Our people

Ross brings significant expertise to the Chief Executive Officer role at AFDO. His past experience includes:

• Co-Founder and former Executive Director of the charity UrCommunity – aimed at alleviating poverty, providing food security and promoting inclusion.
• Executive Director of UrCommunity Initiatives.
• Principal and Founder of Verve – Empowering Solutions – providing management consultancy to not-for-profit, community service, and small-to-medium-sized enterprises.
• Director at annecto – a national service provider focused on inclusion in disability, aged, veteran’s and carers services.
• Chief Executive Officer at PivotWest – a division of general practice (primary health care).
• Chief Executive Officer at the Macedon Ranges & North Western Melbourne Medicare Local (primary health care).
• Chief Executive Officer at the Hume-Moonee Valley Regional Library Corporation.

Ross serves on the following committees and forums:

• National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) CEO Forum
• NDIS Independent Advisory Council (IAC)
• Victorian Government NDIS Implementation Taskforce Working Group
• Ageing, Disability & Mental Health Collaborative Panel
• Innovative Workforce Fund – Independent Advisory Group (IAG)

Ross is also highly qualified, with credentials including a:

• Post Graduate Diploma in Management
• Bachelor of Business
• Certificates in ISO Standard Quality Assurance Implementation and Internal Auditing
• Fellow of Leadership Victoria’s Williamson Leadership Program
• Certified Professional of the Australian Human Resources Institute
• Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Lauren is a passionate professional who is dedicated to eliminating barriers to the full and equal participation of people with disability. Losing her sight in a car accident at age 20 gave Lauren a direct insight into the level of injustice that is experienced by people with disability in Australia. Lauren has gone on to hold a range of roles in government and the community sector since this time, which has allowed her to develop experience in:

• Systemic advocacy and campaigning
• Government relations
• Policy research and writing
• Group facilitation and training.

Lauren has previously worked as Advisor to Australia’s Disability Discrimination Commissioner and has also represented the rights, needs and interests of people with disability at the United Nations. These opportunities have given Lauren a comprehensive understanding of disability rights issues both locally and globally.

Ainslie is coordinating an ILC funded project, where she works with some of our members to implement an effective customer relationship management system and deliver peer led and designed information and training sessions. She also provides support to the Business Inclusion and Diversity Scheme.

Ainslie has completed a Bachelor Arts (Psychology) and a Graduate Diploma in Education at the University of Newcastle, NSW. Recently, Ainslie worked as the Projects Coordinator for Community Disability Alliance Hunter, a peer-led organization developing peer networks and mentoring for people with disability across the Hunter Valley region of NSW. Ainslie worked for St Vincent de Paul NSW, promoting the accessibility of local businesses.

Ainslie has worked for local government on the Central Coast, NSW, where she lives. She implemented their Disability Inclusion Action Plan and led their community development team, who worked to increase the capacity of diverse community groups to organize community activities, events and campaigns.

As a person with disability Ainslie has always been a strong advocate for providing meaningful opportunities for people with disability to participate in and contribute to their communities. She wants people with a disability to not only share their stories but to be active citizens in all areas of social, economic and political life.

Having over twenty years of experience in office management, Tanya is well equipped with customer service, communication and organisational skills to support the AFDO Team.  Tanya is someone you can simply rely upon to “get the job done”.

Tanya has lived experience of disability with 2 beautiful daughters who have ASD.

In her spare time, Tanya enjoys travelling, socialising with friends and competing in Masters Calisthenics competitions.

Lives in fabulous Newcastle after relocating from the Upper Hunter Valley in the idyllic township of Denman.

Joining AFDO in February 2023 as Project Coordinator – Business Inclusion & Diversity (BIDS) Hunter. Melissa has a passion for “being the change in the world that you want to see”. With a background in Disability Employment Services and Recruitment, Melissa sees the need for Businesses to gain the confidence to employ from the disability sector. Creating opportunities though conversations and connections is how Melissa sees the world. Holding a diploma in Community Services and much experience with the tourism and hospitality sector. Melissa’s varied background is perfectly match to the BIDS Project. A passionate member of the HDIC and a regular volunteer at the Soul Hub this keeps Melissa in touch with the local issues at hand.

Jo joined the Business Inclusion and Diversity Services (BIDS) Hunter team in May 2023 as project co-ordinator.  She comes to the role with a varied career – starting as a trade apprenticeship, to mining crews, community service work, retail, administration and management.

Throughout her career, Jo’s number one focus has always been ‘people’. Her care for her customers has resulted in service levels where all stakeholders feel seen, understood, and energized.

An experienced multitasker, Jo is a great communicator and prioritises clear communication and openness in her dealing with people at all levels. ‘Without communication we cannot begin to understand the tapestry of people around us,’ says Jo. ‘Everyone has a story and without asking questions and being open to learning about people, we rob ourselves of learning new things and seeing the world from another’s perspective.’

