Operations Team

Sarah Hardy, Director Operations

Sarah began as Initiatives Operations Manager with The Foundation in October 2007.  Sarah’s background has been primarily in health related project management with a more recent focus on women’s health and rural health.

Sarah’s previous role was as Education and Training Manager at the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health.  Other past experiences include work in schools, the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and in the welfare sector with young women.  As a former Nurse and Midwife, Sarah has completed post graduate qualifications in Education and Training, and Community Health. Sarah has long held interest in young people, particularly in rural and remote communities.

Josephine Bourne, Coordinator Indigenous Programs

Renee Williams, Program Manager

Renee joined The Foundation in 2006.  She has previously worked with Indigenous community controlled organisations in various capacitates including Secretariat National Aboriginal Child Care, Victorian Aboriginal Health Service and Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation.

Renee's ancestry includes descendant from Bindal and Wakka Wakka tribes and Torres Strait Island descendent from Darnley (Erub) Island.  Renee is currently studying Associate Degree of Business Administration (ATSI studies) with Australian Catholic University.

Jemma Wood, Program Manager


Jemma joined The Foundation as a Youth Grant Maker for the Victorian Committee in 2002 and took on the role of chair of this committee in 2004, before becoming an Initiative Manager in 2005. Prior to joining The Foundation, Jemma worked in various roles with young people, within local government youth services, community health and non-profit youth agencies. 

Jemma completed a Certificate IV in Human Resource Operations from Swinburne University of Technology in 1997, completed a Bachelor Social Science - Youth Studies from Australian Catholic University in 2000, and completed her Masters of Youth Health and Education Management at the University of Melbourne in 2006.
 

Steven Brown joined The Foundation in 2007. Steven is originally from Canberra, and worked for the Attorney Generals Department in the Indigenous Law and Justice Branch, working on Prevention, Diversion, Rehabilitation & Restorative Justice Projects for the previous year and a half.

Steven has also worked with the Leadership Development Group who implement the Indigenous Women’s Leadership Program at the Department of Families, Communities & Indigenous Services. Within the branch he has undertaken a number of roles including events management, administrative support, facilitation and financial management.

Over the past years, Steven has been involved with a number of The Foundation’s Committees including Indigenous Small Grants, Youth Led Futures, the High Engagement Review and the Indigenous Youth Strategy.

Brigid Anderson, Project Officer

Brigid started working with the Foundation as Initiative Manager in March 2006. Prior to that, she worked with Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR Victoria) on a three-year community development project. Brigid’s time at ANTaR has enhanced her commitment to reconciliation and she advocates for non-Indigenous Australians to take a stand in acknowledging past and present power imbalances and inequalities and restoring integrity to the process of reconciliation.

Brigid has completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Political Science at the University of Melbourne.

Nina Collins, Planning Officer

Nina joined The Foundation as an Initiative Manager in April 2007.  After completing her studies at Melbourne University in Indigenous Affairs, Cultural Studies and Japanese in 2003, she moved to Japan to live with the Ainu, Japan's Indigenous population.  She travelled around Europe before returning to Melbourne to work at the Jewish Museum of Australia, the Melbourne Writers' Festival, and volunteer on the board of youth run philanthropic trust fund, EastWeb.

In 2006 she completed a Graduate Certificate in Arts Administration, and was selected to participate in the Victorian Public Service Graduate Program which included experience at each of Arts Victoria, the Victorian Office of Multicultural Affairs, and the International Division of the Department of Education.

Nina continues to sit on the EastWeb board and is now pleased to be working in the philanthropic sector with The Foundation.

Tim Kanoa, Project Officer

Tim Kanoa is a Gunditjmara man from Portland, Victoria. He started working at The Foundation as an Initiative Manager in February 2007.

Prior to this position Tim worked for the Koorie Heritage Trust Cultural Centre as a Project Officer. His time at the Koorie Heritage Trust was spent on publishing a booklet on a non-indigenous perspective of the Stolen Generation in Victoria. He also coordinated the “Mission Voices” travelling exhibition around Victoria. 

Tim has a Certificate 3 in Screen, Certificate 2 in Community Services and has attained units towards a Diploma of Community Education. Tim’s interests and hobbies are film and song writing. He has made films for Essendon Football Club and Victoria Police. 

Judy Kirkham, Project Officer

Judy joined the Foundation as an Initiative Manager in 2007. Judy’s background is primarily in the Youth Sector, having worked in direct service delivery, schools programs, training & development, and management. Other non-youth related roles have been in managing, implementing and delivering community programs and government and community services with a wide range of at-risk client groups.

Judy is currently studying her Masters in Social Sciences, and she has completed a Graduate Diploma and a Graduate Certificate with studies in Case Management, Counselling, Social Economics and Public Policy.

 

Katrina Makris, Project Officer

Katrina Makris joined The Foundation early in 2008.  Katrina’s background is in community development, financial counselling, and project & staff management.  She worked for the Department of Community Welfare for over 10 years, including working with Indigenous communities on the Pitjantjatjara lands.   

