President
Chair, NDS New South Wales
Chief Executive, Disability Services Australia
Tony Lund is the Chief Executive of Disability Services Australia, or DSA.
Tony has worked in the disability services sector for 21 years. He is passionately committed to ensuring that people with a disability enjoy full access to the community and society, where they are recognised for their achievements, contributions and individuality. This has become the focus for the work of Tony and his team at DSA.
He is President of National Disability Services (NDS) and Chair of NDS’s NSW Committee. Over the past 21 years Tony has actively supported and participated in many of NDS’s activities and very much values the friendships and networks he has formed.
In late 2004 Tony helped establish, and now Chairs, the Oceania division of Workability International, an international organisation of disability employment services. He has also served on several Boards including Autism Spectrum Australia and the Quality Improvement Council.
Vice-President
Elected Member
Managing Director, Job Placement Ltd
Jason commenced work in the disability field as a member of the Committee of Management of Logan Job Placement Inc, an Open Employment Service in Logan City in 1989. He subsequently became Manager of the service in June 1990 and has been actively working with National Disability Services since that time.
He was Chair of NDS Queensland State Committee from 1997 to 2000. His current involvement with NDS includes:
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Member of Board of Directors since 2000
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Current Vice-President of the Board of Directors
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Chair of the National Committee on Open Employment from 1998 to 2008 and is currently a member
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NDS Representative on a number of Working Parties based around funding reform and quality assurance
He is a member of the Australian Institute of Management and the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has a Masters in Business Administration and is currently completing a Graduate Diploma in Corporate Governance.
In addition to his work in the Disability Employment Network, Jason has been a strong advocate for NDS’s involvement in overseas aid. Along with the staff of Job Placement, Jason has been sponsoring an inclusive school in a rural area of Bangladesh since 2000. In addition to paying for all expenses at the school children receive a nutritious lunch each day. Due to the increase in enrolments at the school in 2007 a block of land was purchased and a new school constructed. There are currently 165 children attending the school.
In 2007 a micro credit program was commenced to fund self employment ventures where traditional employment options are nonexistent. Young people with a disability and their mothers now own cattle and sell milk at the local markets. There are currently 55 families involved in the project and has enabled 220 people from the extended family break out of poverty. As the families repay their interest free loans more families will be assisted.
Elected Member
CEO, St John of God ACCORD
Liz has worked in the Intellectual Disability field in Victoria for 25 years. She is currently the CEO of St John of God ACCORD, a position that she has held for the past 18 months. The organisation supports 500 Victorians with an Intellectual Disability across a number of service types including: Service Planning, Home Support, Vocation & Purpose, and Respite & Outreach.
Qualifications include a Certificate in Association Management Monash Mount Eliza Business School, Graduate Diploma of Business in Health Services Management RMIT and a Mental Retardation Nursing Certificate Kew School of Nursing.
In addition Liz is a graduate of the Williamson Community Leadership Program, which she undertook in 2002.
Liz is an NDS Victoria Committee member and was the inaugural Vice Chair in 2006. Liz has played a significant role in the establishment of NDS Victoria, which saw the merger of ACROD, CIDA and VICRAID in 2006. She is a past president of CIDA and has continually been a Board/Committee member of one of all of the previous 3 Peaks in Victoria since 1994. Her interests in the disability sector include; representing the sector to Government and the broader community, developing better leadership, management and quality improvement systems in non-government organisations, developing partnerships with research & academia, training institutions and increasing the governance skills of Boards of Management. Her Mission is to develop benchmarks for world’s best practice in providing disability supports and to create a sustainable, open and horizontal organisation where service users and direct support workers are empowered to make as many decisions as possible for themselves.
Liz is a Committee member of the recently established Victorian Disability Services Board, Arts Project Australia and NDS Victoria, she is chair of the Victorian NDS workforce planning committee, a member of the RMIT Disability Course Advisory Committee and on numerous industry reference groups.
Liz was elected to the NDS Board in November 2007.
Chair, NDS Queensland
Chief Executive Officer, Community Employment Options Inc
Peter Callaghan is the Chief Executive Officer of Community Employment Options Inc.
