian is a member of the Affordable Housing Summit Group and has served as Deputy President of ACOSS.
Gerard Thomas - Policy and Media Officer, National Welfare Rights Network
Gerard Thomas has been Policy and Media Officer with the Welfare Rights Centre, Sydney and the National Welfare Rights Network. He is also a policy adviser to ACOSS on employment and income support issues.
Gerard has previously worked for pensioner organisations for a decade, and has represented the interests of income support recipients to on Centrelink Reference Groups and the DEEWR Participation Taskforce, which led to re-vamp into parental obligations. With others, he contributed to the exposure of impacts of the Social Security penalty system, and its negative impacts upon Indigenous job seekers and their contribution to homelessness.
Special Assembly representatives
Therese Edwards - CEO, National Council of Single Mothers and their Children
Therese Edwards is a professional within the community services sector with over twenty years experience managing a diverse range of services. Therese has worked in social policy at state and national levels, and holds certificates in governance from the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Therese has been the Chief Executive Officer of the National Council of Single Mothers & Their Children (NCSMC), the peak national organisation responding to and representing the needs of single mothers and their children in Australia, since April 2009. Therese has also been the General Manager of Barkuma Incorporated, which provides an innovative community support service for adults and parents with intellectual and other disabilities in South Australia, since 1996. Therese has served on the Policy Council of the South Australian Council of Social Service (SACOSS), the peak council
of the community services and welfare sector in SA, from 1996 to 2007.
Therese has been on the ACOSS board since 2004, the Executive Board from 2006 to
2007 and Deputy President since 2008.
Michael Bleasdale - Executive Director, People with Disability Australia
Michael Bleasdale is one of three Executive Directors of People with Disability Australia Inc's Leadership Team, a position he has held since 2008. Michael has over twenty years experience working within the Australian non-government sector, particularly in disability service provision. He has also worked as the Principal Researcher for the Disability Studies and Research Institute, and as an independent trainer and consultant. He briefly worked in the NSW Public Service, as part of the Executive team at the NSW Office of the Protective Commissioner.
Michael has demonstrated a strong commitment to the rights of people with disability, co-founding and convening the Australian Disability Network from 1994-2000, moderating the OzAdvocacy email discussion list between 2000 and 2002, and serving on a number of boards of management, including the NSW Council for Intellectual Disability, the Intellectual Disability Rights Service, and the Down Syndrome Association of NSW's Up Up and Away Committee. He was also chosen to serve on the NSW Ombudmsan's Reviewable Disability Death's Advisory Committee between 2004 and 2006.
State/Territory Council of Social Service representatives
Rebecca Vassarotti - Executive Director, YWCA Canberra
Rebecca Vassarotti is the Executive Director of the YWCA of Canberra. The YWCA of Canberra is a values led, non-profit community based organisation working and advocating for social justice within a feminist framework. The YWCA of Canberra has been providing community services and representing women's issues in the Canberra community since its establishment in 1929, and is linked to the national and international YWCA movement. The organisation works with approximately 4,500 Canberrans in the areas of children's services, community development, housing, youth services, personal and professional training, and women's leadership.
Prior to joining the YWCA, Rebecca worked in both the community and public sectors, including a number of senior roles within specialist projects. She has had a long involvement in the ACT Council of Social Service General Committee, including the role of President. Rebecca is also on the Board of the Canberra Institute of Technology.
Mary Perkins - Executive Officer, Shelter NSW
Mary Perkins is the Executive Officer for Shelter NSW. Shelter NSW is a non-government, non-profit, social change agency committed to working for a fair and just housing system. Shelter advocates for the housing interests of low-income and disadvantaged people, and provide community education to build the capacity of non-profit organizations to provide housing and housing-related services.
Mary had held numerous positions in both government and government organizations including the Tenant's Union of NSW, NSW Department of Housing, Redfern Legal Centre, the Council of Social Services of NSW and Shelter NSW.
Mary is currently a member of the following community committees: Board of Directors of the Council of Social Services of NSW, Vice Chairperson National Shelter, and Board member LawAccess NSW.
Tracey Brand - Deputy Executive Director, Tangentyere Council
Tracey Brand is the Deputy Executive Director of Tangentyere Council. Tracey provides strategic and policy advice to the Council and is responsible for its operational management, including the delivery of social enterprises, employment related services and housing and social service programs to Alice Springs Town Camps.
Tracey is a proactive member on a number of Territory advisory bodies and committees, including the Northern Territory Council of Social Services (8 years service), Human Services Training Advisory Committee and the Northern Territory Area Consultative Committee. Tracey was the appointed Chairperson of the Northern Territory Government Homeless Taskforce, ministerially appointed to the Regional Women's Advisory Committee and most recently ministerially appointed the Northern Territory Development Board. She has also served as an elected member to the Job Futures board.
