It’s hard doing everything on your own. That said, when you do need help, it has to be the right kind of help – help from people who really care about what you want, what you have to say, and how you want your life to be. We know this because we’ve been assisting people who are ageing, people with disabilities, and their carers for more than four decades. Along the way, we’ve listened closely and we’ve learnt a lot.

Staff Members

When you engage with our team, you’ll be greeted with big smiles, warm hearts, years of experience and on-the-ground understanding. Our team works hard for you and the people you love, and we back up our good intentions with solid knowledge and transparent processes. Our priority is, was – and will always be – you. The result is fantastic outcomes that genuinely improve lives.

The Ella Centre employs people who are passionate about supporting the Ella Centre’s work in creating an inclusive community for all. We employ staff with the skills and knowledge to support the individual needs of our service users and the development of person centred plans.

Employment Process

We employ skilled staff across disability, aged care, administration and business management.

All staff undergo an extensive screening process prior to appointment. Successful applicants must comply with The Ella Centre ethics and values, code of conduct and safe environment work practices.

Our screening process includes.

* NDIS Worker Screening Checks

* Reference checks.

When new employees arrive at The Ella Centre, they also complete an Induction and training program and receive ongoing training to ensure their skills remain current and up to date with relevant practices.

Board Members

Vanouhi Nazarian (Treasurer): Vanouhi is a Chartered Accountant who joined the Board in April 2020 and was nominated to the Treasurer position in October 2020. She is the Founder of Kindershare and is a tutor at UTS Business School. She has previously worked as a commercial manager at Mission Australia and in Corporate Restructuring at PwC. She holds a Masters of Accounting and a Post Graduate Diploma in NFP Management.

Marian Grills (Secretary): Marian holds a senior leadership role in Aged Care. She has more than 30 years experience in the health sector, in acute and Residential Aged Care. Marian is also a member of the St David's Haberfield congregation.

Dr Philip McCrea: Phil has more than 40 years’ experience in the Australian IT industry, spanning academia, business and Government. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of NSW (1975) and is currently an IT consultant.

Tim Robinson (Chair): Skilled banking leader with significant experience across banks, brokers and corporates. Adept at building and running multiple market leading teams who deliver best in class results whilst maintaining the highest ethical standards. Operates well in a highly competitive environment in which people, process and performance create a culture that delivers success. Non Executive Director specialising in financial services and NFP disability services

Samantha Daly: Samantha is an experienced legal practitioner with 20 years experience working in the area of environment and planning, as well as supporting disadvantaged communities and minority persons and groups through pro bono and community legal work. She is known for her ability to work with a broad range of stakeholders to solve complex problems. Samantha leads with empathy and compassion and is known for her ability to connect with stakeholders and maintain and foster long-term relationships. Samantha was included in Australasian Lawyer’s Elite Women 2021 list – being only one of 50 women nationally to achieve such a listing.

Ian Goff: Ian is General Manager of Sydney Presbytery within the Uniting Church and brings a strong drive for continuous improvement and process reengineering. With over 30 years experience within the profession and a background in audit, project management and training Ian combines his professional skills to the church environment to help ensure the Church remains an active and engaged participant in solid missional and commercial ventures. A FCPA, Justice of the Peace and UTS Graduate, Ian has a strong desire to see good processes and governance enacted. Living locally, Ian connects with many community events and has been active within Scouting Australia for over a decade as well. 

Pearl Forrester: FCPA; MBA; BEcons; GradDipCompSci; GAICD;MAICD. Pearl is a finance executive with experience in the not-for-profit human services sector, with roles over the last 20 years in aged care and disability organisations. Pearl worked primarily in ASX-listed companies for over 20 years prior to moving into not-for-profit , mission-focused organisations to combine life and career goals. Pearl held CEO, COO and CFO positions and was former Deputy Chair of a disabilities organisation, former regional Board member for a large aged care provider and a former member of the Advisory Committee for the Trustees of Catholic Aged Care Sydney.