Katrina served as the Deputy Mayor for the NW region of SA for 5 years, and has worked with organisations such as the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service as the Manager of the Financial Well Being unit, and Woman’s Health West in specialist Family Violence, developing operations and supervising case management, intake and after hour’s services.

As well as her great experience, Katrina holds tertiary qualifications in both Financial Counselling and Community Development.

 

Elizabeth Owens, Project Officer

Elizabeth began working at The Foundation in April 2006.  Elizabeth has completed various accreditations in customer service and brings an extensive background in customer service, hospitality and office organisation to The Foundation.

Elizabeth undertakes a number roles on a voluntary capacity, working with young people and facilitating youth leadership camps.  She now looks forward to undertaking a role as Project Officer.
 

Anna Perini, Project Officer

Anna joined The Foundation as Executive Assistant to the CEO.  Her career background includes 10 years in administration/personal assistant and project coordination roles for a variety of commercial national and international companies.  Anna lived and worked overseas for a period of 4 years where she gained experience in working within cultural environments.  Anna joins The Foundation with an impressive history of administration and customer related roles primarily in the corporate sector, and is now keen to extend her working knowledge as a Project Officer.

Georgia Graham, Administration Assistant - Operations

Georgia joined The Foundation as Administration Assistant in February 2006 as a member of the Administration Team. Georgia is responsible for processing applications for all The Foundation’s grant rounds.  Her career background has been mainly working in the cultural sector, where she has considerable administration experience, working in several organisations in the film and music industries.
 

Finance & Administration Team

Jenny Thompson, Director Finance and Administration

Jenny joined The Queen's Trust in 1991 and has worked in many different roles that have evolved to her present role, managing The Foundation's financial area and company secretary.

Prior to working with The Queen's Trust, Jenny spent 15 years working in administration with organisations in Perth and Melbourne, including Channel 9 Perth, Statewide Building Society, Rank Xerox and Red Robin Industries.

Jenny has a Masters in Accounting (Honours).

Peta Taylor, HR and Administration Manager

Peta recently joined The Foundation as Assistant to the CEO. She holds a Bachelor of Economics and a Masters in Economic Studies. Peta has always been involved in voluntary organisations, which interact with local communities to provide a positive contribution through support networks and education. Peta seeks opportunities which allow her to utilise her professional skills to further enhance the community. Her interests include Taekwondo, Rowing and Italian.  

 

Megan Lewis, Receptionist

Megan was involved with The Foundation for a number of years before joining as Receptionist in 2008.  She was a volunteer on the Victorian State and Territory Committee from 2004, and a youth grant maker on the Launch Pad Committee from 2006.

Megan is currently studying a Bachelor of Science at Melbourne University, majoring in Marine Biology and Environmental Science. 
As part of her work with The Foundation, Megan manages the Merlyn Myer Leadership Awards, and in her spare time, enjoys astronomy, youth grant making and quality time with friends and family.

Venkat Pilak, Accounts Assistant

Communications Team

Rebekah Earp, Director Communications

Alexandra Rouse, Communications Co-ordinator

Alexandra began with The Foundation in March 2007, joining the Communications Team.  Prior to this, Alexandra was a volunteer with SYN; a youth network specialising in multi-media broadcasting. Her work with SYN involved co-ordination of a range of FReeZA events for young people.

Alex completed her Bachelor of Business Studies in Marketing / Event Management in 2005, and has also done some work for Tattersall’s George Adams Foundation.

Lyn Hall, Event Co-ordinator

Lyn returns to The Foundation in 2008, after a number of years working in other philanthropic organisations.  Lyn is responsible for co-ordinating The Foundation’s events.   She has extensive experience as an office administrator and in event coordination, which she developed while working in the philanthropic and corporate sectors and in various government organizations both in Australia and the UK.

Lyn also has more than 20 years of experience in relationship management and social marketing from working with several high profile non-profit organizations in Australia.

 

Simon Herd, Ambassador Support Officer

Simon joined The Foundation in October 2007 as a part of the Community Relations Team. He is currently overseeing the recruitment and selection of volunteers for a large number of the Foundation’s committees. Prior to working with the Foundation Simon was a lawyer specializing in civil litigation.  Simon has been involved with various philanthropic foundations for over a decade. He is presently a director of the Myer Foundation and the Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network.

Simon completed a Bachelor of Information Systems in 2001 and a Bachelor of Laws with honours in 2004.

David Hevey, Ambassador Support Officer
 

David joined The Foundation's Community Relations Team in December in 2007.  Prior to working with the Foundation, David worked in politics for several members of federal parliament and, in the media based in the Federal Press Gallery at Parliament House, Canberra.  David, as a youth grant maker, has been involved with The Foundation since 2002 sitting on the Northern Territory, Challenge Ya!, and Launch Pad committees.

In 2007 David completed a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with his second major being political science from the Australian National University, Canberra.  David deferred study of his Master of Business Administration at the University of Melbourne.