Volunteering Australia Loses Senior Executives
7 May 2007 at 1:20 pm
On the eve of National Volunteer Week, Volunteering Australia has lost it most senior executives with the resignation of its CEO and Deputy CEO.
Long time CEO Sha Cordingley resigned two weeks ago. Colleagues told Pro Bono Australia her departure followed continuing ill health. Deputy CEO, Kylee Bates however also resigned just last week and has already left the job.
Bates had recently returned from attending the European Volunteering Assembly in Ireland with the theme of ‘Volunteering as a Route Back to Employment”.
In her report to VA about her experiences she said as National Volunteer Week in Australia approaches – with this year’s theme of See the change… volunteering – the organisation hoped to encourage more Australians to volunteer.
She said NVW also offers organisations a timely opportunity to reflect on how we can learn from the experiences of others.
The departures leave the NAB sponsored National Volunteer Week, which kicks off on May 14th, without an experienced executive presence, although an acting CEO is expected to be announced at the end this week.
President of Volunteering Australia, Ian Rentsch described the executive departures as unfortunately coincidental.
Rentsch says both Cordingley and Bates will be greatly missed and the organisation was indebted to both of them for their work in developing VA and promoting volunteer efforts throughout Australia.
He says the national VA office has a strong and committed staff working towards National Volunteer Week.
He says the acting CEO will be in place in time for the Week’s events and then a long term recruitment process will begin to fill the two roles.
Sha Cordingley was appointed Chief Executive of Volunteering Australia in 1999. Sha has worked in the community sector for over twenty years and in the volunteer sector for the past fifteen.
Sha has served on the boards of the International Association for Voluntary Effort (IAVE) and the National Roundtable of Nonprofit Organisations.
