Board and Staff

Meet The Centre for Volunteering's team. Read all about its Board and Staff.

The Centre for Volunteering's Board Members

• Joy Woodhouse, Chairperson
• Valerie Hoogstad, Deputy Chair
• Ian Moyser, Treasurer
• CEO, Lynne Dalton and Executive Assistant, Janine Cowen, Company Secretary
• Alan Bates
• Bronwen Dalton
• Bruce Edwards
• Amanda Gruhn
• Kaye McCulloch
• Donna Purcell
• Peter Rowe
• Harry Whelan

Joy Woodhouse, Chairperson

Joy has run her own consultancy business since 1997 specialising in human resource management and training including corporate investigations, facilitation of strategic and business planning, and service management, reviews and evaluations. She has extensive experience in the government sector including as CEO of the Southern Metropolitan Developmental Disability Service with NSW Health. She has held Senior Executive Director positions in Ageing & Disability Services within the NSW Department of Community Services (DoCS). In 1993 Joy was appointed Assistant Director General of DoCS (Metropolitan North) responsible for approximately 4,000 staff and a budget of approximately $320m and undertook this role until 1997. Her academic qualifications include an Honours degree in Psychology from the University of Sydney and a Master of Health Planning from the University of NSW. During her public sector career Joy was appointed as a member and Chair of numerous NSW Government Steering and Advisory Committees, Task Forces, Working Groups and Review Teams, including Ministerial appointments such as the Substitute Care Ministerial Advisory Committee and the Mental Health Act Review Committee. She is a Director of the Board and Chair of the Audit Committee of Industries Mutual Credit Union.

Valerie Hoogstad, Deputy Chair

Valerie has a background in psychology, education and communications. She is a trained psychologist and has written 16 text books in the field of adolescent literature and corporate communication. She is currently Director of International Education at Australian Catholic University.

Ian Moyser, Treasurer

Ian is a partner with Audit and Risk Advisory services at KPMG. Ian joined KPMG in the UK in 1993 as a new graduate and worked in the London Office for eight years. In the period from October 2001 to March 2003, Ian worked in finance roles in the UK insurance industry, latterly as the interim CFO of a listed Lloyd's based Insurance Group. In April 2003, Ian joined KPMG Sydney's Audit and Advisory division and was admitted to KPMG's Australian partnership in 2005 as an audit partner. Ian is the engagement partner responsible for providing pro-bono audit services to the Humour Foundation on behalf of KPMG. Ian is currently taking part in the Australian Business and Community Network GOALS programme which involves acting as mentor to a Year 9 pupil from Granville Boys High School.

Alan Bates

Alan Bates comes from a financial and sales background with over 35 years experience in leading, training and managing volunteers. Alan graduated in the first class for the "Diploma of Volunteer Management Practices" conducted by the School of Volunteer Management. Alan is an active committee member of the ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency) Advisory for the Greater Sydney Area and has received a 40yr service award from the church scout movement – Pathfinders.

Bronwen Dalton

Dr Bronwen Dalton is Director of the Centre for Australian Community Organisations and Management and Coordinator of the Masters of Community Management at the University of Technology, Sydney. She is also the UTS Student Ombudsman. Bronwen has had extensive experience studying and working in the field of third sector studies and authored book chapters and journal articles on the accountability of NGOs; the impact of contracting and project-based funding regimes on advocacy; an evaluation of NGO-government partnership agreements and a report on NGO governance for the ANU directed Democratic Audit of Australia project. Bronwen is currently a chief investigator on an ARC Linkage grant which is examining the roll-out of community sector "compacts" (also called "partnership agreements") currently being finalised in all States and Territories in Australia as well as at the national level. Bronwen has been employed as a consultant by several non-profit and government organisations and is currently an expert adviser to the UNSW-led consortium for the evaluation of the Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services' Stronger Families and Communities Strategy.

Bruce Edwards

Bruce is the Honorary Treasurer of the Centre for Volunteering and is also the Honorary Treasurer of Volunteering Australia. He is an actuary with extensive experience in the financial services industry. He founded KPMG Actuaries and was managing director for 17 years until his retirement in 2001. He is currently a Director of the Russell Investment Group superannuation trustee company and chairs the group risk underwriting agency of Zurich Financial Services. He is also an external lecturer at Macquarie University in its postgraduate actuarial course. He is a recent past President of the Rotary Club of Sydney and continues to be an active (volunteer) member of that club.

Amanda Gruhn

Amanda Gruhn is Manager of Volunteer Programs at The Benevolent Society. Her primary role is to set strategies for volunteer involvement in the Society, focusing on harnessing the potential for volunteers to have a beneficial impact on the Society and in the community in general ,and so help create a more caring and inclusive community and a just society. Amanda works closely with approximately 45 people across the organisation managing around 900 volunteers. Amanda believes strongly in the benefits of volunteering both to the community and to the individuals who volunteer. She has been a formal volunteer herself in several roles in the community over the past 15 years. She has worked at a local hospice, has provided pro bono therapy for people in recovery from addiction and has assisted at fundraising events. She has a passion for volunteering. Amanda has a psychotherapy practice in Woolloomooloo and works with individuals and couples, with a focus on recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.

