Our Management Committee

Jennie Burns

Chair

Jennie is the Executive Director of Family and Community Services at Mercy Care and has worked in the community services sector throughout her extensive career, focusing on working with children, young people and families. She is passionate about improving outcomes for those who have experienced or witnessed violence.

She is a powerful advocate for trauma-informed education, streamlined access to services and early intervention for those at risk of FDV.

Throughout her work, Jennie’s strength is seeing potential in others and creating a sense of belonging, whatever that happens to look like for the individual. Her sense of empathy, combined with a strong governance lens, are powerful attributes.

Madeleine Green

Secretary

Madeleine joined Orana’s Management Committee in 2017, becoming Secretary in 2018. She is a Corporate Lawyer and Compliance Officer at the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), with a strong focus on governance and compliance. She holds a Bachelor of Laws and Commerce (Corporate Finance) from the University of Western Australia.

Amanda Gray

Treasurer

A Chartered Accountant with over fifteen years of expertise, Amanda is a dynamic leader in strategic accounting and financial transformation. As the Chief Financial Officer of a not-for-profit retirement village, she has revolutionised the finance function, built a high-performing team and successfully navigated the ongoing complexities of homecare and retirement living.

Amanda specialises in crafting and executing financial strategies that empower organisations to achieve commercial viability and long-term sustainability. Driven by a passion for the not-for-profit sector, she is committed to creating positive, innovative and lasting impacts.

Amanda is dedicated to fostering collaboration, promoting financial literacy, and ensuring resources are aligned with organisational goals to maximise community outcomes. Her unwavering commitment to social impact is matched by her ability to deliver transformative results, positioning organisations for enduring success.

Laura Buck

Laura is a certified HR practitioner with over fifteen years of experience leading cultural transformation, partnering with executives to develop fit-for-purpose people, projects and interventions. She is currently an Associate Director of Business Partnering & Change at the University of Western Australia.

Laura has worked across various industries, supporting organisations to achieve their strategic goals through workforce strategies and initiatives. She applies leading practice methodology, working collaboratively to understand unique challenges and opportunities to inform and drive successful organisational decisions and outcomes.

Laura is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion and has worked extensively with organisations and government initiatives to promote psychological safety and promote respectful behaviour in the workplace.

Laura holds a Masters of Human Resource Management, a Graduate Certificate in Business, and a Diploma in Project Management.

Alan Fairhead FAIM

Alan Fairhead is a seasoned strategist, business planner, facilitator, project manager, and organisational change specialist with over twenty-five years of experience leading and managing strategic programs within the private, public, and mining sectors.

Alan has performed a range of senior leadership roles for Rio Tinto, the Department of Communities, the WA Police Force, the Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor, and within the local government sector.

During his twelve-year tenure at the WA Police Force, he contributed to
community-focused strategies, including crime prevention and FDV.

His field of expertise includes organisational change management, strategic and business planning, governance and reporting, policy development, and outcomes-based management.

With a Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Management, Alan is a Fellow member with the Australian Institute of Management WA, and volunteers on their Professional Managers’ Network.

Alan has a young daughter and is extremely passionate about assisting Orana House to deliver on its mission to end FDV in the local community.

Tony Lazzara

Tony has an extensive background in the Australian Higher Education sector and is strongly committed to reconciliation, equity and access. His experience includes strategic and operational planning, internal and external relationship building, responding to Government policy settings and legislative compliance. His previous roles include:

• Director and Treasurer of Engagement Australia
• Director of Policy, Planning, Quality and Equity at ECU
• Internal and External Auditor at the WA office of the Auditor General

Tony is committed to a truly collaborative approach, focusing on supporting the team and building strong and productive professional relationships.

Amber Van Dam

Amber is a Senior Risk Manager at the Australian Public Service, implementing considered controls and assessing potential risks.

Previously, she applied these skills within the WA Police Force and the finance/banking industry, where she was involved in several projects to
help frontline staff identify signs of family and domestic violence. She ensured that regulatory obligations around privacy were complied with by implementing risk methodologies.

Amber enjoys helping organisations to manage their risk exposure and using governance practices to achieve strategic goals.

Meg Anklesaria GAICD

Meg is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia, with postgraduate qualifications in applied finance and investment. Her experience includes twenty years of Board governance across various industries, including the superannuation sector, environmental management, and customer resolution in the water and energy industries.

Meg is passionate about enhancing the natural environment and supporting people to achieve their personal and financial goals. Her experience as a volunteer Crisis Supporter with Lifeline for the last eight years allows her to contribute to supporting both children and adults in a safe, non-judgmental and respectful manner during their times of personal crisis.

Mel Rowe

General Manager

Mel Rowe has been General Manager at Orana House for close to ten years, following over a decade as Manager of the Eastern Region Domestic Violence Services Network (Koolkuna). She has also worked with at-risk youth in both community and residential settings in WA and the UK.

She holds professional Social Work qualifications (Reading University, UK, 1991) and a Masters in Therapeutic Childcare (Reading University, UK, 1998). She also has a Diploma in Management, completed at MODAL in Perth (2005), which examined management’s role in the community sector.

Mel is passionate about working with women and children and has worked across both NFP and Government sectors in multiple Service Delivery and Management roles. She is proud to manage an organisation that positively advocates and supports women and children who have experienced family and domestic violence.