JANE BACOT-KILPATRICK

Director since March 2024

Jane has extensive experience as a senior manager in human services in the not-for-profit sector with leadership experience across acute, primary health and aged care settings in Australia and UK, and is well versed in the opportunities and challenges this brings.

She is also a successful, qualified and experienced program and project manager with well-developed business, contract, communication, stakeholder and negotiation skills. Her abiding drive is to achieve through service.

Jane has previous board level experience and is able to bring her strategic understanding to bear – her focus being on meeting the purpose of the organisation through a critical friend approach, most particularly asking ‘so what’ to ensure that those who the organisation is designed to support are being so, and the organisation is healthy and effective.

Jane is worshipping parishioner at St Matthew’s Wanniassa. She is also a Synod Member appointed under s49.1 of the Governance of the Diocese Ordinance (Bishop-in-Council appointment).

ARCHDEACON DR GRANT BELL

Director since March 2024

Archdeacon Grant is currently the Archdeacon of Wagga Wagga and the South West. Through this role he has extensive regional understanding and expertise, particularly across the western region of the Diocese. He has proven skills in partnership building and strong existing connections and understanding of Anglicare’s work in Wagga Wagga and the surrounding region.

In addition, Archdeacon Grant brings extensive theological and educational expertise to the Board. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology; a Master’s Degree in History and a Ph.D in Educational leadership.

Archdeacon Grant served as Rector of the Anglican Parish of St John’s Wagga Wagga from 2020-2023. Prior to this he was Head of St Martin’s College at Charles Sturt University from 2017-2020. His previous ministry positions have included serving as Rector in three Parishes in the Dioceses of Armidale and Sydney; as a Defence force Chaplain; as Archdeacon of New England and as Chaplain of The King’s School and later as Director of Leadership and Boarding Housemaster. He has also served as Principal of Macquarie Anglican Grammar School in Dubbo.

He is a member of the Australian College of Education, the Australian Council of Educational Leaders (Accreditation – School Administration) and a member of the Teacher’s Guild of NSW.

Archdeacon Grant is married to Lesley and they have two adult children.

HONOURABLE RICHARD REFSHAUGE SC

Director since March 2024

Honourable Richard Refshauge SC is the Chancellor of the Anglican Diocese of Canberra & Goulburn and a distinguished jurist who has been a leading figure in the local and national legal profession since graduating from the Australian National University in 1975.

He has used his legal expertise and experience for the betterment of society, in particular, to promote social justice, support the most disadvantaged or marginalised groups in society as well as elevate the cultural sector.

In 1998, he was appointed the third ACT Director of Public Prosecutions and in 2008 he was appointed a Judge of the ACT Supreme Court. Since his formal retirement as a Judge in 2017, Richard has continued to serve as an Acting Justice in the ACT Drug and Alcohol Court which aims to provide targeted and structured health and justice interventions to achieve long-term behavioural change and supporting participants to develop a pro-social lifestyle. Prior to this he played an integral part in establishing a national policy of harm minimisation to respond to and support people with drug addiction and assist in the effective diminishing of HIV/AIDS.

Richard has made a significant contribution to the national awareness of the value and importance of volunteering. He has been involved with Australian Volunteers International for more than 40 years, served as a voluntary board member on many arts organisations and was Chair of the ACT Cultural Council for ten years. For over 30 years he has lectured in Civil Litigation and its predecessor courses in the ANU College of Law and was appointed as Adjunct Professor 2001. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the University of Canberra School of Law. In addition, Richard currently serves as an ex-officio member on a range of Diocesan Boards and Committees and National Church bodies and has an extensive knowledge in relation to church law and governance.

Richard is a passionate and long-standing supporter of the work of Anglicare. He worships at St John’s Anglican Church in Canberra and his work and church involvement are reflective of his deep Christian faith. Richard is married to Barbara and they have two adult children.

JUSTIN GARRICK

Director since August 2024

Dr Justin Garrick joined Canberra Grammar School as Head of School in 2011.

He has led the School during a period of significant transformation, including the transition to full co-education and the introduction of the International Baccalaureate at both primary and senior levels.  At the same time, the School doubled its historic boarding community, created a thriving Indigenous Scholarship Programme, invested in the professional growth of staff, and undertaken major campus redevelopment, supported by two of the largest philanthropic endowments to any school in Australian history.

Most recently, the opening of the CGS Music Centre and Snow Concert Hall has placed the creative and performing arts at the centre of the School’s holistic educational commitment, alongside sport, service, and both outdoor and international education.  Canberra Grammar School is now one of the largest and most prominent schools in the national capital.

Justin has also been Chair of the Association of Independent Schools (ACT) and a member of the Board of Independent Schools Australia and the Association of Independent Schools (NSW). Before joining Canberra Grammar School, he was Deputy (Academic) at Wellington College in the UK, and he taught at Oundle School, St Paul’s School in London, and Sydney Grammar School.  He has degrees in Arts and Education from the Universities of Sydney and New England, and an MBA from the University of London.  He attained his doctorate as a Cambridge Australia Scholar at the University of Cambridge.

DR ELIANA SARMIENTO

Director since October 2024

Eliana earned a doctorate in the field of social work and currently lectures in this field at Australian Catholic University. However, most of her career has been spent on the front line, assisting people with complex mental health and addiction needs. Of particular note, Elaina worked for two and a half years within indigenous communities in Western Australia’s Kimberley region.

Her deep understanding of the trauma experienced through homelessness, addiction, abuse and trauma will give the Board a unique perspective as it seeks to alleviate the suffering of people experiencing these challenges.

Eliana grew up in Columbia and was awarded a Peace Scholarship by the International Development Program, allowing her to study in Australia.

MELINDA SWANE

Director since October 2024

Melinda is a senior business leader with a unique blend of commercial and technical acumen. She has experience in managing day to day operations whilst remaining focused on driving corporate strategic vision.

Her background in tax and audit with Canberra’s most respected accounting firms has given Melinda the opportunity to work with leading CFO’S and large private sector organisations across the construction and hospitality industries.

Melinda has successfully managed a number of businesses both directly and through CFO secondments and has demonstrated experience in managing teams through periods of change and growth.

Melinda has worked with a number of boards through roles in senior management, as a subject matter expert by invitation and as a board member.