Big Moves in the Youth Sector

Youngcare, a Not for Profit that represents young people in aged care, has announced that General Manager Marketing and Fundraising, Samantha Kennerley, has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer.

The appointment is among many top-level appointments made over the past two weeks.

Kennerley has more than 25 years’ experience in the commercial sector specialising in marketing and communications, and has held high level management roles including Directorships both in the UK and Australia.

Youngcare’s Chairman Nic De Luca said that Kennerley would use her strength in providing strategic direction to continue to guide the organisation.

“With our 10th anniversary celebrations taking place in 2015, Sam will confidently lead Youngcare to this milestone and beyond,” De Luca said.

“Sam and I have worked closely in her role as General Manager and I am looking forward to working with her and the wider Youngcare team to achieve our upcoming goals.”

Kennerley said that in this day and age it just wasn't right that young people with high care needs had so few options.

“This is an organisation that has always resonated with me on a number of levels and I feel privileged to be taking on the role and delivering further on the legacy of our inspiration, Shevaune Conroy and the founders,” she said.

Outgoing CEO Mark Foley has been in the role since August 2012 and has accepted a position as Chief Operating Officer at FK Gardner and Sons, where he previously worked as a consultant.

Foley will remain on the charity’s board.

New President for Brisbane Youth Service

Helen Wood has been appointed as President of youth Not for Profit Brisbane Youth Service.

Wood has served as a member of the BYS Management Committee for the past 12 months, and will replace retiring president Frank Forrest who had served in the position for almost 10 years.

“Helen brings a wealth of relevant skills and knowledge to BYS,”  Annemaree Callander, CEO of Brisbane Youth Service, said.

“Helen has a background in public housing, homelessness, child safety and Indigenous affairs. Her expertise in organisational management and development will help BYS to strengthen the organisation’s capacity to deliver quality services to vulnerable young people.”

Currently, Wood is CEO of management consulting firm, TMS Consulting, headquartered in Brisbane. She assumes the role of BYS President on a voluntary basis.

“Brisbane Youth Service provides a comprehensive range of services and works hard to assist homeless and marginalised young people and young families,” Wood said.

“This opportunity offers me the chance to contribute both professionally, through my work experience, and personally for a cause I feel strongly about. I am also very committed to the importance of the Not for Profit (NFP) sector and contributing to their level of business readiness for the changes we see coming in this sector.”

Harrison Gets DES Top Job

Disability Employment Australia’s Craig Harrison has been appointed to the Chief Executive Officer, after three months of acting in the position.

Harrison has more than 20 years’ experience in supported open employment.  He has also worked across Australia in a variety of roles in the social justice space, particularly within the disability employment sector.

In the early ‘90s he began working in the disability employment sector in Northern NSW, initially as a support worker and then as service manager. During this time, Craig was central to the development and resourcing of six open employment services through the provision of training to build management and administration systems as well as support approaches to ensure successful service delivery.

Harrison worked at Adelaide’s Personnel Employment for 17 years and as the Executive Manager, established a Registered Training Organisation and developed the school to work transition program, a best practice model, still operating in Adelaide today.

Harrison spent five years as an Executive member on the Australian Disability Training Advisory Council, and has since served on many boards in the disability employment sector.

He was also inducted into Disability Employment Australia’s Hall of Fame in 2010.