Our Team

Alongside our dedicated volunteers, our staff and board members bring the skills, heart, and commitment that unite us all in Creating the Next Generation of Upstanders.

Guiding Our Mission

Our staff and board are the backbone of Courage to Care NSW.

 

Together, they bring the leadership, expertise, and vision that guides our mission of Creating the Next Generation of Upstanders.

 

From education and community engagement to governance, business, and creative practice, our team draws on a broad mix of professional skills and lived experience.

 

Many share deep personal connections to the stories we tell and the lessons we explore, and all are united in a commitment to helping schools and communities gain the tools, knowledge and confidence to reject discrimination and inspire Upstander confidence.

 

As a collaborative group, our staff drive the delivery of programs and exhibitions while our board provides strategic oversight and stewardship. Working side by side, they ensure we remain impactful, sustainable, and true to our purpose.

Our Staff

Ed St John

Chief Executive Officer

Ed is responsible for running our organisation and delivering on our strategic goals. Most recently, Ed was Executive General Manager with The Ethics Centre – and prior to that, he held a variety of roles in the entertainment industry including CEO of Warner Music, Managing Director of BMG Australia and Director of Marketing at Sony Music. A strong believer in the values of Courage to Care, Ed applies skills in leadership, organisational change, marketing, event management and fundraising in helping C2C to meet its goals.

Louise Jaque

Volunteer & Administration Coordinator

Louise keeps the Courage to Care office running! Before taking time out to raise her two young children, Louise was Event Manager at the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce for 7 years, responsible for running 50 events per year. Prior to this, Louise was employed in various organisations as Event Manager. Louise brings a wealth of organisational and event management experience to Courage to Care.

Jacqui Fullard

Education Manager

Jacqui leads the development and delivery of education programs, including the training and support of volunteers. Her work focuses on promoting empathy, social responsibility, and the courage to stand up against prejudice and discrimination. With a strong commitment to values-based education, Jacqui has taught Science in both New South Wales and Queensland and has held a range of leadership roles in schools, including Director of Teaching, Head of Science, and Year Level Coordinator. Jacqui is passionate about making our world a better place and believes this begins with education. She values positive, collaborative relationships and enjoys working closely with volunteers, office staff, and students to deliver meaningful and impactful learning experiences.

Sarah Veltman

Education Programs Coordinator

Sarah is responsible for coordinating Courage to Care’s education programs and ensuring they run seamlessly across schools and communities. With a background in community services, program management and mentoring, she brings skills in stakeholder engagement, training, and program delivery. Before joining Courage to Care, Sarah worked in the not-for-profit and education sectors, including roles in NDIS support coordination and youth mentoring, where she developed expertise in advocacy, program development and partnership building. She has also contributed to the Jewish community through both professional and volunteer roles. Passionate about creating meaningful connections and empowering young people to become Upstanders, Sarah brings empathy, creativity, and a strong commitment to excellence in every aspect of her work at Courage to Care.

Monty Callaghan

Curator and Producer

After graduating from a Bachelor of Political, Economic and Social Sciences at the University of Sydney, Monty joined Courage to Care in 2022 as Exhibition curator, overseeing the successful development and delivery of major exhibitions and public programs at Glasshouse Port Macquarie (2022) and Wollongong Art Gallery (2023). An all-rounder only half-jokingly referred to as Courage to Care’s ‘utility player’, Monty applies skills in digital production, technology and audiovisual media to assist with Courage to Care’s communications, operations, fundraising and events.

Our Board

Tom Curtis

Chairman

Throughout his 40-year professional career, Tom has worked as a commercial and property lawyer; in operational business management in importing, manufacturing, brand development, retail and private label bottling in the liquor industry; equities funds management; and commercial real estate investment for both privately owned and ASX listed companies. Born and educated in Sydney, the child of two Holocaust survivors, Tom is currently the Managing Director of Crown Capital Investments.​

Juliane Michaels

1st Vice-Chair

Born in Budapest, Hungary as the child of Holocaust survivors, Juliane arrived in Australia with her brother and parents in 1959. Based in Canberra with her own young family in the 70s, she led the Human Resources department of the Australian Bureau of Statistics before returning to Sydney. Completing a Masters in Adult Education, Juliane spent 25 plus years in Executive Recruitment, Executive Search and Leadership Development.