Mark holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing and a Breadth Major in Events and Tourism and is currently studying Commercial Cookery to pursue his passion for culinary arts. With a Hungarian background and having lived in multiple countries, he has developed a unique appreciation for a diversity of needs, values, and cultures, which is reflected in his work and studies.

Chief Financial Officer:  Nunzio Giunta CPA

AFDO engages Giuntabell to provide financial services to AFDO.  Nunzio Giunta is the principal and founder of Guintabell and is AFDO’s Chief Finance Officer (CFO).  Nunzio’s areas of expertise include financial reporting, systems implementation, revenue recognition, charity compliance, risk management, budgeting, and forecasting.   As a CPA qualified not-for-profit expert, Nunzio strongly believes that not-for-profits that do good should be successful, and he works hard to help our organisation to succeed.  Nunzio is passionate about enhancing the financial performance of AFDO, and the non-profit sector.

Natalie Wade is the Founder and Principal Lawyer of Equality Lawyers, a law firm which provides everyday legal services to people with disabilities, their families and supporters. Prior to founding Equality Lawyers, Natalie was a solicitor within the South Australian Government. In 2015, Natalie was appointed as a solicitor to the South Australian Child Protection Systems Royal Commission. During her time with the Royal Commission, Natalie worked a range of children protection systems issues including those faced by children with disabilities. In 2016, Natalie was awarded Australian Young Lawyer of the Year for her work on the Child Protection Systems Royal Commission.

Outside of work, Natalie has a strong track record as a disability rights advocate and lawyer. As the Founding Chair of Australian Lawyers for Human Rights’ (ALHR) Disability Rights Subcommittee, Natalie has championed key disability rights advocacy work for ALHR including providing a response to the Senate Inquiry into violence, abuse and neglect of people with disabilities (2015), assisting on international complaints for a person with cognitive impairment who is indefinitely detained in an Australian prison and providing media commentary on the rights of migrants with disabilities. The combination of Natalie’s lived experience of disability and professional skills gives her expertise a clear focus on the human rights of people with disabilities.

Natasha has built strong self advocacy skills through her personal health journey with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), and a motor vehicle accident. Her experiences of feeling like she wasn’t being heard in regard to her own health lead to her learning that she had to trust that she knew her own body, and to back herself in situations when things weren’t right. These experiences were traumatic and lead to significant delays in accessing the appropriate treatments and management. Pivoting from being a passive patient to an assertive manager of her own health lead her to finally getting the answers she sought, and put her on the path to appropriate management of these conditions.

Natasha actively amplifies the voices of people who have similar experiences in the hope that it can bring widespread, and much needed, change to structures and systems. Natasha became involved with AFDO in 2019 bringing with her the voice of a person with lived experience of being disabled and navigating the social security system. In sharing her experiences and journey, Natasha hopes that others won’t have to experience the same trauma in accessing the help that they not only deserve, but are entitled to.

Natasha has a passion for working with newborns and has volunteered at the Royal Children’s Hospital as a family support volunteer for the past 4 years. In 2018 she completed her Bachelor of Education, Early Childhood & Primary, followed by a Level 4 qualification in Maternity Nursing whilst in the UK. Natasha uses her free time to foster kittens, focusing on hand raising vulnerable neonatal kittens who can require intensive and around the clock care. One of her previous fosters has become her own emotional support animal, and is a wonderful source of comfort.

Mary Henley-Collopy joined Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) as a Director on the AFDO Board in 2019.

Since leaving the Board, she has now taken on the role of AFDO Expert Consultant on National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) where she brings a wealth of professional and personal knowledge as a person with a disability and an NDIS participant herself. She has over 35 years’ experience working as a Social Worker in both the public and private sectors.

Mary has a Bachelor of Social Work; Bereavement Counselling qualifications; and a Certificate IV in Workplace Assessment and Training. Mary is currently undertaking a ‘Diploma of Governance’ through the Institute of Community Directors Australia. Mary was born with a permanent disability stemming from Thalidomide damage – resulting in four limb foreshortening.

Eva Sifis’ expertise illustrates her life long calling to the Arts. As a professional performer, she danced around Australia. This led to life and Cabaret work in Japan. In 1999 Eva was on her way to stardom in China however when she sustained severe brain injury as a pedestrian, that reality was abruptly stopped.

Her drawn out and continuing recovery is led arm in arm with the disability arts sector, enabling a view that straddles life before and after acquired disability. This perspective gives a richness to her experience and depth to her view. Eva still manages to be a performative artist and producer but her main drive has shifted to that of training and advocacy.

By Accident™️ was developed in order to fill a gap in what is on offer to survivors of brain injury in Australia. Hearing the voice and creativity of her peers, the space Eva forms gives credence to the authority lived experience brings.

Arts Access Victoria gains from her crafting of training together with her facilitation of the program.

Consultations for AFDO are carried out alongside a similar position with Women with Disabilities Victoria. As developer and trainer for ‘Voice At The Table’, Eva champions the inclusion of those with cognitive disabilities being present when decisions and policies are being made that concern them.

Eva is a born connector and takes great pleasure in endorsing a more equitable world.