The Community Employment Options Inc group is a community business dedicated to equal access to employment for job seekers who experience barriers. The Group operates from 12 sites in Central Queensland and the Fraser Coast.
Peter has 30 years experience in the community services sector assisting disadvantaged job seekers participate in employment. He has assisted in commencing many innovative, community-based organisations in Queensland.
Peter is motivated by an interest in ensuring that people who experience disadvantage are included in our community and enjoy the same rights and responsibilities as all Australian citizens.
Peter has a Advanced Diploma of Community Services (Disability) and a Diploma of Business (Frontline Management) together with professional memberships of the Australian Institute of Management and Australian Human Resources Institute.
In addition, he is:
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Chair of NDS Queensland
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Chair of the Commerce Queensland Regional Council
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Chair of the CQ Christian College
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Member of reference group – CQ University’s Institute for Sustainable Regional Development (ISRD)
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Member of the Commerce Queensland State Policy Council
Chair, NDS Northern Territory
Executive Officer, Top End Association for Mental Health Inc (TEAMhealth)
Kirsty Carter has been CEO of Top End Association for Mental Health Inc. (TEAMhealth) since mid 2004. TEAMhealth provides a range of psychosocial rehabilitation services to clients with a mental illness and psychiatric disability including outreach, training, drop in and housing services.
Prior to moving to the Territory and joining TEAMhealth Kirsty worked for 24 years in various roles in the not for profit sector including out of home care, disability support services, family support and the refuge system.
She is a member of the NT Mental Health Coalition, the Mental Health Council of Australia’s Employment Reference Group, NT Council of Social Service (NT COSS) Board and the NT Care Coordination Committee (COAG). Kirsty was appointed Chair of NDS NT in August 2007 after participation as an ordinary member since 2004.
Kirsty has a BA (Psychology), Grad Dip Soc Sc and Master of Management (Community Management).
Kirsty is dedicated to building up services and organisations within the disability and community sectors and community based care services and to developing strong partnerships with other organisations and government.
Chair, NDS Tasmania
Manager Corporate Services, Oak Tasmania
David Coe has been with Oak Tasmania (formerly Oak Enterprises) for 14 years and is currently Corporate Services Manager.
David has held senior human resource management and industrial relations positions with a Tasmanian State Government Authority and a local Private Hospital, he has an interest in industry based accredited training having held various positions including Chair on the now disbanded industry training advisory board (ITAB).
David is currently a member of the NDS National Committee on Occupational Health & Safety, the Tasmanian Association of Disability Employment Services (TADES) and has an advisory role on the TAFE Industry Reference Group – Adult Literacy and basic Education.
David has a Bachelor degree in business and is a member of the Australian Human Resources Institute and the Australian Institute of Management.
Working within the disability sector in Tasmania for 14 years David has gained an understanding of the issues confronting business services and the state funded accommodation and community access services. He has been an active participant in NDS activities and has a particular interest in the development of business services and the review of the State Government’s Disability Services.
Chair, NDS Victoria
Chief Executive Officer, E.W. Tipping Foundation
Richard Dent is the Chief Executive Officer of the E.W. Tipping Foundation, a disability organization named in honour of journalist and advocate E.W. (Bill) Tipping. E.W. Tipping Foundation is one of Victoria’s largest disability service providers and one of the few disability service providers who also have a strong focus on both social policy and community development. The Foundation’s disability supports are primarily provided in residential and community settings.
Richard has been working the community sector more than a decade, working in child, family, disability and advocacy/policy agencies.
Richard has longstanding current and former involvements in community Boards: Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS), the Council of Intellectual Disability Agencies (CIDA), UnitingCare Connections, Disability Professional Victoria, and the national peak body National Disability Services, of which he is a Board member and Victorian Chair. He has past and current involvement in a number of other community sector committees on various issues including national disability workforce development.
In 1999 he received a Sidney Myer Fellowship to research social policy in North America. He was an editor of the Social Policy Journal Just Policy from 1998-2000. In 2007 he was selected to receive a Harvard Club Fellowship to study Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management at Harvard Business School.
