2019 Alumni

2019 ELGP Participants

Amandeep Singh

A young engineer fell in love with Not-For-Profit sector (NFP) when a close friend introduced him to one of his clients with disability. Aman started his career as a Civil Engineer with City of Perth after graduating from University of Western Australia in 2012. Inspired by his friend, Aman gained passion to work in the NFP sector, where he grew from the role of Support Worker to Workforce Development Manager with Nulsen Disability Services in the span of six (6) years. After completing his Masters in Project Management in 2013, Aman undertook and delivered various projects with Nulsen successfully.

After achieving many milestones at Nulsen, he progressed to Ability Centre as Manager, Community Services and Business Readiness Manager. His role includes overseeing budget of approx. $11 million, 150+ workforce and implementation of Client Management System (CMS) and Scheduling system. Aman has been involved with Mentoring 2 Work (M2W) program. This experience has helped him to apply his innovating and creative thinking in order to accommodate the needs of the young adults.

Anastasia Brooks

Anastasia Brooks has worked in a number of community-facing roles – a result of her academic grounding in the Social Sciences. After beginning her career working as an Activity Officer at Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre, Anastasia moved into program coordination roles at Curtin University, where she coordinated Curtin Volunteers! Remote and Indigenous Program, and the WA Police and Community Youth Centres (PCYC), where she developed and managed the delivery of a gambling harm minimisation program for at risk youth.

More recently Anastasia has been working in Community Development roles at the City of Swan and Town of Victoria Park, working closely with community organisations of all sizes in capacity building partnerships. It has been within these roles Anastasia has developed a strong appreciation for the not-for-profit sector, and their ability to be responsive, in innovative ways, to the priorities and aspirations of their clients and the community as a whole.

Annie Withrow

Annie originally hails from Alaska and settled in Perth in 2015 after a yearlong travel sabbatical. Equipped with a Bachelor’s degree from Berkeley, she worked in healthcare in San Francisco for eight years before entering the not-for-profit sector when she migrated to Australia. She has a passion for working with marginalised and under-privileged members of the community which informed her decision to pursue a career in the not-for-profit sector, wanting to shift her career path to more accurately reflect her own values.

She has held various roles at Volunteering WA, her current post as Manager Executive Services sees her offering executive support to the CEO and Board of Directors. She has spent time providing volunteer assistance to healthcare clinics in remote Northern India and over the past couple of years has been the volunteer coach of the Western Australia Special Olympics Basketball Team, leading them to the Australian National Games in 2018.

Bindi Shah

Bindi has over 10 years experience working as a Resources and Construction Advisory professional. She is passionate about environmental and social impact. Bindi grew up in Kenya where volunteering on charitable projects has been a way of life from a young age. She moved to Australia in 2002, and has she completed a Bachelor of Environmental Science (Hons) (2009) and MBA (2017). Whilst studying, Bindi was an active member of a community group (Young Jains of Perth) where she organised youth development programs, organised volunteers for events such as National Tree Planting Day, RSPCA, City to Surf, Activ Foundation etc.

Her ability to bring people together has continued throughout her professional career where she collectively raised funds for various charities such as PMH, Fairgame, Kanyana, Oxfam, Samaritan’s Purse, Alzheimer’s Australia WA, MSF. She recently developed a strategy for a community group to increase engagement and feasibility of purchasing a multi-purpose facility.

Carly West

Carly is a senior communications and corporate affairs professional with over 15 years of experience working in-house and as a consultant to some of Australia’s most well-known corporates, not-for-profits and advocacy organisations. She has worked within and led teams across many communications disciplines, including media & external affairs, marketing, internal communications, investor relations, community partnerships, and issues & crisis management. In 2018, Carly launched Chalkboard Communications to exclusively support start-ups, businesses and global organisations that are helping to shift the dial for social or environmental outcomes.

