The FRSA Board consists of five elected Directors and up to four additional Directors, at the Boards’ discretion.

They meet four times annually to discuss governance and long-term goals, approve major actions of the organisation, support FRSA to fulfil its mission and ensure implementation of the FRSA Strategic Plan 2023-27.

Each Board position works on a three year term, and no Board member can exceed a maximum of three consecutive terms.

FRSA is responsible for supporting the Board, and for coordinating the Call for Nominations and ballot each year.

The Call for Nominations will be sent no more than 4 months prior to the AGM.

To nominate a potential candidate, you must be the authorised Member Delegate of an FRSA Full Member organisation who has not nominated any other candidate, and the person you are nominating must be the authorised Member Delegate of a Full Member or Associate Member organisation. All nominators, seconders and nominees must have their fees paid in full by the Call for Nominations date.

Useful Documents

The following documents are available to prospective nominees; please contact us or (02) 6162 1811 for copies:

1. FRSA Position Description – Board Member
2. FRSA Constitution 2025
3. FRSA Policy and Procedures Manual
4. FRSA Annual Report 24-25

Allison Wainwright

M.Social Work (University of South Africa), Psych (Hons) (University of South Africa), BSocSc (Hons)

Board Chair
Finance, Risk and Governance Committee

Appointed: 22 November 2019
Reappointed: 19 November 2021
Reappointed: 28 November 2024
(Current term expiry AGM 2027)

Allison Wainwright is the Chief Executive Officer at Family Life, a specialist family services provider, working with vulnerable children, families and communities.

Allison has worked in both government and not for profit sectors in senior practice and executive management roles in the areas of children, youth and family services in South Africa and Australia. Allison has an extensive range of knowledge and experience spanning over 20 years of social work practice. She has a specialist skill set that focuses on programmatic design of therapeutic systems that provide trauma informed interventions and family sensitive practice including crisis services, residential care, child protection, family support and community based models. Allison has previously managed clinical, case management support teams in family violence, children and family services – in particular clinical mental health, and services for women and children experiencing violence.

She has provided international leadership over collective impact, community change and primary prevention initiatives. Designing place based and community centred models around HIV/AIDS prevention, family violence prevention, sexual health and place based responses to vulnerable families and children.

In South Africa Allison held the position of State Director for Integrated Services for Women and Children impacted by family and sexual violence and led the South African government reform agenda from 2005 to 2011, rolling out community based responses to victims of crime and violence.

Leanne Strommen

B. Social Work, AdvCert in Human Services (Disabilities), GDip Housing Management and Policy

Deputy Chair
Chair of the Sector Events Committee
Chair of the Conference Reference Committee
Research and Policy Committee

Appointed: 22 November 2019
Reappointed: 19 November 2021
Reappointed: 28 November 2024
(Current term expiry AGM 2027)

Leanne Strommen is the General Manager Community Services of Centrecare Inc, which delivers a diverse range of social services to the West Australian community and provides 65 programs and over 150,000 community contacts a year. Her involvement in the sector, both paid and voluntary positions spans over 30 years. Leanne ‘s direct experience is through her work in the areas of individual, family and children counselling, family and relationship services, early education programs, homelessness support, housing provision, justice programs, settlement services, out of home care, financial counselling support and family and domestic violence services. Leanne is strongly committed to the recognition of Indigenous people as the original custodians of our land and working towards addressing the barriers that Indigenous people face in getting appropriate services to meet their needs.

Her involvement in the sector, both paid and voluntary positions spans over 30 years. Leanne’s managerial skills and knowledge of community services has helped her develop a deep understanding of the social service sector and government systems in which community service organisations engage. Leanne considers it essential that people from all backgrounds have access to service consistency and service excellence. Further to this, that the sector is central to the future wellbeing of so many Australians and continually seeks through advocacy and lobbying to protect the integrity and quality of social service delivery throughout Australia.

Leanne’s strong knowledge and understanding of the local needs of the community and effective responses pertains to metropolitan, rural and remote areas. Her involvement has been in state government and national committees including being the former chairperson of Shelter WA, Community Housing Coalition of WA and Western Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office, and a former Board Member of the Australian Federation of Homeless Organisations and National Shelter.

