She is the former CEO of Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services (MARSS Australia) and has also served as Secretary, Deputy Chair and Chair of the MARSS Board of Management. Dewani is a past Chair of the Settlement Council of Australia and a member of the ACT Chief Minister’s Advisory Committee to the Office of Fair Trading, the National Migrant and Refugee Women’s Alliance, the Canberra Multicultural Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee for Welcoming Cities.

Dewani was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2022 for significant services to migrant and refugee services, and to the community. Her contributions have also been recognised by being awarded the FECCA Multicultural Award and the ACT International Women’s Award for Multiculturalism in 2008.

This extensive experience in peak body and community organisation governance and knowledge of the local, regional and national community sectors has given Dewani a deep understanding of how to connect Canberrans with the support and services they need to fully participate in our community. This includes an understanding of casework, advocacy and referral services, and of developing and delivering programs and services for disadvantaged and vulnerable communities. She also has expertise in government funding models underpinning the community sector and a strong background in business development in this context.

An experienced Registered Nurse, Margaret Anderon has recently taken on a role as a Clinical Nurse Consultant in a psychogeriatric ward. She holds a Bachelor of Nursing and a Master of Gerontology. In her 17 years in aged care nursing, Margaret has assisted many seniors to overcome mental health issues and rejoin their community or become part of new communities.

Margaret joined the CRCS Board in November 2023 as the CRCS philosophy and programs aligned with her passion for the community sector. From her experience in nursing, Margaret knows that the benefits of our programs not only strengthen individuals, but also the community spirit, enabling people to rise above negative life situations with the knowledge that there are people around to support and help them.

Naresh Gunasekere is a highly accomplished legal professional and registered migration agent (MARN 1795737) with over 20 years of experience spanning law, migration services, and organizational leadership. Holding a Bachelor of Laws, Attorneys-at-Law (Sri Lanka), a Commonwealth Executive MBA, and a Graduate Certificate in Migration Law from ANU, Naresh brings exceptional expertise in governance, policy development, and legislative interpretation. His career includes senior roles in legal practice and corporate management, where he demonstrated strategic thinking, operational leadership, and a strong commitment to ethical decision-making. Naresh’s ability to engage stakeholders, navigate complex regulatory frameworks, and foster cross-cultural collaboration makes him an asset to any board. His dedication to community service and proven governance capability ensure sound oversight and impactful outcomes. Naresh offers a unique blend of legal acumen and executive experience, positioning him to contribute meaningfully to the CRCS Board’s vision and strategic goals.

Nigel is a specialist in management consulting with 35 years in consulting and advisory services in its many forms: in small start-ups, established firms, global organisations, research institutions, and not-for-profits. He was the longest serving partner and director of Apis Group, a specialist management consulting business of more than 150 professionals supporting Commonwealth government clients in health, aged care, human services and social policy initiatives. After the firm’s sale and transition in 2019 to Accenture, a world leading global technology services business, he stayed on as a Managing Director until 2022. His current business, Tabiya Services, specialises in executive coaching and advising small to medium entities spanning law, accounting, engineering, science, training, humanitarian services and defence capability in good business practices.

Ellen Samuels is the Executive Manager of a boutique communication and engagement consultancy and holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Parks, Recreation and Heritage). She joined the CRCS Board in November 2023.

Having been Chair of her children’s school board for three years and a member for six, Ellen has found her combination of skills to be helpful to the board and sought to contribute these to the community sector.

She is strongly interested in using her skills in communication, community engagement and business management to contribute to CRCS. She also brings her passion and experience related to advocating for diversity, equality, equity and inclusion.

Adam is a Canberra local with a long history of not-for-profit board involvement across a range of sectors, including health and community services, arts and culture, housing and the environment. He holds experience as a public sector senior executive who has been responsible for a broad range of community services issues in the ACT Government, including in disability, housing, aged care, community housing, LGBTIQ issues, as well as arts and cultural programs. Adam has held a range of political and media adviser roles across political parties and with independent parliamentarians.

Over the past 30 years Adam has held various roles on not-for-profit management boards in the ACT and nationally, bringing a focus on fit-for-purpose organisational structures, strategic planning, advocacy, policy development, stakeholder relations and fundraising. Using his strong governance experience, he have previously worked on numerous organisational constitution revisions, chaired governance sub-committees and presided over management boards.

In many of Adam’s senior executive roles within government, he has been responsible for community grants and service purchasing programs, as well as reviews of not-for-profit governance and assessments of financial sustainability and robustness. Adam has acquired strong policy and governance experience for many of the areas in which Capital Region Community Services delivers programs.