With a motivation to give back to her community by utilising her skills, experience and knowledge, Vicky has been a member of the Board since 2023.

She is an Executive Recruitment Consultant with 20 years of professional experience in recruitment, human resources, leadership, consulting and sales. She brings her skills in recruitment, human resources, people and culture and leadership to the Board.

Vicky also sees her role on the Board as an opportunity to learn and develop professionally, as understanding the experience of being a Board member helps her to further support her executive candidates and clients.

Catherine McCarthy’s passion for people and their lives has driven her to become an advocate for those less able to advocate for themselves. She joined the Board in 2018 and brings both an educational and legal background to the table.

With extensive experience as a primary school teacher, solicitor, and lecturer of policing studies, Catherine holds a Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Laws, Master of Education, Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, and Graduate Certificate in University Leadership and Management. Her commitment to serving the community is unwavering.

With a background in accounting, management and taxation, Jane Godkin joined the CRCS Board as Treasurer in November 2023. She is a Senior Commercial and Finance Manager and is passionate about applying her extensive experience in the finance sector to make a difference in the community of Canberra and surrounding regions.

Jane is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She is committed to being an approachable, balanced and committed member of the CRCS Board.

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.

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.

Fiona brings significant experience in early education and care to the CRCS Board, which she joined in November 2023. With a Bachelor of Teaching, Fiona is a General Manager and Director with over 20 years of experience in early education and care, ranging from operations, governance, strategic planning, risk management, and building strong leadership teams and positive culture.

In addition to developing the lives of our future generations with community support, she is passionate about supporting older generations. Fiona believes that providing platforms within the community to allow everyone to build strong connections is important for all of us to succeed in life.

With 25 years of experience in community services, currently as the CEO of Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services (MARSS Australia), Dewani joined the CRCS Board in November 2023.

She has also previously been the Secretary, Deputy Chair and Chair of the MARSS Board of Management, 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.