Inner Sydney Voice (ISV) is very saddened to farewell its stalwart friend and comrade, Geoff Turnbull. Geoff joined ISV in September 2013 when he took on the role of Publications Officer/Co-Editor of Inner Sydney Voice magazine.
In the latter role, Geoff strived to provide readers and stakeholders alike with a better understanding of the pertinent issues of the day. For Geoff, the magazine provided an important platform upon which policy makers, service providers and community organisations could all share information with one another and — more importantly — to learn from one another. More recently, Geoff took on the role of Acting Executive Officer.
“Geoff has been a hugely valued colleague and personal friend whose enormous and positive contribution to our organisation’s growth has been highly valued by the board and his colleagues alike. He is a strong, inspiring and wise advocate for the communities we serve and the sector as a whole,” said ISV Chair, Michael Shreenan. “Whilst Geoff’s direct contribution to our organisation will be greatly missed, we know his voluntary work in the Redfern and Waterloo community as the REDWatch spokesperson and his role in the Counterpoint management committee — and the many other local groups that he is involved in — will continue to be appreciated and admired. We wish Geoff and his family well in the future.”
Meanwhile, we are pleased to announce and ask that you join us in welcoming three new staff members to the Inner Sydney Voice team. We have every confidence that Claire, Christopher and Tracy will become an incredible asset for us all, building upon the work of their predecessors. Below are brief introductions and contact details of the new staff; we encourage you to contact them directly.
Claire Mennie — Acting Executive Officer
Claire comes to ISV with a career background in organisational management, community and voluntary sector development, and children’s disability services. For the past year, Claire held a leadership role within a large social housing provider — Link Housing — where she was responsible for Community Programs and tenant engagement. Prior to that, Claire spent nine years as head/manager of a mid-sized charity which provided social, recreational and respite services for children with disabilities. Previous roles have been held in community recreation, events and organisational capacity building within local government and voluntary sectors.
Claire’s role as Acting Executive Officer is two-fold: managing the operations of ISV and overseeing sector development. “I am really quite honoured to be chosen to be part of this organisation and all it stands for. Going forward, I will do my very best to ensure the legacy of the organisation’s predecessors lives on and to ensure that ISV remains of real benefit to the local community.” When Claire’s not planning and coordinating, she likes to go trail running around Sydney at the weekends. Once upon a time Claire ran marathons —
not so fit now!
0402 281 943 • eo@innersydneyvoice.org.au
Christopher Kelly — Communications Officer
Christopher joins ISV with a career background in journalism/communications. He also has experience working in the community sector. For five years or more, Christopher held a communications role at the National Association of People with HIV Australia (NAPWHA) — the country’s peak body representing the HIV community. As well as performing general comm duties, Christopher was editor of NAPWHA’s quarterly magazine — Positive Living. Prior to NAPWHA, Christopher spent eight years on the editorial desk of a national weekly news magazine. As well as journalistic skills, as a former resident of Redfern, Christopher will also bring local knowledge to the role of Communications Officer.
As well as maintaining the organisation’s online and social media presence, Christopher will edit and produce Inner Sydney Voice magazine. “I’m thrilled to be joining an organisation that has worked so hard for Sydney’s inner-city communities over the past 40-odd years, and I’m proud to be editor of a publication that has such a rich heritage.” When he’s not clacking away at the keyboard, Christopher enjoys jumping on his Triumph motorcycle for rides up and down the coast. He also plays the harmonica — badly.
0412 281 439 • comms@innersydneyvoice.org.au
Tracy Hamilton — Community Resilience Project Officer
Although Tracy is early in her career journey, she has accumulated a range of experience through supporting development and relief projects in Nepal, Cambodia and Australia. Tracy’s most recent role was as the National Emergency Management Coordinator at ADRA Australia, where a big focus was supporting and then eventually managing the provision of temporary accommodation through evacuation centres.
Moving forward at Inner Sydney Voice, Tracy will manage a project that focuses on strengthening resilience in social housing communities in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley — a region that has the highest flood risk in all of NSW. “Through my work experience and learning so far, I’ve become quite passionate about disaster preparedness and resilience, so I am pleased to have the opportunity to be a part of a project that looks at strengthening these things in my own backyard.” Outside of work, Tracy enjoys exploring new places, taking off on outdoor adventures, and enjoying a good old sunrise or sunset.
0411 747 194 • resilience@innersydneyvoice.org.au