John Bouffler

B. Ec (Double major in Accounting and Economics) University of Sydney, FAICD

Treasurer
Chair of the Finance, Risk and Governance Committee

Appointed: 12 December 2023
(Current term expiry AGM 2027)

John Bouffler is the former Executive Director of Community Employers WA (CEWA), a role he held for 10 years. CEWA is a representative body for 175 NFP employer organisations in the Community Services sector across Western Australia and focuses primarily on advocacy around the sustainability of services, strengthening relationships with government, procurement, tendering and commissioning.

Prior to his role at CEWA, John was CEO of St Vincent de Paul WA and had a long career in banking and finance in Sydney and Perth in the Corporate area, primarily in senior executive positions with National Australia Bank and Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

John is currently the Non-Executive Chair of Interchange, a WA based NFP disability provider, continues to be active with Lifeline WA as a telephone counsellor and mentor (for 30 years), and is involved in a local suicide support group for young people in Perth. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has been on numerous boards, committees and government bodies for many years.

Judge Alexandra Harland

BA, LLB (Hons), GDip Legal Practice

Appointed: 29 November 2023
(Current term expiry AGM 2027)

Judge Alexandra Harland is a Division 2 judge of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and a current member of the Family Law Council, a statutory body providing advice to the Commonwealth Attorney-General on family law matters.

She is a board member of Family and Relationships Australia and a member of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (USA) international committee.

Prior to her appointment in 2013, Judge Harland was an accredited family law specialist and independent children’s lawyer. She taught family law part-time whilst in practice for several years. Since 2004 she has regularly written and presented on a wide range of family law topics including financial and international issues, as well as children’s issues for lawyers and other family law professionals including court child experts. Since its inception, she has been the co-author of a leading family law text, Family Law Principles, now in its third edition. Since 2018, she has convened a group for new judges in order to provide new judges with additional mentoring and training support.

She has an interest and expertise in issues affecting same sex families, artificial reproduction, and surrogacy, focussing on the children’s rights perspective to legal parentage and identity.

In 2023 she presented at the ‘2nd International Surrogacy Forum’ in Copenhagen and at the ‘UK Family Law Reform Now Network’ with respect to children’s rights.

Felicity Williams

BA, MBA, GAICD, Grad Cert Leadership (Education)

Chair of the Research and Policy Committee
Sector Events Committee
Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group

Appointed: 29 November 2023
(Current term expiry AGM 2027)

Felicity Williams is CEO of Upper Murray Family Care, which provides programs and services focused on supporting children, young people and families in North East Victoria and southern NSW, including the region’s Family Relationship Service.

She has held executive and senior management positions in marketing, public relations, communications and general management in industries including tertiary education, secondary education, and not-for-profit organisations. She founded and ran a highly successful business strategy and marketing consultancy during which she provided practical assistance and support to small and medium sized businesses in a wide range of industries throughout North East Victoria.

An experienced board director, she is also Deputy Chair of Gateway Health, which provides community health responses in her local region. Supporting her passion for promoting economic and community development within our regional communities, Felicity is Acting Chair of the Victorian Ovens Murray Regional Partnership. She has chaired and been involved in a number of peak organisation Boards including ACEVic, the peak for the Victorian adult community education sector; Regional Sport Victoria; and Australian TAFE Marketing Association.

Felicity was awarded an International Specialised Skills Institute Fellowship (funded by Department of Education and Training – Higher Education and Skills) in 2019, which provided an opportunity to undertake research into ways to support adults with learning difficulties, including those involved in the justice system.

Felicity is a member and graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She holds a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Business Administration, and Graduate Certificate in Leadership.

Cheryl Orr

Research and Policy Committee
Chair of Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group

Appointed: 29 November 2023
(Current term expiry AGM 2027)

Cheryl Orr, Principal Solicitor at Cheryl Orr Family Law, is from the Gurang Gurang People and her family are the Williams. Cheryl left high school prior to completing year 9 but inspired by her grandfather’s passion for education (he learnt to read at age 64) and guided by an obligation to work for the betterment of her community, Cheryl completed a Bachelor of Social Science – Indigenous Key Program and Bachelor of Law as a mature aged student.

