Gateways was formed by dedicated members of the local community, including parents of children and adults with a disability, and members of the Geelong medical and business community.
The aim was to form a responsive organisation to provide innovative programs to address unmet needs, including for people with very complex needs.
Gateways is governed by a voluntary Board of Management. The Board ensures that Gateways stays true to its Mission of empowering and supporting people with disabilities, and their families.
The Board comprises:
Keith is the Chief Executive Officer for Gforce Employment Solutions and lives with his family in Torquay. Keith grew up in Geelong and returned to the region in 2015 as Chief Executive Officer for Surf Coast Shire Council. Prior to that he was the Chief Executive Officer for the Shire of Campaspe.
Keith spent the first 20 years of his career in the commercial sector, with roles in project management, information technology and financial management. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Fellow of CPA Australia.
Jacquie is a Chartered Accountant with more than 15 years accounting experience. For the last 12 years she has been working for an accounting firm specialising in business, audit, taxation and financial planning and Jacquie has extensive experience in taxation and financial analysis.
Jacquie was elected by the Board to the role of Treasurer and is the Chair of Gateways Board Finance Committee.
Karl Morris completed a Bachelor of Business Accounting at Deakin University and has a Master’s in Virtual Communications (RMIT) and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Karl grew up in Ballarat and was elected to the Ballarat City Council from 1991 to 1994. He has extensive experience in media and advertising. He became the managing director of an ASX listed company The Mobi Data Group. Karl undertook his Master’s in Virtual Communications, leading him to his current position as Managing Director of GOOP Digital, a company that delivers websites and social media platforms for small and medium sized businesses.
James completed his Diploma of Applied Science as a prosthetist/orthotists in 1988. Working as a prosthetist for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Caulfield General Medical Centre and The Alfred Hospital he completed further studies in prosthetics and orthotics before completing an MBA at UNSW in 2000. James commenced working in Private Health Insurance in 2002. He is the father of two girls through which he has experienced the positive impact that Gateways has provided his family.
Jessica is Special Counsel at Rennick & Gaynor, graduating from the Queensland University of Technology in 2012 with Bachelor degrees in Law and Arts. Jessica’s work experience has been in multiple jurisdictions. Prior to moving to Victoria, and from a young age, Jessica had a considerable exposure to, and engagement with a major disability service provider. This experience, coupled with her firsthand experience as a parent in the disability system kindled a strong sense of social justice and interest in policy and volunteering. Jessica is the mother of two girls.
Cassandra is currently an Audit Partner at Crowe Horwath with over 13 years’ experience in providing both internal and external audit services. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce, is a Registered Company Auditor, and is an approved agent for both the Victorian Auditor General’s Office and the Australian National Audit Office.
Her client portfolio centres around the Not-for-Profit sector which she has a passion to serve. Cassandra’s broader experience includes statutory audits, compliance audits, risk consulting, and providing technical accounting advice and includes experience across various NFP clients including community services, training, education, health, and government.
Cassandra’s extensive audit experience provides her with a broad understanding of the issues facing the sector as well as allowing her to draw on her experiences to provide insight and recommendations for process improvements. She looks forward to bringing this experience to Gateways Support Services.
Greg completed a diploma of teaching at ACU in 1987, but decided post graduating, that the FMCG sector, predominantly in food manufacturing suited him best. Greg is a driven executive with an excellent commercial skill set.
Greg has successfully managed ASX listed companies, Private Equity backed organisations as well as Family owned enterprises. He has held Executive level positions for the last 15 years with major companies including Mars Incorporated, Sakata Rice Snacks, Dymocks group and A2 milk. He has lived and worked in Australia, SE Asia and the USA. Greg has a passion for family based businesses and giving back to the community when he can.
Greg is currently the CEO of Farm Foods here in Geelong and is a non executive Director of Kikada Lane Dental group. Greg has served as both Chair and head of Finance on school a number of school Boards over the last 12 years , with his last post being 8 years at St Bernards College in Essendon, before relocating to the Bellarine. Greg is a practical person and has solid experience at managing change. Greg has participative management style with a strong passion for building great cultures, enterprise value and success. Greg has 3 adult children ( identical twins boys and a daughter) and a younger son who is 15.
Dr Jenner is a Consultant Paediatrician and Family Therapist and has special interests in Child Learning, Developmental and Behavioural Problems, Bereavement, Asthma and Neonatology. He is Chairman of Barwon Paediatric Services Inc., Consultant Paediatrician at Geelong Hospital and St John of God Hospital, former Director of Paediatrics at Barwon Health and the Geelong Family Therapy Centre, Clinical Associate in Paediatrics at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Royal Women’s Hospital, and Senior Lecturer in Paediatrics at Deakin University. Read more
He is involved in undergraduate, postgraduate and community Education, is a consultant to numerous Barwon regional support services, and been on many Hospital and Community committees. He is associated with two award-winning organisations in the Barwon Region, as the Founder and President of both Hope Bereavement Care and Gateways Disability Support Services.
He was awarded the 1995 Advance Australia Foundation Award, the 1998 Alan J. Holding Memorial Lions Club International Award for Community Service, in 2002 Barwon Health Quality Award, in 2003 the Paul Harris Fellowship by Rotary International, in 2005 The Parks Victoria Regional Achiever Award and a finalist in the Victorian Healthcare Awards, in 2007 was the recipient of the Australian of the Year Local Hero award for regional Victoria and a finalist for the National Australian of the Year Local Hero award, in 2012 was the recipient of the Compassionate Friends of Victoria Compassionate Employer Recognition Award for Gateways Support Services. He is also an Australia Day Ambassador.
Robert is a General Practitioner who has worked in private practice in Belmont for over 20 years. He is father of three including a son with a disability who accesses services and NDIS funding. His experience with disability is as a family doctor supporting patients and their families, and as a parent who has experienced the disability system. Robert has been on the Gateways board for over 12 years. He is passionate about Gateways quality and accessibility of services.
“I want to make sure Gateways is there to support families, like they helped my family and my patients.”