Our Board Directors

An experienced Human Resources practitioner, Jim has over 40 years of experience working in the Disability Employment Services, Vocational Education and Training and Banking sectors.

A great proportion of his work has involved directly or indirectly assisting people with barriers with their transition through school and into further education, training and/or employment.

Jim is a volunteer with Red Cross and other community organisations and is also a board member with Peel Valley Training and Employment.

He strongly supports the purpose of Sora and has witnessed first-hand the help and support given to our communities through the various programs.

Jim is delighted and humbled to have been asked to be a member of the Sora board and looks forward to contributing to the provision of services and solutions to our various communities.

Emma Trigg joined the Board of Directors in May 2016. Emma has a background in marketing and community partnership development. She has experience working directly with Boards and Management in the process of change and service improvement.

Emma has held managerial roles in both the corporate and not-for-profit sectors and has a Commerce degree with post graduate Honours in Services Marketing. After growing up and studying in the Tamworth region, she spent almost ten years in Brisbane and returned in early 2011 to live and raise her family here. Emma brings her marketing and strategic planning skills to the Board, along with qualifications in corporate governance.

“I am proud to be a part of Tamworth Family Support Services. The staff and management are a credit to this region and I am committed to assisting this great organisation in delivering the services throughout our community”.

Rebecca has worked as a Social Worker in the fields of child protection, domestic and family violence and sexual assault for the past 22 years.

Rebecca grew up in Tamworth and returned in 2008 with her husband and two sons. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) from the University of Newcastle and a Masters of Social Work from Monash University.

Rebecca worked for the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ, formerly FaCS and DoCS) between 1999 and 2007 as a Child Protection Caseworker, Specialist and Manager Casework. Since 2007, Rebecca has worked for Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD) across a range of services including Sexual Assault Services (SAS), Child Protection Counselling Services (CPCS), New Street Services, Joint Child Protection Response Program (JCPRP formerly JIRT) and as the Social Worker In Charge at Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital. For the past 4.5 years, Rebecca has been the Clinical Co-ordinator for the Violence Abuse and Neglect (VAN) Services across the New England Sectors of HNE. In this current role, Rebecca provides clinical and strategic leadership to clinicians and managers for SAS, CPCS, JCPRP Health and the SPARKS (children under 10 with problematic sexualised behaviours) programs across Tamworth, Armidale, Inverell, Moree, Gunnedah and Toomelah/Boggabilla.

Rebecca’s interest in becoming a member of the Sora Board lies in the depth of experience she has working with vulnerable families and the immense knowledge and skills she has to offer. Over the years, Rebecca’s consistent experiences with Sora led to her desire to volunteer on the Board of the organsiation she sees as an innovative, professional and effective service working with children, young people, parents and carers across the New England and North West.

Debbie has lived in Tamworth all her life and is the Chief Executive Officer of Careers Network Inc. In this role she works together with education and industry to provide career pathways for young people. She enjoys assisting young people to realise their dreams and has had the pleasure of working with a range of stakeholders, including Sora.

Debbie is also a committee member of the NSW State Workplace Learning Network and Greater Northern Skills Development Group. As a committee member, she contributes to strategies that provide support to students studying Vocational Education and Training, and assists young people to achieve their career pathway goals. Debbie joined the Board of Sora in September 2021.

“I am honoured to join Sora as a Board Member and to contribute to the incredible work that Sora does supporting its clients”.

An experienced Lawyer and former Barrister, Brett has over 25 years advising and representing government, private sector and NGO clients.

Primarily advising Boards across Australia in contested and complex settings, Brett’s practice is focused on aligning policy and process with good governance and strategic priorities.

With an undergraduate degree in sociology, Brett combines his legal expertise with in depth understanding of corporate and institutional cultural development, crisis management and change.

Brett is humbled to have been invited to join the Sora board and looks forward to assisting the team to deliver much needed support to families across the region.