Our Leadership & Board | The Ella Centre Governance

Sonja brings over 20 years of dedicated experience in the disability sector to The Ella Centre, having served as our Service Manager for the last 15 years. Holding a Bachelor of Education in Habilitation from Australian Catholic University, Sonja’s expertise is deeply rooted in direct support for adults with exceptional needs and their families. She is passionate about person-centred care, organisational excellence, compliance and creating inclusive opportunities that empower people to live meaningful and connected lives. Sonja leads with a strong commitment to quality, collaboration, and positive outcomes for participants, families, and staff. Outside the office, Sonja enjoys baking sweet treats, spending time with family and has a strong interest in true crime!

Geoff is an experienced finance leader with a background as CFO for local operations of multinational organisations and as a consultant to small and medium-sized businesses. Throughout his career, he has helped organisations achieve sustainable success through effective collaboration across operational and administrative functions, with a strong focus on ensuring customer and stakeholder outcomes. With the Ella Centre, he is responsible for financial management, payroll, and statutory reporting compliance. He is also committed to supporting the Centre’s long-term financial sustainability by identifying efficiencies and strengthening business performance, ultimately contributing to an exceptional participant experience.

Outside of work, Geoff enjoys cooking, supporting his teenage daughter’s football activities, and volunteering with a community renewable energy organisation.

Grant is an HR Generalist with more than 40 years of experience in Senior Human Resources leadership across the not-for-profit and manufacturing sectors. Throughout his career, he has partnered with leaders to develop practical people strategies, strengthen workplace culture, and support organisational success.

His experience includes employee and industrial relations, recruitment, performance management, organisational development, change management, and HR compliance.

Grant holds a Bachelor of Commerce – Employment Relations.

Outside of work, Grant enjoys travelling and spending time with his grandchildren.

Sara has two decades of experience in aged care, Sara has built a career around supporting older people, especially those who are socially isolated, to feel seen, heard, and supported. As a long-standing coordinator and a qualified community services professional, Sara focuses on building meaningful connections, promoting independence, and ensuring each individual receives compassion and personalised care. Sara’s work is driven by strong advocacy, and a deep understanding of the unique needs of ageing community members.

Sara takes pride in creating safe, inclusive and person-centred environments where every person is treated with respect and genuine care.

Outside the office, Sara enjoys being with her grandchildren, cooking and spoiling her two cats.

Sam has over 12 years’ experience in the disability sector. Having worked in a range of roles at The Ella Centre, she has developed a strong understanding of both frontline support and the operational processes that enable quality service delivery. In her current role, Sam provides systems and administrative support across our programs. With a practical, solutions-focused approach, she enjoys working collaboratively across teams to drive continuous improvement and support staff to deliver the best possible outcomes for participants. Sam values building strong relationships with participants, families and colleagues that foster trust, respect and understanding. Away from work, Sam can usually be found with a dog lead in hand, planning where to travel next.

Ray brings over 15 years of experience in the aged care, disability, and community services sectors. His career has included roles in workforce coordination lead, client services, rostering, and systems support, where he has worked closely with clients, families, frontline staff, and service teams.

He holds a Bachelor of Business Operational Management from the University of Western Sydney and has developed strong expertise in service coordination, workforce management, staff support, and system administration. Ray is committed to delivering quality services, improving processes, and supporting positive outcomes for participants and staff.

Outside of work, Ray enjoys keeping up with technology, following the share market, and spending time with family.

Alex holds a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Sydney and has been part of The Ella Centre team for more than 13 years. Throughout her time with the organisation, she has coordinated services across the Weekend Social Group, Individual Support Services, and Day Programs. Alex has a particular interest in supporting adults living with early onset dementia and is passionate about working collaboratively with participants and carers to help individuals achieve their self-identified goals. In her spare time, Alex enjoys going to the beach and spending time with her family, two children and friends.

Vivian has a background in allied health and brings a broad range of experience across community, disability, mental health, and public health settings. Throughout her career, she has worked with individuals from diverse backgrounds and with varying support needs, developing a strong person-centred and strengths-based approach to service delivery. As the Day Program Coordinator at The Ella Centre, Vivian is committed to providing high-quality support that is responsive to the individual needs, goals, and interests of participants. She is passionate about creating inclusive and supportive environments that promote independence, community participation, meaningful connections, and a strong sense of belonging. Vivian also enjoys spending time with her family, exploring new restaurants, and thrift shopping—which she proudly considers a competitive sport and takes very seriously.

Catalina has over 16 years of experience working in the disability sector as a support worker and recently has joined the day program coordination team. She has a Diploma in Disability and also has done various certifications in Aged care. Catalina has a strong passion for helping individuals to achieve personal goals and providing person centred care.

Outside of work, Catalina enjoys reading, going to the movies, and dancing.