About Us
Governance
Comm Unity Plus Services Ltd has a constitution that covers all areas of governance.
Comm Unity Plus Services Ltd is governed by an elected, voluntary Board of Management, which meets bi-monthly. The Board Charter sets out the role and responsibility of the Board.
Our Board
Jackie Mead - Director, Chair
Jackie was appointed to the commUnity+ Board in 2020 and has been the Chair of the Board since December 2022. Jackie is the Chair of the Governance Committee and member of the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee.
Jackie is a long-time resident of Melbourne’s Inner West and has a passion for creating and supporting vibrant communities that are inclusive and compassionate at their core. She brings more than 15 years of not-for-profit experience, along with a background in consulting and HR. Jackie is currently the CEO of the national community legal service, Knowmore Legal Service.
Jackie has a Bachelor of Commerce from Deakin University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Melbourne (ANZSOG). Jackie has certification from the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is proud to play a small part in the great outcomes being achieved by commUnity+.
Emma Hunt - Director, Deputy Chair
Emma was appointed to the commUnity+ Board in 2020 and the role of Deputy Chair in 2022. Emma is a member of the Governance Committee.
Emma is an Associate Director in Legal Practice, Victoria Legal Aid (VLA).
Emma is an experienced lawyer and manager with broad expertise across the legal, not-for-profit, and government sectors in Australia and overseas with over 25 years in leadership roles across the legal, not-for-profit, statutory agency and government sectors in Australia and overseas. She is passionate about social justice and is dedicated to supporting community services that make a difference in the lives of people living in Melbourne’s west and north.
Emma has a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Adelaide, and a first-class master’s degree in criminology from The University of Melbourne. She is admitted to practice law in Victoria and holds a current practising certificate.
Poonam Fernandes - Director
Poonam Fernandes was appointed to the commUnity+ Board in 2023. She serves as Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee.
Poonam is currently the Chief Financial Officer at the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). She has held several senior finance leadership roles within the Australian Government, including at the Department of Health, and brings extensive experience across the government, not-for-profit, mining and resources, and financial services sectors.
Throughout her career, Poonam has provided strategic leadership and expert advice on finance, operations, governance, risk management, and business planning, helping organisations achieve strong financial stewardship and sustainable outcomes.
Poonam is passionate about supporting and strengthening communities. As an active member of the Sikh community, she is committed to fostering inclusion, connection, and social wellbeing. She also volunteers within her local Trillium community, helping to build a vibrant neighbourhood where residents can develop strong and lasting relationships.
Poonam has a Bachelor of Commerce, is a Certified Public Accountant, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Kristie Lawson - Director
Kristie was appointed to the commUnity+ Board in 2023. Kristie is a member of the Governance Committee.
Kristie is Director Corporate Services at Central Highland Rural Health. Kristie has well developed skills in stakeholder management, project management and leadership with several years’ experience leading teams in the public sector working across both State and Local Government.
Kristie’s experience in leadership includes senior roles at Melton City Council, Wyndham City Council and the Department of Justice and Community Safety (formally Department of Justice).
Kristie has strong social justice values and having worked extensively with communities in the west, has developed an understanding of current and emerging trends that are unique to communities in the west, particularly more vulnerable cohorts such as women, children, and young people. Kristie is passionate about affecting real change and supporting place based, trauma informed and person-centred care to ensure that communities thrive and break the cycle of disadvantage.
Kristie holds a Master of Business Administration, Graduate Certificate of Management and Advanced Diploma of Business (Legal Practice) and a Diploma of Governance.
Susanne Legena - Director
Susanne was appointed to the commUnity+ Board in 2016 and has previously served as Chair of the Board. Susanne is currently a member of the Community Advisory Committee.
Susanne is the CEO of Plan International Australia – a humanitarian and girls rights organisation – and an advocate for community development, gender equality and youth participation. In addition to her role as CEO, Susanne serves as Chair of the Emergency Action Alliance and as a board director for the Australian Conservation Foundation. Susanne has dedicated her career to working on social justice issues, tackling family violence, poverty, gender inequality and climate change.
Susanne has a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from Flinders University and a Master of Arts (Professional Communication) from Deakin University.
Jayne Nelson - Director
Jayne was appointed to the commUnity+ Board in 2024. Jayne is a member of the Community Advisory Committee.