As a Williamson SkillsBank volunteer he has contributed to the Cunningham Dax Art Collection, Araluen Disability Services, the Australian Huntingdon’s Disease Association, the SACS Local Government Awards, and a number of other mentoring and developmental projects.
Richard is currently undertaking a Doctorate in Organisational Dynamics, and he holds formal qualifications including a Master of Business Administration, a Masters of Social Policy, Graduate Diploma of Business Management, a Certificate of Association Management, and a Bachelor of Arts. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, a member of Disability Professionals Victoria, and a 2004 Fellow of the Williamson Community Leadership Program. He was the 2007 DPV Disability Professional of the Year.
Chair, National Disability Services ACT
Executive Director, Sharing Places
Sue Healy is Executive Director of Sharing Places Inc, a community access, social participation day service in the ACT for adults who have intellectual/multiple disabilities and high and complex needs.
Prior to 2003 when Sue was appointed as Executive Director, she had spent 36 years as a teacher, education administrator and special school principal across the areas from early intervention through to adult education.
She is Co-Chair of the ACT Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services (DHCS) and Community Sector Workforce Working Group and is a member of the ACT Department of Education (ACTDET) Student Resources Appraisal Review Committee. Sue is also President of the Epilepsy (ACT) Association and takes an active role in the HACC/Disability Services ACT Network.
Sue was appointed Chair of NDS ACT in August 2007 having previously served as Vice Chair since 2003.
Sue has a commitment to assisting services within the disability and community sector to develop and maintain healthy infrastructure and close partnerships with each other and with government agencies.
Elected Member
Chief Executive Officer, Central Access Limited
Anthony is the CEO of Central Access Ltd (CAL) and has been in the disability field for over eleven years. Central Access operates from the North East area of Victoria and is currently the largest disability provider in the Hume region.
CAL provides services in 6 local government areas including Benalla, Wangaratta, Mansfield, Euroa, Cobram and Seymour providing Accommodation (24 hour support, semi permanent support) Outreach support to PWD, respite services both facility and non facility based for Children and Adults with a Disability, A crisis accommodation house which includes services for PWD, Dementia, ABI and dysfunctional families and children, 3 day services locations (ATSS), Futures for young adults, Support and choice, Individual planning and support, 2 business services (supported employment) and is also a Registered Training Organisation (RTO).
Anthony is also a former committee member of the Hume Region disability advisory committee and CIDA and a former chair of NDS Victoria.
Anthony’s formal qualifications include Diploma of Management, Advanced Diploma in Disability and Advanced Diploma – Australian Institute of company directors (FAICD), as well as currently completing Bachelor of Applied science– Disability and Psychology.
Elected Member
Chief Executive Officer, Redlands Bayside Disability Services Incorporated
Lynn is currently Chief Executive Officer of Redlands Bayside Disability Services Inc; in the Redlands, Queensland which auspices Bayside GATE Employment Service (DEN), and Workline at Buranda (a specialist DEN for people with a psychiatric disability). She also oversees Bayside Specialised Training Service, which provides employment skills training to people with disabilities, Community Works (community access) Community Moves (accommodation support). Recent additions to services provided are a Community Arts Precinct and the Alex Hills Community Garden.
She has over 30 years experience in the disability field in the areas of open employment and business services, training, community access recreation and accommodation support. She has managed Redlands Bayside Disability Services Inc. since its inception in 1993.
Lynn is currently:
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A member of the Board of Directors of National Disability Services
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Vice-Chair of NDS Queensland Division
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Member of the NDS National Committee on Open Employment
Chair, NDS South Australia
Chief Executive, Novita Children's Services Inc.
Glenn Rappensberg was appointed Chief Executive of Novita Children’s Services (formerly The Crippled Children’s Association of South Australia) in January 2000.
