Board of Management
GMS is managed by a Board of Management elected from our membership each year. Our staff are accountable to our Board via our CEO, and our Board provide strategic direction and governance to our organisation. Our board members bring key skills to our organisation such as leadership, financial management, commercial expertise, community sector knowledge, human resource management skills and the lived experience of the CALD community in the region.
Bosede Adetifa (MAICD)
Board Chair
Bosede is a credentialed mental health nurse, resilience coach and guest speaker with passion for aged care and mental health and wellbeing nursing. Bosede joined the Board and became the Chair Person in 2022. Bosede migrated to Australia in 2000 from Nigeria and identifies as part of the Yoruba Ethnic community. Since arriving in Australia, Bosede has been an active community member on a number of committees and completed her nursing studies.
Now a registered nurse with almost 20 years experience across a range of health fields, Bosede is currently working as a Director of Nursing and Mental Health Clinical Nurse Educator and has previous extensive experience in leadership and management roles. Bosede recently completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course – Governance Foundations for Not-for-Profit Directors.
In her spare time, Bosede teaches her native language “Yoruba” to young people and is a prominent member of Yoruba Heritage and Cultural Association of Victoria. Bosede also has a passion for embracing diversity in the workplace and in the community and strives to advocate for them in a non-judgemental manner. Bosede was a recipient of a Victorian Multicultural Honour Roll award in 2022 for her contribution to the multicultural community. Bosede is also one of the 2023 Melbourne University social equity institutes community research fellow cohort. Her project topic: “connecting African Youths with Elder – positive change through storytelling”.
Jackie Goodman
Vice Chair
Previously employed as the Diversity Advisor at GMS, Jackie then joined GMS as a Board member and was elected as Vice Chair in November 2022.
Jackie has lived in Australia all of her life, a descendent of grandparents who migrated from the UK and Ireland. Jackie has extensive experience (over 25 years) in both clinical and leadership roles in Victorian Public Health Services, Community Health settings and the Not-for-Profit sector. Currently the Quality and Risk Manager at South Gippsland Hospital, Jackie has a strong commitment to social justice, and inclusive, high quality and safe service provision. Jackie is an Occupational Therapist, with Post Graduate qualifications in Quality Management, and Health Service Management (Aged Care). In 2023, Jackie completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course – Governance Foundations for Not-for-Profit Directors.
Many of Jackie’s professional roles have involved connecting with CALD communities to facilitate and promote culturally appropriate and inclusive services.
Jackie has completed Governance foundations for not-for-profit through the Institute of Company Directors.
René Sundermann (MAICD)
Secretary
René was appointed as Secretary in 2022.
René was born in Austria and arrived in Australia in 1971. René has been actively involved in the multicultural space for a number of decades including GMC, GMS and as Treasurer and representative for Gippsland on the Board of the Ethnic Community Council of Victoria. He also was for a number of years Secretary and acting Chair of GECC. He is a member of Multicultural Arts Victoria and was Chair of the Arts and Communication Multicultural Council for Regional Victoria. René has been a signatory to the Victorian Multicultural Commission Community Accord.
René holds an overseas Diploma of Business and is the Founder and Director of an IT and Business Consultancy company established over 30 years ago. He is a journalist member of the MEAA.
René volunteers his time as a business mentor with SBMS and now for over 25 years as Orbost Regional Health volunteer. He strongly believes in Gippsland being a successful, harmonious and multicultural community.
René is an artist and, in the past has been an executive director of Feastonart Gallery. He enjoys helping people, photography, woodworking and a lifetime of involvement in IT.
René is a fellow and member of the Institute of Community Directors Australia.
Kenna O’Donnell
Treasurer
Kenna joined the Board in 2022 and was elected as Treasurer in November 2023.
Kenna was born in Australia and has Scottish and English heritage.
Kenna, now retired, is an Occupational Therapist and worked in that field for over 25 years before moving into State Government at DHS. In this role, Kenna was the Program Advisor for GMS for 12 years so has a very good understanding of the organisation and the funding structures it operates within, in particular Aged Care and Home and Community Care Program for Young People.
Kenna is now an active community member, including volunteering at Warragul Regional College Breakfast Club and attends and Active Ageing exercise group twice weekly as well as being an enthusiastic gardener.
Kenna has completed Governance foundations for not-for-profit through the Institute of Company Directors.
Ambreen Waheed (MAICD)
Board Member
Ambreen joined the Board in June 2023. Ambreen is originally from Pakistan.
Ambreen is a Mental Health Counsellor, a member of the ACA - Australian Counselling Association. ACA is Australia’s largest single registration peak body for Counsellors and Psychotherapists.
Ambreen has completed Governance Foundations for Not-for-Profit Directors course at the AICD - Australian Institute of Company Directors. Ambreen has had experience working with multicultural communities, and participates in supporting local community groups.
In her spare time, Ambreen participates in self care, canoeing, and walking.
Remi Yusuf
Board Member
Remi migrated to Australia in 2005 from Canada. Originally residing in Sydney where she lived for a few months, before coming to Gippsland. Remi joined the GMS Board in June 2023.
Remi’s ethnic background is Nigerian and is the current President of the Nigerian Society of Victoria and the Chair of the Council of Nigerian presidents in Australia. Remi has collaborated with the Victorian Multicultural Commission on many occasions and is a Regional Advisory Committee member. She is also a member of the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria and African Day Australia.
In her professional life, Remi was a secondary and tertiary teacher for 15 years in various countries including Nigeria, South Africa, Canada and Australia. Remi is a psychotherapist and an educator in private practice.
Remi has completed Governance foundations for not-for-profit through the Institute of Company Directors.
Dolores O’Dowd (MAICD)
Board Member
Dolores is of Irish heritage and migrated to Australia from Ireland in 1988 with her husband and two children. Dolores joined the Board in September 2023.
Dolores is a mental health clinician by profession and completed her mental health nurse training in Ireland and worked there for approximately 10 years. On coming to Australia, she continued to work in the mental health field for the past 35 years including most recently in a regional management position at Latrobe Regional Hospital. In this profession, Dolores has worked with people from various ethnic backgrounds.
Dolores has completed Governance foundations for not-for-profit through the Institute of Company Directors.