Kaye McCulloch

Growing up in rural Australia, Kaye learnt early that volunteering was a way of life ("if we don't do it, no-one else will" was her Dad's constant reminder). Since graduating with a Science degree with a Psychology major, Kaye spent several years working in the public sector in Australia and the UK before finding her true calling in the community sector. Since 1986, she has worked in the community sector, designing volunteer training and management programmes, as well as volunteering in many roles. Since 1999, Kaye has been the Manager on Volunteer Link, a Volunteer Resource Agency recruiting and training volunteers for organisations in the St George and Sutherland Shire region of southern Sydney. Volunteer Link is one of ten services within St George Community Services Inc. Since 1999, she has also been an active member of the NSW Volunteer Centre Network. As a trainer for Volunteer Link, Kaye specialises in training for Boards and Senior Managers of Volunteer-involving organisations, such as policy development, complaints handling, and Governance, Roles and Responsibilities of Board members.

Donna Purcell

Donna has been with Cancer Council NSW for almost five years managing the Volunteer Program Unit and providing frameworks and support for the involvement and engagement of volunteers across all areas of the organisation. As a not-for-profit and social marketing specialist, her experience includes strategic program development and policy formulation, volunteer leadership, and training. During her career spanning more than 25 years, she has also worked in marketing communications, fund raising and community and government relations. A former communications lecturer at Magil University, she has qualifications in public relations and training and taught high school students with intellectual disabilities. Donna has a strong passion for volunteerism, to build and sustain volunteering within Cancer Council and promoting the professionalism of the volunteer sector.

Peter Rowe

Peter is a Partner of Freehills' and specialises in funds management, securitisation and charity law and has extensive experience in securitisation and  the management and administration of trusts. He advises regularly on the legal requirements of retail and wholesale funds management and has been involved in several trust IPOs, takeovers and mergers of trusts. Peter is the head of Freehills Financial Services (Investment Products and Insurance) Group and has other management functions. He is a member of the Board Freehills Foundation.

Harry Whelan

Harry Whelan, aged 20, has been recognised by the NSW Department of Community Services during Children's Week with the Youth Commitment Award. Harry has an extensive background and has worked in the volunteer sector for several years. Some of his roles have included being a member of the Canterbury Youth Council, National Board Director for the Association for the Wellbeing of Children in Healthcare (AWCH), NSW Youth Ambassadors Committee member, Volunteers Network (The Foundation for Young Australians), Youth Advisor on the Young People's Reference Group (Commission for Children & Young People) and he attended the Voices for Future APEC program in 2007. In 2005 Harry was given the opportunity to be involved with a volunteer placement program with the De La Salle Brothers in Balgo Hills in Western Australia where he worked with a local Aboriginal community as part of the program. He has also been trained as a peer educator in the areas of multiculturalism and drugs and alcohol where he travelled to schools around NSW to facilitate these programs.

Harry has also worked closely with The Centre as a Youth Advisor & Student Community Involement Program (SCIP) facilitator and has developed and implemented new strategies for existing programs in promoting/involving young people in volunteering. Harry is also working with The Centre in developing a Youth Board which will give a direct link to young people and involve young people in the decision making process. Harry currently works as an Event Manager for Sane Event Management.

The Centre for Volunteering's Staff

• Lynne Dalton, Chief Executive Officer
• Administration and Corporate Services
• Awards and Recognition
• Communications, Fundraising, Marketing and Media
• Corporate Volunteering
• Media
• Membership
• Research and Policy
• School of Volunteer Management
• Volunteer Services

Lynne Dalton, Chief Executive Officer

Lynne has over 25 years experience in the community sector. She has sat on a number of Advisory Boards including for the Department of Planning and National Parks and Wildlife while working in the sector or consulting to State Government on community projects. Most recently Lynne worked with the NSW Department of Family Services and Community Services on capacity building projects. Between 1983 and 1995 Lynne was the Director of the Community Action Network Ltd, a non-profit organisation providing community services in areas such as Children, Family Support, Volunteering, Youth Services, Disability Services, and Multi-Cultural Services. Lynne holds a degree in Social Science and was previously a Board member of The Centre for eight years.

Member organisations wishing to meet Lynne can book an appointment through Janine Cowen on 02 9261 3600.

Administration and Corporate Services

• Janine Cowen, Executive Assistant to CEO and Office Manager
• Lyndon Reed, IT Network Administrator
• Yani Ginting, Finance Officer

Awards and Recognition

• Kristin Romanis, NSW Volunteer of the Year Award Manager

Communications, Fundraising, Marketing and Media

• Please direct all Media Enquiries to Lynne Dalton, CEO
• Sam Naja, Manager: Marketing, Fundraising and Partnerships
• Jacqui Hastings, Communications Coordinator
• Kristin Romanis, Online Manager (previously Communications Manager)
• Sarah Wu, Website Developer

Corporate Volunteering

• Odessa O'Brien, Corporate Volunteering Manager

Research and Policy

• Tony Frew, Research Development and Policy Manager

School of Volunteer Management

• Mark Tippett, Training Administrator, School of Volunteer Management

Volunteer Services

• Odessa O'Brien, Volunteer Services Manager
• Avril Samuels, Volunteer Referral Service Assistant
• Jacinthe Brosseau, Youth Volunteering Project Manager
• Maia Giordano, Youth Volunteer Program Manager

View the The Centre for Volunteering's full staff list and contact details.