OUR MISSION
ARA believes in the capacity and desire of refugees to be productive citizens through contributing to the social, cultural and economic life in Australia.
ARA believes in the capacity and desire of refugees to be productive citizens through contributing to the social, cultural and economic life in Australia.
OUR VISION
Our vision is a South Australia where all refugees have access to the full range of appropriate settlement services, where refugees have strong supportive communities of their own cultural backgrounds, where the general community is supportive of refugees and engaged with them. Our vision is a South Australia where refugees are an integral part of a thriving, prosperous community.
Our vision is a South Australia where all refugees have access to the full range of appropriate settlement services, where refugees have strong supportive communities of their own cultural backgrounds, where the general community is supportive of refugees and engaged with them. Our vision is a South Australia where refugees are an integral part of a thriving, prosperous community.
Download a copy of our annual report by clicking the image on the left.
Deb Stringer
Chief Executive Officer
Semira Julardzija
Deputy CEO
Sandra Dzafic
Senior Manager Client Wellbeing
Karen Kretschmer
Client Wellbeing Manager
Semira Julardzija
Migration Manager
Dijana Karaahmetovic
Youth and Social Engagement Manager
Dusko Cuckovic
Employment and Skills Development Manager
Ritchie Hollands
President
Ritchie has served on ARA’s Board since 2012. He was vice president for four years before becoming president in 2018.
With qualifications in law and arts, he has worked extensively within the parliamentary, judicial and executive arms of state and commonwealth government in both Adelaide and Canberra. Ritchie served as the Official Secretary to the South Australian Governor for five years, and is currently a policy adviser in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. Ritchie has also served as Ambassador and member of the State Committee of the White Ribbon Campaign seeking to end violence against women.
With qualifications in law and arts, he has worked extensively within the parliamentary, judicial and executive arms of state and commonwealth government in both Adelaide and Canberra. Ritchie served as the Official Secretary to the South Australian Governor for five years, and is currently a policy adviser in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. Ritchie has also served as Ambassador and member of the State Committee of the White Ribbon Campaign seeking to end violence against women.
Wayne Turner
Treasurer
Wayne joined the ARA Board in 1999 and became treasurer the same year. He was a member of the former ARA Inc. Ancillary Fund Committee for approximately 10 years, and a director (and for a period chair) of the former ARA Jobs Pty Ltd for approximately four years. Wayne is currently the principle consultant of Cajebi Consulting which provides services to not-for-profit, small-to-medium and government agencies nationally. As a management consultant with more than 30 years’ experience, Wayne’s previous roles have included general manager and principal consultant at the Community Business Bureau Inc., principal at Plexus Strategic Solutions and Enterprise Management Services, senior manager at KPMG Management Consulting, director of finance and administration at the Child Adolescent and Family Health Service and business manager at Saint Ignatius College. Wayne provides ARA with extensive experience in governance, finance, market assessments, quality and management processes.
Bernard Andary
Board Member
Bernard joined the ARA Board in 2012. He has a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Bachelor of Arts (Spanish) from the University of Adelaide, as well as a Masters of Law from the Australian National University. He has also undertaken studies at the University of Salamanca in Spain. Bernard is currently working as a judge’s associate at the Federal Court of Australia and also sits on the Law Society of South Australia’s Human Rights Committee and the Law Council of Australia’s Business and Human Rights Committee. Previously, he practiced for around four years as a lawyer working in commercial litigation and dispute resolution. As a lawyer, Bernard has volunteered with a number of organisations to provide pro bono legal services to unrepresented litigants, refugees and asylum seekers. He has also worked as an independent observer for unaccompanied minors seeking asylum at the Darwin Airport Lodge (Northern Territory) and the Leonora Alternative Place of Detention (Western Australia).
Kathryn Kingston
Board Member
Kathy joined the ARA Board in 2018. Semi-retired, Kathy brings over 30 years’ experience as a business manager and accountant, and is currently the Director of a public company. Kathy has broad experience in finance, administration and management within small to medium organisations and has extensive experience as a board member. She has a strong commitment to human rights and social justice and has been actively involved in voluntary roles with several not-for-profit organisations for more than 35 years. Kathy was on the board of Amnesty International Australia for nine years, including four years as chairperson followed by six years on the International Membership Appeals Committee. During that time she represented the Australian section at several international meetings and gained extensive experience in corporate governance, strategic planning and budgeting, policy development, campaigning and fundraising.
Iain Murchland
Board Member
Iain joined the Board in 2015, and is currently a business analyst with the Department of Human Services. His qualifications include a Bachelor of Science (Hons), PhD and a Graduate Certificate in Science and Technology Commercialisation. Iain brings a range of skills from a professional background in science, IT and commercialisation. With previous roles spanning tertiary education, private enterprise and government sectors, his experience includes business planning and development, business management systems and services, innovation, strategic planning and project management. Iain has a strong commitment to social inclusion and social justice, which has found expression in volunteer roles including policy advocacy, governance roles within the Uniting Church and with ARA prior to joining the Board.
Monique Newberry
Board Member
Monique is a chartered accountant with 10 years of professional experience working as a manager at Ernst & Young in external audit, internal audit and in management consulting. Monique’s current role is project lead at the SAHMRI Wellbeing and Resilience Centre where she runs the business operations of the centre and contributes to social impact by promoting positive mental health. Monique brings a range of skills to the board of ARA including business case, proposal and report writing, budgeting, process efficiency, financial and data analysis, project and program management and stakeholder management. Monique’s not-for-profit experience over the past 10 years includes her previous role as co-chair of the Ernst & Young Foundation (working with Hutt Street Centre, ReachOut.com and Operation Flinders) as well as personal volunteering roles with CanTeen and OzHarvest.
Margaret Oates
Board Member
Margaret joined the ARA Board in 2011. Margaret has owned a business management consultancy and has held senior executive roles in education, children’s services and information technology. Margaret brings a range of skills to the ARA board including project management, program review and redirection, establishment of new organisation, and strategic and operational planning. Outside of her executive roles Margaret’s volunteering has included teaching ESL to Iranian refugees, Oxfam and STC bookshops, participation in the Don Dunstan Foundation project work and working with a range of volunteers.
Heather Pascoe-Smith
Board Member
Heather joined the board in 2014. Heather is the general manager of Expanding Horizons, a group tour wholesaler, who provides back office support and tour itineraries to over 80 tour operators in Australia and overseas. Her background is varied--having trained and worked as a registered nurse, she also holds business management and training and assessment qualifications. She has worked at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Women’s and Children’s Hospital and Ashford Community Hospital in a nursing capacity; at Adelaide TAFE and Flinders University as a lecturer; and the NSW Tourism Commission and Expanding Horizons in tourism management. She is currently on the Australian Tourism Export Council (SA), The National Travel Industry Technical Advisory Committee and is an Affiliate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Outside her work environment Heather volunteers through the ARA Social Support Network.
Chelsea Thomas
Board Member
Chelsea first came to ARA as a volunteer in the social support program, engaging with a family who had recently arrived in Adelaide and helping them to feel at home in their new city. She joined the ARA Board in 2017 following time as an invitee to the audit subcommittee. As a chartered accountant with more than 10 years’ experience, Chelsea brings a finance focus to the Board with a commercial understanding of the challenges faced by not-for-profits. Chelsea’s current role as the finance manager at Pulteney Grammar School sees her involved in all aspects of school life including budgeting and forecast modelling, enterprise agreement negotiations, Pulteney Foundation philanthropy, the development of business cases for significant capital works programs, grant funding acquittals and the occasional workplace health and safety presentation for senior students.