Meet the Team
The Board
EDWARD PARKER
BBus, MBA, ACA
CHAIR
Edward's experience includes 30 years in finance and accounting roles across the spectrum of national and multinational organisations including KPMG and DXC (formally CSC). Edward is currently CFO for Industrie & Co and is responsible for financial strategy & governance, IT services, legal and company secretarial functions.
IAN ROSS
BBus, MCom, FAICD
NON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Ian has over 30 years’ experience in commercial operations management with a background in retail, fuel distribution, sports marketing and FMCG industries including petroleum, media, telco, and alcohol. He has widely diversified skills across industries and functions.
​
With 20 years’ of directorship experience in non-executive, executive and managing director roles serving on a number of Australian boards across a range of industries, including transport and distribution, convenience retailing and emergency response services
TARA LE FRIEDMAN
BSc, BEng (Chemical), MBA (Exec), MAICD
NON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Tara has over 23 years of experience in the oil, energy, and financial services sectors. She has held numerous senior executive roles across strategy, transformation, and business operations. Her skills include strategy development and organisation design, productivity / cost optimisation, operational risk management, strategic investments, organisational change management, and vendor/partner management. Tara’s expertise is in leading strategic development and delivery of large-scale business and technology transformation.
Tara is currently the Transformation Director for QBE and is responsible for leading their digital transformation for AUSPAC. Tara is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workplace and supporting new migrants build a better future.
NATHAN ALEXANDER
BEcon, MPP, GAICD
NON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Nathan is a senior public affairs professional with extensive experience leading teams in media, policy development, stakeholder management, and government relations. He currently leads the media and government function of Landcom, the NSW Government property development agency.
He is enthusiastic and passionate about improving outcomes for the community he grew up in - Fairfield, and an advocate for the transformative effect education can have on people's lives.
MARTIN LIANG
BCom/BEc, CA, AAICD
NON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Martin is a Chartered Accountant and experienced finance professional across Consulting, Banking and Manufacturing. Currently Martin is a strategic finance professional of Serco Australia, supporting governments around the world in the delivery of essential public services.
Having migrated to Australia two decades ago with his family, and utilised services similar to Community First Step, Martin is driven to contribute to the community, focusing on fostering diversity and promoting social inclusion.
JULIE LANGSWORTH
BA Comms (Hons)
NON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Julie has had many years at the executive level, currently at NSW Parliament as the Executive Director, Projects Strategy and Delivery, oversighting digital and infrastructure projects for the Parliament. Julie has had a diversity of roles at the Parliament, including managing various Legislative Council parliamentary committees and procedure office, as well as numerous corporate services including Education, Media, Library, Research, Hansard, Catering and HR. She has worked with the parliaments of the Solomon Islands and Bougainville as part of the NSW Parliament’s Twinning arrangements. Julie has previously worked in both the non-government sector and academia.
MICHELLE RUSHTON
BA, M Teach (Hons), Grad Dip TESOL, GAICD
NON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Michelle Rushton has over 20 years’ experience as an educator and leader, across both the public and private sectors. She is a co-founder and director of People of Influence, a consultancy specialising in leadership and team development for senior leaders. Her clients include Fortune 500 companies, government bodies, educational institutions and not-for-profits.​
Michelle is also nationally recognised educational leader who spent a decade teaching in public high schools in south-west Sydney, with qualifications in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). She is passionate about the impact that quality education and social services can have in mitigating disadvantage.
Senior Management
PROFESSOR PANDORA PATTERSON
BSocSci, Hons (Class 1), PhD (Psychology), MAPS, MAICD
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Pandora is a senior executive driven by social justice values with over 30 years of experience across the not-for-profit, government, and academic sectors. She has a PhD in psychology and is a registered psychologist. Pandora holds an adjunct Professor position with the Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University and previously held positions as an adjunct A/Prof with the Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney and Visiting Professor with the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Coventry University in the UK. Pandora is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
​
Pandora worked in youth and disability before spending 7 years with the Infant, Child, Adolescent Mental Health Service (ICAMHS) at South Western Sydney Local Health District. More recently Pandora was Executive General Manager, Research, Policy, and Patient Programs at Canteen where she provided national and international leadership in the area of young people impacted by cancer.
​
Pandora has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles largely focussed on the health and well-being of young people and has over 300 national and international conference presentations. She is a recipient of the Australian Scholarship Foundation and McKinsey and Company Executive Leadership Program Scholarship (2021) and the Women in Leadership Development (WILD) Program Scholarship (2022) funded by the Federal Government.