She has a strong interest in the not-fot-profit sector having worked and volunteered within many organisations throughout her career, including Scitech, Cancer Council WA, Telethon Kids Institute, Active Foundation, MercyCare and Gun Control Australia. Carly is a passionate advocate for sustainable business and a proud mother of three.

Catrina Wold

Catrina is a public health practitioner passionate about empowering people to live healthy lives. Over the past ten years, she has worked in positions that support individual, community and population level health and wellbeing programs, research and initiatives. With Master’s degrees in Exercise Science and Public Health, she offers discipline expertise that blends an understanding of the physiological underpinnings of health with a comprehensive understanding of the environmental and social factors that influence community wellbeing.

Catrina has experience across the spectrum of health and wellness that includes her current role as Evidence and Practice Lead for Injury Matters, a not-for-profit leading injury prevention in Western Australia; to health promotion and exercise science research and lecturing; to strength and conditioning positions with youth to older adults; to a school district wellness coordinator. Catrina’s interest in the not-for-profit sector stems from driving community health needs while developing sustainable financial solutions.

Clare McNeill

Clare McNeill has business and legal experience covering corporate and commercial transactions and financing across a range of industries, including infrastructure, energy, resources and transportation. She has worked at Macquarie Bank and at law firm, Allens. Clare is passionate about volunteering and community. She was most recently a director of London based health and social care charity, Manor Gardens Welfare Trust. Inspired by her first directorship experience and the opportunity it gave her to learn about the not-for-profit sector and apply her professional skills to serve the community, Clare looks forward to opportunities to contribute to the Perth community.

Other volunteering includes being a member of the Macquarie Group Foundation’s UK Advisory Committee in 2015 – 2018 and a committee which promoted and fundraised for microfinance charity, Opportunity International (UK) in 2015 – 2016. Clare also spent 2 months volunteering in India and Nepal with the Mary Ward Social Centre in 2014.

Courtney Koenig

Following undergraduate and postgraduate studies at Curtin University in the fields of Health Sciences and Public Health, Courtney was accepted into the WA Department of Health Graduate Development Program. This provided Courtney with an opportunity to develop an understanding of the Public Health system and enhance her leadership skills through the completion of a Diploma of Management and continued participation as a peer mentor.

Courtney has been working for the South Metropolitan Health Service for four years in a range of project management positions, currently within Clinical Service Planning and Population Health. Courtney has further developed her skills in project management, stakeholder management and strengthened the importance of team work and partnerships with the community. Courtney has a strong interest in health across the spectrum from primary health through to acute care services. Courtney has volunteered for not-for-profit organisations including; Hepatitis WA and more recently for the Essentials Collective Inc.

Curtis Reddell

Curtis Reddell is a 29 year old male, from Scarborough, Western Australia, and he always been passionate about giving back to the community.

In 2009, at the age of 18, Curtis began his career in the non-for-profit sector working as a Therapy assistant at MercyCare, whilst studying Occupational Therapy. In 2010 he received the ‘Award of Appreciation’ in recognition of valuable contributions to MercyCare aged care facility. By 2011, Curtis was working for Befriend, another non-for profit organisation, teaching people who were socially isolated how to use technology to increase social fulfillment. In late 2011 Curtis graduated and became an Occupational Therapist for Brightwater Care Group providing rehabilitation services to young adults with brain injuries. By 2016, he was a Senior Occupational Therapist and one year later promoted into the Rehabilitation Coordinator position at Brightwater Oats Street rehabilitation facility.

For the past 6 years Curtis has been a registered volunteer at Brightwater. His volunteering experience involves supporting people with disabilities to attend sporting events. He also volunteers each Saturday during cricket season to support people with disabilities work in a canteen at a grassroots junior cricket club. Following another passion, Curtis plays and volunteers his services at Scarborough Amateur Football Club (SAFC) where he is the Club President.

