Zonta House Refuge Association is a small charity that works closely with other service agencies, volunteers and partners to provide the full service our clients require.
View our Annual Reports:
Here is a bit more information about our team:
SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM:
Kelda Oppermann
Chief Executive Officer
Kelda has worked in the community services sector for 15 years. For the past 8 years, Kelda has worked at Zonta House Refuge Association, developing programs; driving change from output to outcome based funding models, implementing client focused models of service delivery and leading through organisational growth.
Kelda is committed and motivated to working collaboratively with government, community sector peers and corporate supporters to achieve positive outcomes for individuals and the greater West Australian community. Kelda is passionate about how we can each contribute to a safer and equal world.
Kelda is currently a Member of the Supporting Communities Forum and Board Member of the Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing and Community Employers WA. Kelda was a WA Business News 40 Under 40 winner and 2019 Telstra Business Women’s Awards Finalist.
Anna Scott
Operations Manager
Anna has worked at Zonta House since December 2018 and is the Operations Manager overseeing the nine service arms.
Anna has worked in the community service industry for over 20 years in Government and Non-Government agencies internationally. Anna has held leadership positions in the FDV sector in WA over the past 9 years and has managed a Lead Agency Family Refuge and a Refuge for Aboriginal women. Anna has qualifications in Leadership and Management.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Melanie Hay
(Chairperson)
Melanie is a Partner with Perth based investment manager Viburnum Funds. She has worked in private equity for Viburnum for 11 years, where her experience spans investment, mergers and acquisitions, capital raisings and strategic development across a range of industries.
Prior to Viburnum Melanie worked at ANZ Bank, initially as a Senior Economist and then at ANZ Capital in its private equity business. Melanie is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Chantelle Thom
(Vice Chairperson)
Chantelle is the Principal Advisor – Inclusion & Diversity for Rio Tinto. She is responsible for design and delivery of programs that help to drive an inclusive workplace across the company. Chantelle was integral in ensuring Rio Tinto (Australia) achieved White Ribbon Accreditation. She sits on the company’s White Ribbon Working Group and plays a key role in implementing initiatives across their global operations that aim to eradicate family and domestic violence. With a career in Human Resources spanning nearly 20 years, Chantelle has operational human resource experience as well as specialist expertise in inclusion and diversity, talent, recruitment, and employee relations.
She joined Rio Tinto in 2005 and has since held senior corporate and operational human resource (HR) positions, across a number of commodities including salt, uranium, talc, diamonds, and iron ore.
Chantelle is the Western Australian State Committee Chair for the National Association of Women in Operations (NAWO), a not-for-profit organization who promotes diversity in the resources sector and works towards the vision where women and men can be equally represented at every level.
Sarah Josey
(Secretary)
Sarah is a Director at KPMG, an international accounting and advisory firm. She has a broad range of expertise as an advisor to private businesses, family groups, not for profit organisations and foreign subsidiaries with experience in a range of industries including Australian government, logistics, mining services, health, aged care, superannuation administration, banking and corporate finance and mining services. Sarah also provides advice and performance monitoring services to Boards with a strong focus on finance management, business improvement, risk minimisation and corporate governance. Sarah is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and New Zealand.
David Hickmott
(Treasurer)
David commenced his professional career in 1981 when he started working for Hendry Rae & Court (now WHK Howarth) while undertaking a Bachelor of Business degree at the West Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT).
In 1986 he left Hendry Rae & Court to play professional cricket in England and upon his return gained employment with the accounting practice known as Edinger Finkelstein and Associates. David became a Director of Finkelstein Hickmott Pty. Ltd. In 1993. David retired as Director in 2021, but continues to provide part time consultancy services to clients of the Practice.
David currently holds a Bachelor of Business Degree and is a member of CPA Australia. He has previously been a Registered Tax agent, SMSF Auditor and held a Public Practice Certificate with CPA Australia
Over the years David has gained exposure to every aspect of Public Accounting life, and looks forward to using this experience to help Zonta House achieve its goals
Gail Curtis, B Comm
(Committee Member)
Gail is a Partner at Grant Thornton, chartered accountants and their National Head of Quality and Excellence – Private Business Tax and Advisory. She has extensive expertise and practical experience as a business advisor to private businesses and high net worth families in a range of industries including property development, aged care, retirement villages, manufacturing and professional services.
Gail provides advice to management and private company boards on management and planning issues. Gail is a former Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Management Committee of Landgate. She has also held positions in local community organisations.
Gail is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australian and New Zealand, a Chartered Tax Advisor, a Fellow of the Taxation Institute of Australia, a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a member of the Chartered Accountants Advisory Group.
Jasmine Kadic
(Committee Member)
Jasmine Kadic (nee Harp) is a proud Whadjuk/Ballardong woman from a long line of strong Aboriginal leaders and elders within the Noongar Community. Jasmine has been in Management positions within the Health & Construction Industries with a passion and drive for Aboriginal economic and social development across all major areas including Health, Employment & Education. Jasmine is the Managing Director and co-founder of Benang consisting of infrastructure construction and its staffing and professional services arm, Ergon.
With youth and ambition on her side she has a passion to help her people and community, not only is she a businesswomen she is a mother and believes we are at the forefront to make change for the generations to come.
Jasmine has a real passion to help others and is driven to make changes that will benefit her people and community. Jasmine is a MURRA alumni from University of Melbourne Business School , she is also the Chair for Noongar Mia Mia, acting WA Director for NATSIHA an member of Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Linley Buchanan
(Committee Member)
Linley is a former Director of Impact Communications a strategic communications, event management and public relations consultancy. Linley’s professional career commenced in Western Australian state Government before she co-founded Impact Communications with her husband Les in 1987. She has extensive experience in developing and implementing integrated communications strategies and media management programs. Linley is a former member of the Zonta Club of Perth.
Rosemary Donovan
(Committee Member)
Rosemary has vast experience in the education sector, mental health and addictions support and counselling both in the Government and private sectors.
She is an accredited Mental Health First Aid Instructor and has a passion for holistic and emotional wellbeing. Rosemary’s involvement in the sector includes experience in management, training and program development in the TAFE system NGO’s and Private Registered Training Organisations and also has a long history of working in social welfare and support in a hospital setting.
Rosemary has been highly effective in many professional roles including lecturing, training and mediation and course development. Rosemary is an active member of ZONTA International, WAAMH and CARAD plus Amnesty International, she has previously worked overseas as an AVI aid worker in Eritrea, North Eastern Africa.
Stephanie Black
(Committee Member)
Stephanie Black is an experienced leader and has held executive positions in the WA Government and the private sector. She was most recently the Deputy Director General, Infrastructure and the Regions within the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. Prior to joining the Department, she was the Executive Director, Government Procurement in the Department of Finance.
Stephanie is experienced in leading large and small teams to achieve transformational change, excellent commercial outcomes and complex business objectives. She has extensive governance, risk and financial management knowledge and is a Commissioner of the Forest Products Commission.