Born and educated in Queensland, Glenn moved to South Australia in 1983 to undertake nursing studies at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. He worked for 12 years as a Registered General Nurse, including several years as a Nurse Manager, while gaining a Bachelor of Management degree from the University of South Australia. Since then, Glenn has held a number of senior management positions within the South Australian health sector, including four years as Business Manager for Paediatric Medicine at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and two years as Chief Executive Officer for both the Naracoorte Health Service and the Kingston Soldiers Memorial Hospital.
Nationally, Glenn is the Chair of NDS National Committee on Children, Young People and Their Families, an Associate Fellow of the Australian College of Health Service Executives and a founding Board Member of Ability First Australia.
Locally, he is an active Member of National Disability Services and Chair of NDS South Australia's State Committee, Chair of NDS South Australia’s Children, Young People and Their Families Sub-Committee, a Ministerial Appointee and the Deputy Chair to the Children’s Services Consultative Committee of the Department of Education and Children’s Services; and Executive Director and Board Member of The Channel Seven Children’s Research Foundation of South Australia – positions that allow him to promote the rights, safety, welfare and wellbeing of children and young people in South Australia.
Chair, NDS Western Australia
Chief Executive Officer, Nulsen Haven Association (Inc)
Gordon Trewern is the Chief Executive Officer of Nulsen Haven Association and has held this position since 1994. He has a passion for people with disabilities and a vision for ensuring that the disability sector is one that is adequately supported and funded to provide a diverse range of high quality services, without excessive wait lists.
With over 25 years experience working in the disability sector, both in Western Australia and New South Wales, his practical knowledge and wealth of experience has given him a unique perspective of the disability sector and a depth of understanding of accommodation and related support service issues for people with disabilities.
Steering Nulsen Haven through a move from custodial care to community living, Gordon has headed the Association through its growth of services to include additional accommodation, therapy, training, creative development and community integration services. Gordon’s efforts have resulted in Nulsen Haven setting the bench mark for services in Western Australia which is seen as a leading service provider.
In addition to driving the expansion of services within Nulsen Haven, Gordon’s initiative for the Association to provide an Independent Administration service has enabled other not for profit organisations to access professional accounting and bookkeeping services.
In 2005 Gordon was a member of the Accommodation Blueprint Committee which wrote and developed the blueprint for accommodation services in Western Australia. A significant document that provides a pathway through key issues facing provision of accommodation support for West Australians with disabilities.
Gordon’s broad experience has enabled him to assist and work toward achieving a number of sector wide issues and has held positions on the following committees:
NDS Board of Directors State Representative
NDS National Committee on Accommodation Chairperson
NDS National Workforce Issues Working Group Committee Member
NDS Western Australia State Committee Chairperson
NDS Western Australia Accommodation Sub-Committee Chairperson
NDS Western Australia CEO Workforce Planning Working Party Committee Member
Disability Health Check Implementation Committee NDS Representative
Department of Premier & Cabinet NDS Representative
Developmental Disability Council Campaign Committee Committee Member
Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCI) – Disability Committee Member
Elected Member
Chief Executive Officer, Australian Foundation for Disability
Tim Walton has been a member of the NDS Board of Directors since 2005, has been a member of the NDS NSW State Committee since 2003 and is currently Deputy Chair of NDS NSW.
From 2003 to 2005 Tim chaired the NDS NSW Business Services Committee and is currently a member of the NDS National Business Services Committee. These committees were catalytic in resolving the Industrial Relations issues related to introducing the wages framework for Business Service employees with disability which is now recognised by the Australian Industrial Relations Commission.
From 2004-06 Tim was Chair of the NDS (NSW) Disability Services Occupational Health & Safety Project which partnered with WorkCover NSW and the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care to resolve the tensions between the Disability Services Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Act in NSW. During 2007-08 Tim established and chaired the National Occupational Health & Safety Committee. This groundbreaking work on occupational health and safety has resulted in government funded projects in both NSW and Victoria with funding exceeding $1.5m flowing to NDS and its members.
Tim is currently Chair of NDS’ Audit Committee which supports the financial governance of NDS.
Tim is Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Foundation for Disability (AFFORD) a large organisation providing Business Services, Open Employment, Accommodation, Community Participation, Transition to Work and Respite Services across Sydney.