With Tracey's passion in Indigenous affairs, she has a genuine interest and commitment to Indigenous policy issues, particularly social welfare programs and regional development.
Karyn Walsh - President, Queensland Council of Social Service
Karyn Walsh is the President of QCOSS. Karyn has more than thirty years experience in the community sector in Queensland working in communities as diverse as Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville, Mt Isa and Brisbane. Karyn has significant expertise in homelessness, disability, young parents, prison ministry, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and abuse of people in church and state care. Her primary qualification is as a Registered Nurse and has lived and worked in Brisbane for 27 years and has a Diploma in Community Management. Karyn is currently the Coordinator of Micah Projects in South Brisbane.
Wendy Malycha - Executive Director, St Johns Youth Services
Wendy has worked in community services in senior management positions for the past 25 years in health, housing and crisis services. During that time she has established and/or managed both rural and city based services for disadvantaged people, held policy and management positions in several peak bodies, and served on the Board of several. She has also represented South Australia on national peak councils.
Wendy is the current Chairperson of SACOSS, an Honorary Life Member of SACOSS, was a member of the Policy Council for sixteen years, and continues to serve on the Board of SACOSS.
Wendy is a founding member of Homelessness SA, where she has also been awarded a Life Membership, served on many other Boards over the years, and is an active participant in many sector peaks and networks. She has been appointed to several Ministerial Advisory Committees, and currently sits on the South Australian Ministerial Strategic Housing Advisory Committee, and the NAHA Homeless Services Advisory Group.
Wendy is the CEO of St John's Youth Services, an Adelaide based organisation that provides emergency accommodation and support services to homeless young people in the city of Adelaide. Her work has included the development of a movement in Australia with ties to the UK to establish the Foyer model of accommodation for young people in this country based on the highly successful UK experience, and she has visited many foyers around the globe.
Wendy's academic qualifications are in Social Work and Housing Management and Policy.
Noel Mundy - State Director - Tasmania, Mission Australia
Noel has been the State Director for Mission Australia in Tasmania for the past 7 years. He is currently the President of TasCOSS and has been on that Board for the past 3 years and has also been actively involved in a number of other Tasmanian Boards, Committee and Working Parties. Noel grew up in Tasmania and is passionate about working in partnership with other community service agencies, government and the business sector to ensure that everyone is able to achieve their full potential and live within a healthy and supportive environment. Noel is a proud father of 3 daughters who provide him with inspiration and purpose for his work.
Marilyn Webster - Manager of Policy and Research, Good Shepherd Youth and Family Service
Marilyn Webster is the Manager of the Policy and Research Unit at Good Shepherd Youth and Family Service, a community agency with a long history of action and advocacy for people who are disadvantaged. She has worked for over 20 years with government and church organisations in direct service and in program and policy areas.
Marilyn serves is a Board member of the International Council of International Social Service, MacKillop Family Services and Victorian Council of Social Service. She is a member of the Community Advisory Committee of National Australia Bank. Marilyn's key policy and research areas are family and youth services, utilities, micro finance, financial inclusion and community sector partnerships.
Chris Hall - Chief Executive Officer, UnitingCare West
Chris is WACOSS's nominee on the ACOSS Board, a position which he has held since November 2008. Chris has worked in service-based environments for over 30 years, holding senior management roles for over 20 years in the non-government community services sector and local government industry at national, state and local levels throughout Australia. He is currently the President of WACOSS and Chief Executive Officer of UnitingCare West in Western Australia.
With undergraduate and postgraduate tertiary qualifications in social work, business management and the arts, Chris is an Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management. Chris has extensive experience and knowledge across a wide range of social policy development and implementation areas. He is committed to the ongoing improvement of business management practices within community service organisations and across the community sector. He has served on numerous advisory
and consultative bodies and committees to federal, state and local governments and
on the boards and committees of various non-government organisations.
Ex Officio
David Thompson AM - Chief Executive Officer, Jobs Australia
David Thompson is CEO of Jobs Australia Limited, the national peak organisation for more than 270 non-profit providers of employment and related services for unemployed people. David has a keen interest in social justice and equity issues.
David is also Chair of the National Roundtable of Nonprofit Organisations Limited, Chair, Jobs Australia Foundation, Chair, COMMACT International and Director of its Australian Chapter, Chair of Community 21 Limited, Director of Community Sector Enterprises Pty Ltd and Director, Beyond Empathy Limited.
David is also a member of the Board of the Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of the Social Solidarity Economy. He is also a member of the federal government's Community Response Task Force.