Denise Cahill

Denise has been an Editor at Community News for more than 10 years currently looking after the Western Suburbs Weekly, Guardian Express and Stirling Times. She has worked at Community News for more than 16 years ago, starting in the Features department and working her way up to Editor. About 10 years ago, Denise wrote a story about an inspiring Cottesloe resident, Susan Saleeba, who was starting a charity in Nakuru, Kenya. The cause really resonated with her. Since then, Denise has developed a strong relationship with Susan and her project, visiting the slums to volunteer five times, the most recent in June this year.

Denise has been on the on the committees of the sporting clubs she has played for over the past 15 years. Firstly for Scarborough Netball Club where she is now a life member and currently on the Scarborough Tennis Club committee.

Imogen Davies

Imogen worked as a speech pathologist and clinical manager for eight years prior to moving into project management to fulfil her passion for service improvement. She holds a graduate certificate in health policy and management, and has significant experience working with diverse stakeholders. Most recently, she has managed a number of large-scale service redesigns and projects with infrastructure aspects for Perth’s South and East Metropolitan Health Services. Imogen has held a special interest in women’s issues since childhood.

In her current work role, she is actively involved in projects aimed at closing the gap, and is one of the inaugural members of the South Metropolitan Health service Aboriginal Health Champions initiative. Imogen’s volunteering experience includes participation in the WA executive branch of Speech Pathology Australia, and raising funds for the Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation. She is passionate about improving health outcomes and optimising use of available health resources.

Jolene Tan

Jolene is an accomplished strategic thinker with strong experience encompassing analytical, commercial, business development, relationship management, stakeholder engagement and change management roles across the utilities sector. Leveraging knowledge gained from further academic studies in the form of an MBA, this has allowed Jolene to develop a greater depth of understanding regarding the key elements required to ensure a clear strategic vision and successful business outcomes.

Jolene has voluntarily led the AGSM / UNSW Business School Alumni Perth Committee for the past two years. The Committee endeavours to grow and foster the alumni community in Perth by creating value-adding events and networking opportunities to enable alumni past, present and pending to continue to develop their professional skills and build meaningful connections. Given Jolene’s strong sense of community, translating her career developed skills (including a strategic and commercial mindset) into the Not-For-Profit sector presents as a unique personal growth and learning opportunity.

Karess Dias

Having been raised in Paraburdoo by community-minded parents, volunteering and community service became a way of life for Karess. Despite moving to ‘the big smoke’ in 2008 for boarding school and staying there for university afterwards, Karess continued to serve the communities she was a part of. During her law degree, Karess volunteered: as a mentor for the AIME (Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience) program and the Notre Dame Mentorship program, for the Notre Dame Volunteer Network and as a volunteer for the On My Feet program.

In addition to these commitments, in 2016, Karess became a member of Soroptimist International Fremantle and established the Young Soroptimist student club at Notre Dame. Soroptimist International is a global volunteer movement and Karess has both organised and been involved in programs aiming towards the enablement and empowerment of women locally and globally. In 2019, Karess will be President of Soroptimist International Fremantle.

Luke Mitchell

Luke has over 17 years experience in healthcare. Having graduated with a degree in Medical Imaging, he joined PMH as a graduate Radiographer. It was there he discovered his passion for volunteering in health, working in Club Ado – the hospital retreat for patients on the adolescent ward, while studying his specialty in MRI. After a number of years at PMH, Luke travelled to the UK to work and volunteer abroad. Upon his return he was appointed Chief MIT at the Neuroimaging and Intervention Service of WA and also began his MBA studies.

While seconded to the PCH project, he worked with a number of PwC consultants and was asked to join the firm in 2014 to bring clinical, operational improvement and health strategy experience. He has managed over 20 healthcare projects with PwC in the last 5 years and is extremely interested in assisting the not for profit healthcare sector.

Lyndal Bick

Lyndal Bick is a professional Logistics and Operations Manager. Having served in the Australian Army for over 10 years, Lyndal led Logistics teams in Australia, the Middle East and Asia. The highlight of Lyndal’s service was being deployed as the Platoon Commander of the Movements Coordination team in Afghanistan, where the team as a whole was awarded a Citation from the Governor General of Australia for sustained and outstanding warlike operational service.