Jayne has a diverse industry background, having worked as an executive leader in health, higher education, marketing and advertising. She often draws on her experience in these industries to find creative solutions to complex issues. Jayne has a strong track record of empowering teams to deliver quality services for people in local communities with diverse backgrounds.
Working with the team at commUnity+ to positively influence change, growth, and support of individuals and families through a range of early intervention and prevention programs aligns strongly with Jayne’s personal passion of creating opportunities, achieving positive outcomes and making a difference.
As the CEO of IPC Health, a not-for-profit community health organisation, Jayne is a highly collaborative and innovative leader who excels in developing strategies, building a high-performance work culture, and leading large complex teams to deliver service-oriented solutions for people.
Jayne is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Master of Marketing and Bachelor of Arts.
Martina Otten - Director
Martina was appointed to the commUnity+ Board in 2024 and is a member of the Governance Committee
Martina is the Executive Director of the Faculty of Pain Medicine at the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, where she provides strategic and organisational leadership across governance, education, policy and stakeholder engagement across Australia and New Zealand.
Martina brings senior executive and governance experience spanning the health, education and international sectors, with particular expertise in strategy, organisational performance, governance, risk and stakeholder engagement. Her career has been shaped by working across disciplines, cultures and jurisdictions, giving her a strong appreciation of the value that diverse perspectives bring to effective organisations and good governance. Prior to moving into senior health leadership, she held roles at RMIT University in International Relations and with the United Nations Global Compact – Cities Program, focusing on international and cross-cultural collaboration This international experience informs her commitment to inclusive leadership and strongly aligns with commUnity+’s multidisciplinary and multicultural approach to supporting diverse communities.
Martina is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a MSc in Organisational Psychology from the University of London.
Damien Smith - Director
Damien was appointed to the commUnity+ Board in 2024. Damien is a member of the Finance and Risk Management Committee.
Damien is well-versed in governance, risk management and strategy.
Damien brings over 25 years of executive experience in cybersecurity, technology and risk with large and medium-sized organisations and has provided cybersecurity consulting to several organisations.
A long-term resident of the West, Damien is passionate about equality, diversity and opportunity for all community members.
Damien has a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Science degree from Deakin University, and he is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Senior Leadership Team
Tracey Gaudry - Chief Executive Officer
Tracey is an accomplished leader with over 20 years of experience in executive and governance roles. She has previously held CEO roles at Respect Victoria and the Amy Gillett Foundation. Tracey’s governance roles have included Vice President of Union Cycliste Internationale, where she chaired the global Women’s and Advocacy Commissions, and Director of the Sports Environment Alliance. Her leadership has focussed on prevention and early intervention research, and policy and program/delivery initiatives supporting diversity, equity and inclusion in local, regional, national, and international settings and communities.
Tracey is dedicated to supporting and enhancing the diverse communities that commUnity+ serves and brings significant knowledge, experience, insights, and energy.
Tracey holds bachelor degrees in commerce and science from Deakin University and a Master in Management from the National Graduate School of Management at the Australian National University. She is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Lauren Palma - Executive Director Client Services | Deputy CEO | Acting COO
Lauren’s leadership has focused on direct client service delivery, advocacy, program initiatives and development, contract management, sector support, training and education, and stakeholder management. Lauren has led teams in Local, State and National roles.
Lauren is passionate about supporting people to be the best version of themselves and about providing opportunities to more vulnerable cohorts to support people and communities to thrive. She is passionate about trauma-informed and person-centred care and recognises the value and need for co-design within the community services sector.
Lauren is passionate about collaboration as a driver for success and places importance on stakeholder engagement to improve opportunities for participants.
Lauren holds a bachelor degree in Criminal Justice and a post-graduate diploma in Education.
Nimeshika (Nim) Peiris - Head of People and Culture
Nim Peiris joined Comm Unity Plus Services as Head of People and Culture in October 2019.
Nim brings more than 20 years of broad generalist experience in development of Human Resources
and Organisational Development strategy, learning and development, change management, talent acquisition,engagement and management, HRIS implementation and administration, and employee relations.
Previous roles in Human Resources management include with Good Shepherd Microfinance, Bulla Dairy Foods, Spotless Group and NDB Bank.
Nim holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura (Sri Lanka), a Certificate IV in Human Resources from Charles Darwin University, and a Commonwealth Masters in Business Administration from the Open University of Sri Lanka.
Nathan Hall - General Manager Corporate Services
Key Policies
Terms of Reference