At the Annual General Meeting, the Board is elected from the membership of the Inner Sydney Regional Council for Social Development Inc. Board members comprise local residents and representatives from community organisations based within the local government areas we service. Since 2016 Inner Sydney Regional Council for Social Development Inc. is trading as Inner Sydney Voice.
For 2023-2024, the elected Board members are:
Chairperson: Samuel Beattie
Sam is an Associate Specialist, Risk Governance and Risk Management at The Global Fund in, Geneva, Switzerland.
He has deep experience in Disaster Risk Reduction, Development, and Facilitation. He was a previous ISV employee and brings ample experience in partnership management with public, private, and community sector bodies, and with diverse communities in Australia and Asia Pacific. He holds a Master of International Security from University of Sydney, and a Bachelor of Biological Sciences.
Deputy Chairperson: John Mikelsons
John Mikelsons has significant experience in the community sector and government, having worked for the past two decades in a range of community organisations and government agencies in NSW and QLD. John’s policy, service delivery and advocacy experience is focused on several issues including community services policy, health and health promotion, poverty and youth justice. John also has a PhD in social policy from the University of Queensland and is a Waterloo local.
Treasurer: Lean Kaw
Lean is a member of the ISV Board.
Secretary: Jonathan Symons
Jonathan is an Inner West local who has a demonstrated history advocating for his community. Jonathan is an experienced professional who has managed and executed strategic campaigns for government, large multinational corporations, and national broadcasting networks.
Jonathan has previously worked as a spokesperson for youth mentoring, children’s health and cancer research charities, and has long advocated for the rights of refugees and asylum seekers.
Executive Officer: Marika Kontellis
Marika is a qualified social worker with postgraduate qualifications in management. Her frontline social work experience brings credibility to her leadership that is focused on building capability of organisations, teams and communities. Marika is a past member of the Disability Council of NSW, the Guardianship Tribunal of NSW and was, until 2012, an elected Local Government Councillor. Marika is a local with deep connections to the Inner Sydney Region.
Board member: Ha Bui
Ha is a strategic communications leader with 10+ years of success spanning marketing and events, developing integrated strategies that help businesses maximise commercial and organisational return, driving improvements in revenue, brand awareness, reach and reputation. Ha places people at the centre of everything she does. Ha is currently the Marketing and Communications Manager at Reliable, Affordable, Clean Energy for 2030 (RACE for 2030) a Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for energy and carbon transition.
A local Waterloo resident, Ha is passionate about social justice, and sustainability and is committed to adding value, listening to unique needs, challenges and requirements. Ha strives to develop solutions that meet the culture, climate and aspirations of an organisation, brand, or the wider community. By being authentic in her engagement, Ha builds the trust needed to rally stakeholder involvement, secure buy-in, and unite efforts in execution.
Board member: James Harding
James is originally from Bath, UK, and graduated from Cardiff University with a degree in Business Management. Having spent almost ten years living and working in London in various digital marketing roles, James and his wife decided to pack up and move to Sydney in 2019, currently residing in Balmain East.
James currently works as Head of Digital for Eco Outdoor at their headquarters on Danks Street, Waterloo (5 minute’s walk from the ISV office). His role is wide-ranging but primarily focuses on digital transformation for the business, working with our partners to deliver a best in class customer experience across all of our digital touchpoints.
Outside of the office, James and his wife have a one year old baby daughter (Lotte) who’s keeping them on their toes. When that’s not keeping him busy, James will try and jump on the bike with mates and spend more time in the cafe than on the road.
Board member: Kamani Krishnan
Kamani joined Inner Sydney Voice in 2021 and is driven by her deep commitment to equality.
She has qualifications in law and is currently the Legal Counsel – Risk and Governance for Tourism Australia.
With a commitment to justice, Kamani spent over 5 years as a Volunteer Solicitor – Police Complaints Practice with the Redfern Legal Centre.
Board member: Don Perlgut
Dr Don Perlgut was previously the CEO and Company Secretary of Community Colleges Australia (CCA), a not-for-profit association representing adult and community education providers. Prior to CCA, he was CEO of the Rural Health Education Foundation and the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils, as well as an Outreach Manager with ASIC. He is a former lecturer in urban planning at University of New England and in communications at UNSW, and a specialist in social housing. He holds a PhD in communications from Macquarie University; a Master of City Planning from the University of California, Berkeley; and a B.A. (Government) from Cornell University.
