VOLUNTEERING TASMANIA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Advocacy and Impact Manager
Bridget is in the Advocacy and Impact team. She spends her days working with her team to navigate the structural and systemic barriers to volunteering and connecting those barriers to stories and experiences that bring them to life. She is passionate about ensuring those who can make change hear those who need to see it happen.
Having grown up in Tasmania, Bridget loves to get lost in the bush, throw around some kettlebells and cuddle her dog Bruno.
Cameron is a passionate volunteer with a track record of committed service in a variety of causes within the Tasmanian community. Currently, he is President of Make-A-Wish, Hobart Branch, where he leads 30 volunteers in granting wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. He volunteers for the Australian Human Resources Institute Tasmanian State Council as Vice President and serves in the Army Reserves. He has also volunteered for Edmund Rice Camps over the last 10 years.
Outside of his volunteer activities Cameron works in the recruitment industry where he is a Team Manager with Hays. In 2019 he was recognised as a finalist and semi-finalist in the Tasmanian Young Achiever of the year Awards in Leadership and Volunteering.
Cameron holds a BA (Policy)-BBus (HR Mgt), BPhil (Leadership) and GradCert Career Development & Education.
Caroline has been a long-standing volunteer with our team. She kickstarted her volunteering journey back in 2005 when she became a board member with Volunteering Tasmania until 2008. She has helped out with everything from administration to being on the board to being on a Participant Advisory Group and contributing to papers on inclusion. On the board, she worked on the policies which included raising the profile of Volunteering Tasmania. Caroline loves spending time with her dog, Poppy, getting out in the garden and doing jigsaw puzzles.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Chair, Treasurer, and Chair of the Finance Risk Audit Committee
Chris has experience as an executive within Tasmanian Government business enterprises, with a focus on strategy, governance, finance, people and technology. He enjoys mobilising and shaping teams to tackle complex issues.
A Chartered Accountant (originally in England), he has qualified as a company secretary through the Governance Institute of Australia's Applied Corporate Governance diploma. Chris is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and is a self-confessed lifelong-learner, with recent courses covering cyber and the executive strategy programme at the University of Oxford.
Chris commenced with Volunteering Tasmania in September 2022 as Shadow Treasurer.
In his free time, Chris enjoys caravanning with his wife and 3 children, volunteering as a coach for the Kingborough Lions Football Club (soccer) and practicing kung fu.
Job Titles:
- Communications Coordinator
Dawn is our communications coordinator, juggling social media, website content, media engagement, brand management and overseeing communications across the organisation.
Dawn calls the Southern Beaches region of Tassie home, and she loves bush walking, reading, and playing badminton occasionally. She dreams of creating a food forest on her property.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Vice President of the African Community Council of Tasmania
Favour brings a diverse skill set to the Volunteering Tasmania board. A strategic thinker, Favour has a track record of successful community service honed over a decade of volunteering in Tasmania. Favour is a growth and development enthusiast, constantly engaging in career and individual development, and she has a Masters in Clinical Oncology Nursing.
The Tasmania Health Service employs Favour with more than 15 years of multidiscipline experience in nursing. She is a committed and passionate community builder through integration, social cohesion, and development. She volunteers in both religious, social, CALD communities and not-for-profit organisations.
Favour is the current vice president of the African Community Council of Tasmania (ACCT), an executive member of the Tasmanian Catholic Schools Parents Council (TCSPC) and a board member of the Multicultural Council of Tasmania (MCOT).
Favour is married to David and is blessed with four amazing kids. She enjoys cooking, singing, travelling, and playing basketball.
Jacob has been a passionate volunteer since their early schooling. They have volunteered for many organisations including Australian Catholic University, Calvary Health Care, and for over 15 years with St Vincent de Paul Society where in 2021 they concluded their term as National Director. Jacob sees strength in diversity and is passionate about equity and inclusion - they currently sit on the board of Working it Out.
Professionally, Jacob works in charity retail, a sector relying on volunteers to raise funds for charitable causes.
Jo brings extensive public policy expertise to the Volunteering Tasmania Board. She has firsthand experience in state and local government and is passionate about improving the lives of Tasmanians.
Jo is motivated to contribute to the work of Volunteering Tasmania to increase connectedness and raise awareness of the impact of volunteering on community wellbeing.
As an active volunteer, she understands the rewards and challenges the sector faces.
Jo has a Bachelor of Commerce and Professional Honours in public sector leadership and management. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
In her spare time Jo can be found caravanning with her husband, four young children and their dog.
Job Titles:
- Business Development and Partnerships Manager
Kate looks after the Business Development and Partnerships area at Volunteering Tasmania. This is developing new business opportunities for Volunteering Tasmania in a range of the products we offer, the partnerships we form, sponsorship for the events we host, and training to continue to develop and upskill the sector.
Kate enjoys volunteering on various boards as well as for Variety the Children's Charity Tasmania with her TasBash car - Puff the Magic Dragon. Kate loves spending time with her family and enjoys creating memories together!
Job Titles:
- Director and Chair of the Governance Committee
Lynne has been a volunteer with a number of organisations for many years, including Loui's Van, The Story Island Project, Lifeline Tasmania, and the Friends of the Theatre Royal. She also spent a number of years as a volunteer, coaching hockey and soccer.
Lynne was a teacher and principal for many years in primary schools, high schools and colleges, where she saw the difference made by the huge input from parents as volunteers in schools. Her background on Boards is in the education sector - The Tasmanian Qualifications Authority, the Schools Registration Board, Chair of the Story Island Project Board.
Lynne currently works for Lifeline Australia, supporting volunteers who answer the Lifeline phones. She fully understands the importance of volunteer work and is passionate about having that work recognised for its value to the community.
