Leadership Team
Steve Moore, Acting CEO
Steve joined Playgroup NSW in November 2022 as the Chief Operating Officer and moved into the Acting CEO role in August 2024. As a father to a young family, he is passionate about our mission to ensure that every child and family has a place in their community to connect, learn, and belong.
Steve is a strategic and tactical thinker and leader specialising in general management across multi-site operations consisting of large and dispersed multi-disciplinary teams. Steve has successfully led large scale strategic and operational transformations across a variety of corporate environments. Holding qualifications from the AICD, GIA and an MBA has equipped him with the capability to oversee significant financial, operational, and strategic responsibilities. With a passionate commitment to open communication and staff development, Steve has a track record of successfully achieving strategic and operational objectives while maintaining the highest possible customer service standards and quality of stakeholder relationships.
Kellie Murray, Chief First Nations Officer
Kellie Murray is a Wiradjuri woman from Wagga Wagga and a mother to three boys. She has been in Wagga since she was born, and loves working in the community. Kellie has always been in Aboriginal community services and education roles and it is a great passion of hers. At Playgroup NSW we run Aboriginal Supported Playgroups in the Wagga community. We provide not only early education but a full holistic approach to social and emotional wellbeing for our families. We work with a range of services who come out to our playgroups and provide not only outreach services but build connections with our families. We also work with our local schools to provide support and connections for our families with children who are getting ready to transition into kindergarten.
Jennifer Kemp, Chief Social Impact Officer
Jenny has extensive experience spanning disability and child and family services, where she has worked in senior roles over the past three decades. Jenny has always been an advocate for children, specifically those with a disability, evidenced in her 21 year tenure with Lifestart, an organisation focused on inclusion for children and young people living with disability.
With valued experience across many of our portfolios and programs and with experience in evaluation and learning frameworks and social impact measurement, Jenny brings a wealth of knowledge to the team. Jenny's experience aligns well with our strategic priority to ensure every child and family has a place in their community to connect, learn and belong.
Tammy Collins, Chief Communications Officer
Tammy is a seasoned marketer with 19 years experience in the Australian media industry. With a penchant for insight led marketing and content, Tammy has held executive roles with eBay, Nine Entertainment, Fairfax Media and Australian Radio Network. A cross platform specialist, Tammy is well versed in radio, digital and print media. Tammy enjoys helping brands define and tell their story. Tammy has joined Playgroup NSW as the Digital Strategist to assist the business in their digital transformation journey and to lead the marketing function in 2020.
Our Board
Glenn Johnston - Chair
Glenn is a father to two adult daughters and grandfather (grandude) to two little girls. He is a Burramatta man of the Dharug Nation, tracing at least 6 generations of his continuous Aboriginal heritage to the Dharug Nation and still lives on Dharug country at Glenhaven. Glenn has more than 30 years of executive leadership experience in private and public sectors, and more than 9 years of Board experience across various 'for purpose' organisations. He is also adjunct Professor (leadership) at UNSW School of Business AGSM, designing and delivering executive leadership programs for private and public service organisations across Australia. Glenn holds professional qualifications in procurement, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) and a member of the AICD.
Michelle Mori - Board Member
Michelle is an accounting and finance professional who has over 20 years of tax consulting experience as well as a strong background in accounting, governance and finance matters. Over her career with large accounting firms Michelle has worked with a diverse group of both profit and not for profit entities. She has held various leadership roles and values building and being part of collaborative teams. Michelle is a member of the Chartered Accountants ANZ. She has been a member of Playgroup NSW since 2021 and a member of the Audit and Risk Committee since 2022.
Fiona Brown - Board Member
Sara Bold - Board Member and Board and Leadership Effectiveness (BALE) Committee Member
Sara is an early childhood education professional and a graduate of Macquarie University’s Institute of Early Childhood. She has a deep interest in global pedagogies that translate into meaningful, respectful, child-centred learning and teaching. She believes that families flourish in communities of support and children flourish in environments where play, creativity and security abound. Sara is a member of the managing committee at Bondi and Vaucluse playgroups. Attending a playgroup with her own child increased her appreciation for safe, fun settings for play and the meaningful connections with others that arise from this.
Tracey Watts - Board Member
Tracey joined the board of Playgroup in 2016 and is the Chair of the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee. She attended playgroup on the northern beaches with her son until he went to school and also volunteered as the day leader during this time. Being a single mum with a very active boy, she relied on her local playgroup not only for her child’s benefit, but also for the support and friendship she received from the other parents/grandparents/carers. She believes strongly in the value of playgroup in bringing families together. Tracey is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants ANZ with over 30 years' experience in tax, accounting, management and business advice including 19 years running her own firm.
Emma Crause - Board Member and Member of the Finance and Audit Risk Committee
Emma joined the board of Playgroup in 2022. Emma has over 20 years in legal and finance related roles across a range of organisations where she has had extensive experience in dealing with boards and C-Suite professionals. She is a Senior Vice President of Tax at Brookfield Asset Management in Sydney Australia and has a Bachelors of Commerce/Law (Hons) and a Masters of Laws from Sydney University. She has two young active kids and is passionate about early childhood development.
Angela Burrill - Board Member
Board Member and Board and Leadership Effectiveness (BALE) Committee Member
Angela is the overall Coordinator of the Bondi Beach Playgroups. Her son loves attending Playgroup and since taking the reins she has successfully transformed the Playgroup facilities with a new outdoor area, play equipment and the community is growing. Elected to Waverley Council in 2012, Angela is a Local Government Councillor. Her career has encompassed General Management, Product Design & Development and she is currently a Business Consultant. Angela is a Graduate Member of the Institute of Company Directors, has an MBA (Executive) from AGSM/UNSW and a Bachelor of Fine Art – Design.
Michelle Purkiss - Board Member
Michelle has over 20 years experience in strategy, growth, and business transformation across public, private and not- for-profit organisations in Australia and internationally. She has a passion for working to support in-community needs with her skills and has worked across several social sector industries including disability, health, human services and justice. Michelle grew up in the Pilbara region (Ngarluma Land), finished school in Mid North Coast NSW (Gumbaynggirr Land) and works in strategy and growth for an essential services provider that operates in regional and remote communities around Australia. Michelle is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), holds a Bachelor of Accounting/Bachelor of IT from Southern Cross University, and a Master of Criminology from the University of Sydney. She lives with her family on the land of the Cammeraygal people and is a proud mum to two very determined girls - one in daycare the other in primary school.
Melinda Clarke - Board Member
Melinda has 25 years of experience in government and non-government sectors in child and family services, child protection and out-of-home care.
Melinda has worked in leadership roles in planning and strategy, service delivery, quality and risk, contract management, investigations and reviews, policy development, practice support, service design and evaluation and impact measurement.
Melinda currently leads child safe organisation strategy at Life Without Barriers, a national for purpose organisation.
Ben Spence - Board Member
Ben Spence is a father and a grandfather, who is currently an independent practice and policy consultant with a particular interest in community-driven family strengthening and whole-of-family inclusive practice for children and families. Ben has enjoyed a lengthy career in roles at operational, strategic and executive levels across government and non-government sectors to deliver child protection, out of home care, youth justice, disability, aged care, and social housing services. Ben holds professional qualifications in psychology, law, communications and leadership, and a strong personal commitment to recognition, reconciliation and standing in solidarity with the First Peoples of Australia.
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Playgroup NSW leads play-based programs and services for NSW families with children birth to school age, offering development, shared experiences, and family support, that results in active citizens and inclusive communities.
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Supported By
Playgroup NSW acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respect to them and their cultures; to elders both past and present, and the children of today who will become the elders of tomorrow.