USHA RAO
CertIVFrontlnMgt, BCom, MHRM
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Usha is very passionate about creating a safe environment for children and is a strong advocate of enhancing opportunities for newly arrived migrants and refugees through education and employment opportunities. Having experienced first-hand the empowering support of Community First Step when she arrived with her family as a new migrant from India, Usha commenced working in the not-for-profit sector following a background in people and culture, including holding a master's in Human Resource Management.
​
Now with over 20 years experience in this sector, many of those in senior management including the Acting CEO role, Usha values creating opportunities for others to be empowered and takes great pride in working with culturally diverse communities.
LILY ROBERTS
BA (Journalism & Law), MSA
EXECUTIVE MANAGER, PEOPLE & CULTURE
Lily brings over 30 years in the not-for-profit and education sectors and 10 years of consulting in corporate and community sectors on community engagement, policies and employment lifecycles to her role as Executive Manager of People & Culture at Community First Step.
​
Her professional experiences are underpinned by a BA in Communications (majoring in journalism and law) and a Masters in Social Administration / Policy. She credits her undergraduate for influencing her decision to uphold equity, social justice, inclusion, diversity in all its forms, empowerment, and procedural fairness as a professional; and for crystalising the principles she has actively pursued as a woman who is from a culturally and linguistically diverse background. Her commitment to these values and to the principles of ‘best practice’ were enhanced by her post-graduate in Social Administration / Policy and through studying for a Diploma in Counselling.
​
Lily cites her leadership at the longest operating Childrens Contact Centre in NSW (in Harris Park) and the establishment of four Children’s Contact Centres in Lismore, Coffs Harbor, Dubbo and Orange as highlights in her career. These services provided the foundation of the client-focused, person-centred, best-practice values and principles that Lily now brings to Community First Step.
​
Her role at Community First Step brings Lily full circle, back to the community sector where she started out. She is both humbled and thrilled to be working alongside colleagues, students and volunteers who all seek to help create opportunities for culturally and linguistically diverse children, young people, individuals and families in Southwest Sydney.
LISA MASTORAS
CertPM, DipEMM, BFA
EXECUTIVE MANAGER, FUNDRAISING AND PARTNERSHIPS
Lisa is passionate about creating impact, utilising innovation to drive fundraising and likes to think outside the box.  
Lisa has over 25 years’ experience in the NFP sector representing Australian charities such as WWF, Amnesty International and the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Creating strategies to deliver revenue through fundraising programs that spark the interest of the community and businesses to take action.
With roots in South West Sydney, Lisa is driven to contribute to the future growth of Community First Step.
MARILENE FERNANDES
BBA, MSc
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Born in Australia to Portuguese parents, Marilene moved to France at a very young age, where she was raised and received her education, before returning to Australia in 2017. Marilene holds a Bachelor of Business Administration, specialising in Marketing and Management, and pursued her studies with an MSc in Management, Production, and Promotion of Audiovisual Medias.
Marilene has a rich background in film industry marketing, including roles at the Dendy/Icon Group. A pivotal shift then led her to the childcare sector. Fuelled by a passion to support parents in their journey and create nurturing environments for children, she continued her professional journey at Montessori Academy. With her own experiences of migration and a linguistically and culturally diverse background, Marilene is driven by Community First Step's mission to empower diverse communities in South Western Sydney.
Bringing expertise in managing successful marketing campaigns and creating impactful content, Marilene is dedicated to increasing awareness of the invaluable work Community First Step does in creating opportunities for the vibrant community it serves.
MARIE SALIBA
BSocSc (Hons)
HEAD OF COMMUNITY AND PSYCHOSOCIAL SERVICES
Marie has worked in the Community Services sector for over 17 years with roles in service coordination, community capacity building and stakeholder engagement. She graduated from Macquarie University with a Bachelor of Social Science, and completed a fourth year Honours degree research project.
​
Her work supporting migrants and refugees in Fairfield began in 2018, and her desire to advocate for the needs of the local area has grown ever since. In 2021 she was elected onto Fairfield City Council, where she is currently serving as a Councillor and allows her to also represent and engage with the community on a different platform.
​
Marie brings to Community First Step a passion for creating meaningful partnerships and collaboration to deliver impactful programs. She is highly driven to advocate for Southwest Sydney to ensure the community has access to the services and support systems which enable them to thrive.
NIKI SULLIVAN
BEd, CertEd, DipEd
HEAD OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES
Niki brings over 12 years of leadership experience to her role at Community First Step. With a strong background in senior management, she has successfully led large teams and played a key role in strategic growth initiatives and the establishment of new businesses.
Niki is dedicated to continuous professional development and holds a Bachelor of Education. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Education with a focus on Leadership at Charles Sturt University.
As the Head of Children's Services at Community First Step, Niki leads a team of qualified educators, ensuring the delivery of high-quality education and care. Raised in the Fairfield LGA, she is passionate about providing exceptional care to all children in our communities.