Our Sector Specialists

Anne Gawen

Anne Gawen holds an Executive MBA and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD). She is an experienced Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of leadership across multiple sectors. With over 26 years of senior executive experience, Anne specialises in transformational change, financial sustainability and strategic diversification. She has successfully led organisations through major transitions, strengthening financial stability, clarifying strategic direction, improving stakeholder relationships, and delivering measurable improvements in staff culture and client outcomes.

Communication and mentoring are central to Anne’s leadership approach, supporting her ability to lead large, multi-faceted teams across multiple locations through periods of change and uncertainty. She brings a strong systems-thinking lens and a collaborative approach focused on improving service delivery outcomes. Anne’s vision is to support not-for-profit organisations to remain relevant, sustainable and effective, enabling all members of the community to live full and valued lives.

Shaun

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Rita Francis

Rita Francis is the Principal Consultant at Weave Forward Consulting, with over nine years’ experience across public health, health promotion and the alcohol and other drugs (AOD) sector. Rita has worked across community health, women’s health, Indigenous health and AOD settings, specialising in the design, delivery and evaluation of health promotion and workforce development initiatives. Her work focuses on understanding health influences at population and systems levels and translating evidence and policy into practical, sustainable action for services and communities.

She brings strong expertise in workforce development, sector engagement, training design and evaluation, strategic communications and complex project coordination. Rita has led training initiatives, developed toolkits and evaluation frameworks, coordinated professional development programs and supported sector-wide communications and engagement across Queensland and the Northern Territory. Rita partners with organisations to co-create culturally grounded, practical solutions that strengthen capability and support lasting impact. Services provided include strategic social marketing and campaign development, health promotion project delivery, training and capacity building, resource development, communications and social media support, evaluation and continuous quality improvement, and end-to-end coordination of sector conferences and events. Her approach combines evidence, systems thinking and practical know-how to help services move from ideas to action.

Natalie Sarsfield

Natalie Sarsfield is a social worker with close to 20 years’ experience across alcohol and other drugs (AOD), mental health, child and family wellbeing, domestic and family violence, and justice systems. She has worked extensively across the Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia and New South Wales, with a strong focus on remote and Aboriginal community contexts, and brings senior leadership experience across government, non-government and Aboriginal community-controlled sectors.

Natalie specialises in translating policy and funding intent into practical, evidence-based service models. She brings strong expertise in system reform, commissioning and performance accountability, and is known for her collaborative approach with communities, Aboriginal organisations and cross-sector stakeholders.

Services provided include support with funding and grant applications, program logic and needs analysis; project, activity and implementation planning; service redesign and integrated or stepped-care models; funding performance reporting and acquittals; strategic planning, system reform and commissioning advice; policy and procedure development; workforce development and training; resource development; and clinical governance frameworks and clinical supervision across AOD, mental health and related sectors.

Natalie’s work is grounded in equity, accountability and respect for community-led solutions, with a strong commitment to culturally informed, outcome-focused and sustainable practice, particularly in remote and Aboriginal communities.

Christine Biesgen

Christine Biesgen is a Human Resources, Organisational Development and Coaching Consultant with more than 20 years’ experience across the not-for-profit, community services, local government and resources sectors.

Christine holds a Master of Science (Psychology) and a Graduate Certificate in Organisational Coaching, and her coaching practice aligns with the professional guidelines of the International Coaching Federation (ICF). She brings strong expertise in human resources, organisational development and governance, with experience spanning recruitment and workforce planning, people systems, organisational review, leadership development and policy development.

Christine works closely with boards, executives and teams to strengthen people practices, improve organisational effectiveness and support change in complex environments. Her approach combines practical HR expertise with coaching and systems thinking, supporting organisations to build capability, manage risk and remain focused on their purpose and the communities they serve.

Christine takes a collaborative, respectful and pragmatic approach. Services provided include reviewing and strengthening HR and people systems, governance and workforce compliance support, recruitment and role design, policy and framework development, workforce planning, leadership and executive coaching, organisational readiness for funding and governance requirements, and the design and facilitation of practical training and workshops.

Rodney Holmes

Rodney Holmes is the Owner of Rodney Holmes Policy Submissions and brings specialist expertise in policy development and submissions within the alcohol and other drugs (AOD) and broader social services sectors. Rodney holds postgraduate qualifications in Politics and Policy and brings lived experience of AOD dependence, providing a strong, grounded understanding of policy development in an AOD context. His background in social services gives him a strong understanding of NGO values and theories of change, ensuring policy documents are impactful and aligned with organisational missions and goals.

With extensive experience navigating complex policy systems, Rodney specialises in developing clear, effective policy submissions for inquiries, reviews and consultations. His work spans AOD, disability, housing and renting reform, financial inclusion, food standards, human rights, justice, liquor licensing, mental health, public health, transport and welfare. Based in Brisbane, Rodney works remotely with organisations across Australia. Rodney takes a collaborative and structured approach, working closely with services from initial scoping through to final submission.

Services provided include policy submissions for inquiries and consultations, internal policy briefs for government engagement, organisational policy position statements, policy reports and reviews, surveys for members and staff, and tailored policy advice.

Dr Jenny Summerville

Dr Jenny Summerville is a sociologist, consultant and senior executive with over 20 years’ experience working with non-government organisations and Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs). She has held senior executive and consulting roles supporting organisations to strengthen governance systems, strategic positioning and evidence-informed decision-making at program, service, organisational and system levels.

Jenny specialises in supporting organisations to develop strategy that is aligned with, and resilient to, changing policy and funding environments. She brings strong expertise in governance design, continuous quality improvement and accreditation readiness, and is highly experienced in facilitating culturally safe co-design with communities, Boards, staff, funders and partner organisations to strengthen service models and implementation.

Services provided include strategic planning and positioning aligned to policy and funding contexts; governance system design from Board oversight through to service delivery; decision-making, risk and assurance frameworks; performance reporting and improvement cycles; embedding continuous quality improvement systems; accreditation readiness support; culturally safe co-design processes; and the development of outcomes frameworks, evaluation approaches and data-for-learning systems that support practical, decision-useful evidence.

Jenny is known for her down-to-earth, culturally inclusive and solutions-focused approach. She supports organisations to translate action into evidence, and evidence into action, ensuring service models and funding approaches are aligned with community priorities, contractual requirements and measurable outcomes.

Elizabeth Stubbs

Elizabeth Stubbs (BBSc) is the Director of Sand Palm Consulting and brings over 25 years’ experience across the alcohol and other drugs (AOD) sector, with extensive senior leadership experience in the Northern Territory community services sector. She supports organisations to deliver culturally safe, evidence-informed care that strengthens outcomes for individuals, families and communities.

Elizabeth has led the development, implementation and evaluation of AOD Models of Care and structured programs, and has strong expertise in policy, operational resource development and workforce support. She has contributed to best-practice sector resources and expert knowledge projects, including work with the NHMRC, Flinders University and the University of Sydney, and has supported NT AOD organisations to strengthen service frameworks, policies and procedures. She also provides clinical supervision across AOD services throughout the Territory.

Services provided include developing and reviewing Models of Care and program logic; designing AOD programs and structured practice approaches; writing operational manuals, practice guides, policies and procedures; strengthening clinical governance and supervision structures; delivering workforce training and capability-building support; supporting the implementation of client data systems and reporting platforms; integrating quality management systems; and developing evaluation tools, outcomes frameworks and funder-aligned reporting.

Elizabeth’s approach is collaborative, culturally safe and grounded in healing-informed practice. She values strong Aboriginal leadership, clear and achievable systems, and practical resources that support consistent, high-quality care.