Kathy Sharp

2nd Vice-Chair

Born in Sydney and educated at Macquarie University, Kathy has held a variety of professional roles – including board member of the Crows Nest Centre and serving as Manager of Ku-ring-gai & Hornsby Meals on Wheels for 16 years. A proud mother and grandmother, Kathy has a strong commitment to social justice issues and a keen interest in politics and world affairs.

Abie Greengarten

Treasurer

Born and educated in Sydney, Abie Greengarten is an accountant and business advisor who worked for many years for respected accounting and advisory firm William Buck. Abie’s passion lies with assisting SMEs and their operators grow and reach their potential. His goal as Treasurer of C2C is to ensure the sustainability of the organisation and to help lay the foundations for growth and outreach.

David Taylor

Secretary

Born in London and educated at Sydney University and the University of London, David Taylor practised as a lawyer for 40 years, including 20 years as a partner at Mallesons Stephen Jaques, one of the Big Six law firms in Australia. In his personal life, David has been an active member of B’nai B’rith for many years. David has also been active in the Maccabi Triathlon Club having held the positions of both Secretary and President.

Faye Radom

Head of Education Committee

Born in Tanganyika, East Africa after her parents escaped from Poland at the outbreak of WWII, Faye Radom grew up in Perth and completed her degree at the University of Western Australia. After working as a school teacher – including three years of teaching in Pittsburgh, USA – Faye undertook further study and started a second career as a psychologist and counsellor. Combining these two professional streams, she has worked extensively as a school psychologist.

Mel Braun

Born and educated in Sydney, and the child of Holocaust survivors, Mel’s professional background and experiences includes Marketing and PR roles with major corporations, museums, public programs, and tertiary education. She has also lectured and tutored extensively at University level. Mel works as a Courage to Care facilitator and exhibition guide and is currently involved in the development of our workplace program.

James Altman

Born in Sydney and educated at Sydney University, James was the child of Austrian immigrants who escaped to Australia in 1938. Jim has had a long association with our organisation; he was President of B’nai B’rith Australia / New Zealand from 2002 to 2006 and again from 2010 to 2013, he was the first Vice–President for Courage to Care, and subsequently the Chairman for several years. In January 2008, he was honoured with the award of Medal in the Order of Australia for service to the Jewish community.

Maxine Cheilyk

Maxine joined our board in 2022 after a long association with Courage to Care as a volunteer and member of the Queensland Executive. Born in South Africa, Maxine has lived in Australia since 1978. She was a National Fashion Buyer for Myer, based in Melbourne, and then ran her own business and fashion label for 11 years. A return to teaching led to work as a facilitator within the Retail Industry, which in turn led to a role as a National Marketing Manager.

David Hirsch

David is a seasoned business leader with over 20 years of experience in general management, marketing and digital transformation. He has a proven track record of driving business performance across various sectors, including health, retail and financial services. He is an experienced board member and philanthropist having served with other NFP’s and as an active volunteer for organisations like Surf Life Saving and others.  As a board member, David brings a wealth of expertise in governance, sales, marketing and communications and is currently the General Manager, Marketing & Customer Insights at QBE Australia & the Pacific.

Lauren Levin

Lauren was born in South Africa and moved to Australia at the age of 7 with her family. She went to Masada College, followed by the University of NSW where she completed a Bachelor of Social Science (Human Resource Management) and a Bachelor of Laws. Lauren initially worked as a lawyer specialising in Industrial Relations, Employment Law and Workplace Health and Safety, and then pursued a career in Human Resources with a particular focus on Diversity and Inclusion, Flexibility, Wellbeing, Workplace Culture and Organisational Development. Lauren is passionate about creating safe workplaces where people can bring their authentic self to work and truly feel like they belong.

Brett Forer

Brett Forer has worked at Accor for the past 17 years.  Starting as a Development Analyst in 2008, Brett has held roles as Assistant Development Manager (2011-12), Development Manager Pacific (2012-15), General Manager Development Pacific (2015-16) and Director of Development Pacific (2016-21).  Since 2021 Brett has held the position of Vice President Development Pacific, responsible for maintaining Accor’s market leading position as the largest operator in the Pacific region; he is also a member of Accor’s Executive Committee for the Pacific region. Brett holds a bachelor’s degree in business marketing from Australian Catholic University and a Master’s Degree in Property Development from the University of Technology Sydney. He joined the Courage to Care NSW board in 2025.

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