Madeleine has worked in the legal sector for approximately 8 years and is currently employed by the Department of Justice. In addition to her legal knowledge, she also brings experience in the policy and law reform space.
She has personal volunteering experience over a number of years in a range of not-for-profit and community based organisations, including within the legal, education and disability sectors. She currently sits on the board of Riding for the Disabled Tasmania and recognises the important contribution of volunteers to the Tasmanian community.
Madeleine holds a BA-LLB(Hons) and Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice
Job Titles:
- Community Connection Programs Manager
Mel manages our Community Connection Programs Team which consists of several programs that engage and support the volunteering sector, through diversity and inclusion initiatives and best practice volunteer management resources and training. Mel has an extensive background in the community services sector and values the opportunity to have a positive impact.
Mel is based out of the North West of the State where she enjoys spending time with her family, going to the beach, walking her dog and reading a good book.
Job Titles:
- Inclusive Volunteering Coordinator
Nicole is passionate about assisting her community to thrive. In her role at Volunteering Tasmania, she helps find placements for volunteers with disabilities, and assists organisations to be inclusive and access the many benefits of diversity in the workplace. She had a background in finance before being lured by the not-for-profit sector where she has managed a youth club and a childcare centre, as well as undertaking many volunteer roles.
She loves getting out and about in the great outdoors but also enjoys curling up by the fire with a good book.
Rhonda works in the Operations team. She is involved in working to make sure that the team here at Volunteering Tasmania have useful systems in place that make doing their jobs more efficient, and that we have a healthy and vibrant workplace for our team, including how we operate - such as policies and procedures and our workforce systems. You'll also find her involved in the delivery of the Annual General Meetings, Volunteering Tasmania Awards and the Volunteering Tasmania conference. Rhonda is also available to chat through all things membership, and also Volunteer Connect, the online volunteer role portal for volunteer-involving organisations and potential volunteers.
She is based in NorthWest Tasmania, loves adventuring in nature with her family throughout the State, and is currently trying to establish fruit trees on her acreage.
A passionate advocate for community led change, Ruth works in our Community Connections team coordinating and initiating state-wide projects which support a more inclusive and accessible volunteering experience for identified priority groups. With a strong desire to make a positive difference in the world, Ruth also dedicates her time to leading climate action and sustainability initiatives in her local community.
Sapph works alongside our members, the community and government to develop policy and advocacy positions that highlight the voices and needs of the volunteering sector. As a social worker, she is passionate about social justice and is intrigued by the opportunities that volunteering offers to demonstrate active citizenship. Sapph enjoys camping and hiking, being in the ocean, and all things creative.
Sarah is a communications, engagement, and event management professional with strong experience in commercial, public sector and not-for-profit organisations. Sarah brings previous board experience including being the Deputy Chair of the Aboriginal Heritage Council of Tasmania for a period of four years 2017-2021, where she contributed to the development of government relationships and data management to improve transparency and accountability to the community.
Sarah holds previous experience working with Volunteering Tasmania during the Huon Valley bushfires in 2019 as the media and communications consultant for Huon Valley Council and worked out of the evacuation centre. During this time she saw firsthand the positive and critical impact volunteers had in the emergency response during that challenging time.
As a Tasmanian Aboriginal woman, Sarah is committed to the empowerment of diverse voices and equitable practices in community organisations, and has presented at various conferences to advocate for meaningful and cultural communications and engagement practices.
Job Titles:
- Finance and Payroll Coordinator
Sharon works as the Safeguarding Project Coordinator, working alongside councils and communities to share their knowledge and skills to develop community-led volunteer strategies to ensure sustainable volunteering into the future. Born in Tassie, but having worked and lived half her life overseas, she loves being back here. Sharon is passionate about community, making a difference and building positive connections. She enjoys hiking, reading, being active and taking on new adventures.
Shirleyann is an experienced executive-level leader with a successful track record in developing and supporting high-performance teams through successful leadership strategies, tactical decision-making, and forward-thinking approaches.
An outcomes-focused, transformational leader, she is passionate about investing in people and technology to achieve exceptional workplace cultures and high-quality service provision to advance an organisation's vision.
A key driver for Shirleyann is to be a part of the solution. As the CEO of Volunteering Tasmania, she has the privilege of witnessing the powerful effect of volunteering in the Tasmanian economy and the delight of working with the team at Volunteering Tasmania to advocate for systemic advancements to support the volunteering workforce that sustains Tasmanian communities.
Tevas commenced as a volunteer with Volunteering Tasmania in February 2023, in our Volunteer Referral Service. As a Volunteer Connector, Tevas supports other volunteers by assessing their skills, interests and availability, providing advice on current volunteering opportunities and connecting them to one of the many positions online. Tevas relocated to Australia from Hong Kong in 2021 and has 13 years' experience with the Agency for Volunteer Service in Hong Kong. Tevas holds a master's degree in counselling and has recently completed his Aged Care Certificate at TasTAFE. He also volunteers at Lady Nelson and Tasmanian Sail Training Association and the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Hobart Donor Centre. In his spare time, Tevas enjoys playing soccer and cooking.
Job Titles:
- Inclusive Volunteering Coordinator
Theresa joined the team in February 2022 as a project officer, primarily managing events. She has a background in Human Resource and people management. In her new role as coordinator of the Inclusive Volunteering Program, she aims to bring her people skills to provide support to people with disability or mental health conditions into volunteering roles as a pathway to employment, and to build capacity in the sector around diversity and inclusion.
In her free time, Theresa enjoys long beach walks with her husband and two Cocker Spaniels.