After completing a Master of Business Administration (UWA) and a Master of Logistics Management (UNSW), Lyndal transitioned from the Army in 2017 and entered the civilian workforce. Although no longer serving in Defence, Lyndal maintains an interest in serving the community. Lyndal hopes to join a community board, bringing a unique perspective as a young female veteran.

Michelle Tan

Michelle Tan is a driven and enthusiastic engineer. She has worked on a variety of transport projects in Perth, Sydney and Hong Kong, across the rail, ports, and highways spaces, in both technical and project management roles. Michelle has been an active volunteer since her school days and sees volunteer work as a way of giving back to and learning from society. Her contributions in recent years have chiefly been through volunteering with Engineers Without Borders, St John of God Ambulance, the Railway Technical Society of Australasia, and CSIRO.

She was recently appointed to the Engineers Australia Centre of Leadership and Management Board, and she is a member of the City of Canning Sustainability and Environment Advisory Group. Michelle is interested in how she can help these and other governmental and not-for-profit organisations which are focused on inclusion and learning and development.

Mithun Parthiban

Mithun Parthiban is currently working as an IT architect at BhpBilliton, and has gathered experience across a number of industries and initiatives prior to this. Mithun holds a Bachelor of Technology in Information Technology. He is a certified cloud specialist and has provided solutions to some of the big clients across apac region. Whilst professionally enjoying a job he also tried his hand in entrepreneurship and has a fair bit of experience in small business and start-up culture. He spent his initial years running his family business in India. Upon arriving in Australia, he started his own consulting firm and had a try in the Australian consulting eco system. He has a mix of corporate and small business experience in him. Mithun believes there is no substitute for hard work and has the perseverance to handle tough situations. His adaptive behaviour and resilient nature keeps him motivated.

Navneet Kaur

Navneet has over 8 years of experience working in the non for profit sector and currently pursuing her Bachelors in Social Science, majoring in human services. Within her current role as an Area Manager in the disability sector at Mosaic Community Care Inc. responsible for the provision , direction and leadership in all aspects of service delivery including service design, staff management, quality, risk and finances. The varying capacities in which she works has given her the opportunity to combine her genuine passion for developing leaders with her desire to make an impact in the lives of people with disability. Navneet has effectively enhanced the culture in her teams.

Prior to her work in Australia, Navneet pioneered the development of an out of school education centre in India for children who required additional academic support. Today, Navneet continues her commitment to children’s education in India through ongoing financial support.

Nicole Chiam

Nicole Chiam is a Manager with nearly 5 years of client facing experience in the management consulting industry. She graduated with a Bachelor of Law and Commerce from the University of Western Australia. Nicole is known for her authenticity, communication and organisational skills. She has volunteered with the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation (as it was formerly known) for approximately 18 years. In recent years she has also extended her community involvement to being the Perth charity lead for CanTeen at Deloitte Australia.

Nicole’s interest and passion for philanthropy was initiated from an early age by her parents who suggested she forgo birthday presents and request party guests bring a donation for the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation instead. Since then, she has remained committed to her philosophy that anyone living a comfortable healthy life with the time or skills to benefit others in the community should seize that opportunity.

Zoe O’Neill

Zoe is a graduate of UWA (LLB/BA). She is employed as a solicitor at a not-for-profit community legal service as a family and civil solicitor. Zoe has previous legal experience in disability discrimination, welfare rights and arts law. Outside her legal career, Zoe has founded and managed small retail and events businesses.

Zoe is passionate about the NFP and community sector, and is energetically involved with various entities that promote this. She has been engaged with SAIL, RRAN, Amnesty, Share the Dignity and Community Legal Centres Association, as an active member of the Family Law & Domestic Violence Networks. She is a current committee member of the Vic Park Collective; an NFP operating as a liaison between the community and Council engaging in local concerns.