Our Board
South East Volunteers is an incorporated association that is managed by a Chief Executive Officer and governed by a committee. It is supported by a small number of paid staff and dedicated volunteers. Our board consists of highly respected people from the surrounding areas with experience in a wide range of skills, from financial and legal to business and community service.
Our Board consists of the following members:
Gavin Watson – Chief Executive Officer
Our CEO is Gavin Watson, who has worked in the community service sector for a number of years. He has a wide range of skills and management experience, as well as volunteering experience.
Tamra Keating – Chairperson
Tamra is a Higher Education Executive specialising in organisational strategy, community development, with a focus on marketing, fundraising and event management. She has a strong strategic planning & relationship management experience and has a worked with people from a wide range of national and international backgrounds.
Tamra has Bachelor of Arts in Communication Management and a Master of Arts.
Jey Thani – Vice Chairperson
Jey is a senior healthcare professional with over 10 years of experience leading people in residential, community and in-home health and human services. He is passionate about providing exceptional customer service, unleashing the potential in people and promoting continuous improvement strategies.
Jey has a Masters in Business Management.
Kee Chi – Treasurer
Kee is a director of an accounting practice and has experience in business strategy and performance management, risk, tax, and transactional services across a range of sectors, both in Australia and overseas. She is a Chartered Accountant and a workshop facilitator for the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.
Binhur Sappideen – Secretary
Binhur is an Agricultural Economist by training, specialising in Environmental Economics. He is a highly experienced public policy professional with extensive knowledge in corporate governance and strategic planning, being responsible for oversighting corporate governance functions of Victorian Water Corporations and Catchment Management Authorities.
Binhur has Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics. He is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Despina Djumas
Despina is a lawyer, previously working for Victoria Legal Aid. Despina has been involved in volunteering for SEV in our Monash Community Safety Register, communicating with our Greek speaking members. Despina has been a volunteer for 7 years.
Despina has a Bachelor of Arts, and a Bachelor of Law.
Ramesh Kumar
Ramesh worked as director, CEO and executive leader for 25+ years in the government & not for profit sector. He has been recognised for designing and executing successful growth strategies and connecting an organisation’s people with its purpose. His focus has been on social justice, building resilience and opportunities for people. He is known to be a strong humanitarian leader with significant experience. He represented Australia at UN bodies such as UNHRC, UNHCR, IOM and ATCR.
Kingsley McDonald
Kingsley is a technology and governance leader who built his expertise through management consulting and major corporate roles at Telstra and NAB. He has held General Manager and Program Director roles at these institutions, where he was accountable for managing significant operational and capital budgets, delivering large-scale digital transformation programs, and implementing robust governance structures across complex IT landscapes.
Louis Shivarev
Louis Shivarev is a director of a law practice specialising in commercial and corporate law. He has experience in providing advice in structuring, compliance, business strategic advice and corporate governance. Louis has Bachelor of laws, Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, Graduate Certificate in Blockchain Enabled Business and a Master of Laws (Government Development and Commercial Law).
Damien Farrugia
Damien Farrugia is a strategic technology and security executive with extensive experience in enterprise IT, cyber governance, and transformation. He holds a Master of Business Technology and specialises in strengthening operational resilience and modernising technology platforms in complex, regulated environments.
Brendan Croft
Brendan Croft manages Inclusive Employment Australia
contracts in Victoria for the largest employer of people with
Intellectual Disabilities in Australia. He has previously worked in
leadership roles in the general Disability Employment sector as well as 10 years
in a community support centre. With qualifications in IT and time spent
as Dev Ops and Operations Manager for an Australian software company, he
understands the needs of vulnerable members of our communities and the systems
required and needed to best support them.
Hayley Jenkins
Hayley is a senior People and Culture executive and Non-Executive Director with expertise in organisational transformation,
workforce strategy, and governance across the not-for-profit, community, and regulated sectors. She has led enterprise-wide people, culture, and industrial relations functions, partnering with CEOs and Boards to strengthen capability, manage risk, and deliver sustainable organisational performance.
Hayley also undertakes independent workplace investigations into high-risk employee relations matters, providing procedurally fair, evidence-based, and defensible outcomes. She brings a strong commitment to inclusive, high-performing organisations and positive community impact.