Cheryl was admitted as a solicitor in 2007 and now has her own practice. Cheryl’s practice areas are Care and Protection and Family Law including dispute resolution/mediation. She has appeared in the Family Court, Full Family Court, Children’s Court, District Court and Supreme Court and is responsible for a number of reported cases. Cheryl has developed practice manuals for NSW Community Legal Centres in the areas of Family law Parenting and Care and Protection for the purpose of assisting and acting for Aboriginal clients. Cheryl has been a guest speaker at the NSW Bar Association and Aboriginal Legal Access Program. Cheryl was a former member of the Law Society of NSW Indigenous Issues Committee and played an instrumental role in the recent changes pertaining to Care and Protection law. In 2007 Cheryl was awarded the National Council for Women NSW Australia Day Award. In 2014 Cheryl was awarded Indigenous Lawyer of the Year by the Federal Attorney General.  In 2020 Cheryl was one of 3 finalist awarded Female Indigenous Lawyer of the year and was nominated for Female Lawyer of the year and sole practitioner of the year.

Cheryl has been guest speaker on NITIV & ABC, interviewed by Al-Jazeera and the Guardian newspaper, interviewed on radio, and invited as guest speaker, presenting at the Redfern community legal centre in relation to the removal of children in the care and protection jurisdiction and introducing Aboriginal families into the Family Law Jurisdiction. In 2016 Cheryl was invited as a guest lecturer at the Australian Catholic University teaching Family Law. Cheryl works tirelessly to increase access to justice for Aboriginal people and passionately advocates for families in crisis in all family law related matters. In August 2018 Cheryl completed her 30 year journey and acceptance to Islam. Cheryl’s downtime includes spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren. Cheryl’s hobbies include cooking and fine dining.

Graeme Westaway

Cert Mediation, GDip Marketing, CertGovNFP

Finance, Risk and Governance Committee
Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group

Appointed: 28 November 2024
(Current term expiry AGM 2027)

Graeme Westaway is the Executive Manager Engagement & Growth at Better Place Australia. Graeme believes all people should be able to live their lives fully, in socially connected ways without fear of coercion or discrimination. With a science, communication and services development background, Graeme is behind Better Place Australia’s digital presence, corporate communications, stakeholder management and growth generation.

He has held executive and senior leadership roles across the not-for-profit, mutual and corporate sectors. He brings to Better Place Australia a strong background in developing strategies to drive growth, digital engagement and service innovation. He has a passion for raising ageism awareness, elder abuse prevention and respecting the right of all people to self determine.

Cheryl Lierton

BA, M. Social Work, GradCert Psychological Studies, GradCert Management

Research and Policy Committee
Sector Events Committee
Conference Reference Committee

Appointed: 28 November 2024
(Current term expiry AGM 2027)

Cheryl Lierton serves as the Executive Manager of Community Services at Uniting Communities in Adelaide, a position she has held since 2023. In this role, she oversees more than 70 services across South Australia, including family and relationship services, homelessness support, alcohol and other drug services, crisis services, community legal services, financial counselling, out-of-home care, reunification, mental health services, migrant support, and aged care assessment services. Cheryl has been with Uniting Communities for over 14 years, where she has played a pivotal role in establishing and continuously improving client-centered, accessible, and outcome-focused services.

With over 20 years of experience in the community services sector, Cheryl holds a Master’s degree in Social Work. Her career began in youth homelessness, and she has also worked in youth justice in England, as well as in family and education support sectors in Australia before transitioning into management roles. Cheryl is dedicated to advancing the community services sector by developing both quantitative and qualitative evidence to better communicate and demonstrate its achievements.

Since 2021, Cheryl has led the expansion of the Ruby’s Reunification program, transforming it into a licensed model across five states. Ruby’s, which has been operating in South Australia for over 30 years, is a highly successful program that helps adolescents at risk of homelessness due to family conflict to reunify with their families and avoid entering the youth homelessness sector.

Danielle Newport

Appointed: 12 November 2025
(Current term expiry AGM 2028)

Danielle Newport is the Chief Executive Officer at Relationships Australia WA, a position she has held since August 2022.

With over a decade of governance experience in Australia and the UK, Danielle brings a passion for strengthening community services and ensuring quality outcomes for clients. Her journey includes three years on the National Disability Services board during the rollout of the NDIS, where Danielle championed diversity and choice for communities. A Fellow of the Governance Institute and AICD graduate, Danielle combines strong financial and risk expertise with a deep commitment to constructive, contemporary governance.

She was also previously the CEO of WA’s largest disability services provider Activ Foundation overseeing more than 1,300 staff providing a diverse range of services across 100 locations.