Governance

Chris Gambian

Our Chair Chris Gambian is the Executive Director of Australians for Mental Health, bringing over 25 years of experience as an organiser, campaigner, educator, and leader of progressive change. His career has been grounded in the pursuit of equality, justice, and sustainability through collective action, and he has held leadership roles across the union movement, environment sector, and civil society.

A former senior trade union official and political candidate, Chris has worked as a strategic consultant, campaign manager, and executive officer in organisations of all sizes. From 2019 to 2022, he served as Chief Executive of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, where he earned a reputation as a persuasive public advocate and skilled political lobbyist, working across party lines in the NSW Parliament.

Chris’s approach is deeply strategic—focusing on smart, principled, and pragmatic solutions to complex challenges. His work is marked by a strong belief in people-powered change and the power of solidarity, always placing authentic relationships and community building at the heart of his campaigns.

Chris holds a Bachelor of Economics (Social Science) and a Master of Labour Law from the University of Sydney.

Stacey Miers

Stacey's professional career has seen her work across many sectors including local and State Governments, primarily focused on housing inequality. For Stacey land use planning can be a two-edged sword, it can provide opportunities to support the delivering of better, social, cultural, economic and environmental outcomes that can improve the lives of people experiencing disadvantage or it can entrench inequalities and unsustainable practices. She aims to dedicate her energy with the NSW Community Alliance as a Director-at-Large, working in collaboration with others to deliver better social, economic and environmental outcomes across NSW.

Peter Coughlan

Peter is a recently retired Chartered Accountant and business consultant.  He holds the position of Treasurer and Director for the Community sector on the NSW Community Alliance Board. He completed the AICD Company Directors course in 2016. 

In recent years he has also been a board member of several Hunter based not-for-profit organisations including Newcastle Basketball Association, Connectability and Lifeline Hunter Central Coast.   He is a co-chair of the Climate Team and also on the Steering Committee of the Hunter Community Alliance, as well as serving as a director of Lock the Gate, Nature Conservation Council NSW.

Qwayne Guevara

Qwayne’s early career began in community organising and advocacy, followed by roles in corporate immigration law—experiences that shaped her passion for justice and human dignity. A transformative encounter at World Youth Day in Poland sparked a vocational shift, leading her into ministry with the Diocese of Parramatta in 2017.

Since then, she has worked closely with parishes and schools to foster spaces of encounter, grow leadership capacity particularly with young leaders, and build vibrant faith communities. In 2023, she was appointed Lead Facilitator of the first-ever Synod of the Diocese of Parramatta and was recently appointed Chair of the Australian Catholic Youth Ministry Network, endorsed by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.

Qwayne is the founder of The Hustle Society, a creative community space in Western Sydney, and co founder Embers Basketball, a ministry empowering women through sport, community, and faith. From 2017 to 2023, she also co-owned a local café, mentoring young staff and cultivating connection with community through hospitality and coffee.

She holds a Bachelor of Law & Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, a Master of Laws (Dispute Resolution), a Graduate Diploma in Theology, and is currently completing a Master of Arts in Theology and Ministry at Boston College, USA. Her work is grounded in a deep commitment to faith, formation, and social mission.

Steph Cunio

Steph Cunio is employed by the United Worker’s Union as a Strategist in the new Organising & Pipeline area. Steph comes to this work after senior roles in Climate Action Network Australia, the Public Service Association and the ACTU. During her time in each of these organisations over the last decade, Steph has used the tools and skills developed through the NSW Community Alliance to strengthen the internal and external capacity of these organisations.  Steph also holds position of Director for the Union sector.

Steph was involved in the Sydney Alliance Founding Assembly in 2011, leading turnout coordination across the union, faith and community sectors. Through the Alliance, Steph had the opportunity to form deep and enduring relationships with a range of leaders across these sectors. Of significance has been how the Alliance and relational organising created an opening for Steph to be a part of her own community, the Sydney Jewish Community, through the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies. Steph comes to her role on the Board with a depth and breadth of relational organising experience, developed both on the ground and with positional leaders.

Rev Tom Stuart

Rev Tom Stuart is a minister of the Uniting Church in Australia, currently serving the Charlestown and Garden Suburb congregations. He is the founder of Project Reconnect, a national initiative that supports small congregations across Australia to sustain vibrant, community-rooted worship. Created in response to the challenges faced by rural and regional churches, Project Reconnect equips communities with weekly video messages, music, and discussion resources based on the Lectionary—encouraging small groups to reclaim their role as powerful spaces of faith, dialogue, and transformation.

Tom’s ministry is shaped by a deep belief in the spiritual vitality of small communities. He has helped establish the Whitebridge Wellness Centre and is active in the contemplative life of the Hunter region, co-founding groups such as Uniting in Prayer and Uniting in Contemplation, and helping to lead regular Quiet Days and spiritual reflection gatherings. His leadership is grounded in an ecumenical spirit and a practical commitment to building hope-filled, spiritually alive communities.

He holds a Bachelor of Social Science, a Bachelor of Theology, and a Graduate Diploma in Science (Mental Health), alongside advanced training in Spiritual Direction and supervision. With over a decade of experience supporting individuals and communities in their spiritual growth, Tom continues to offer a thoughtful, grounded, and inclusive approach to ministry.

Dr Rosemary Hancock

Dr Rosemary Hancock is Assistant Director of the Institute for Ethics and Society, and Convener of the Religion, Culture and Society Research Focus Area at the University of Notre Dame, Australia.

Rosemary is a sociologist who writes about the intersection of religion with politics and activism, with a particular focus on environmental politics. Her research grapples with the ways religion is integrated into grassroots political spaces, the ways in which religion influences or motivates activists in their political practice, and how the engagement of religious people and organisations in democratic politics and civil society transforms those spaces - and how political action transforms religious communities. 

Rosemary is a leading expert in the study of Islamic environmentalism, and has worked with broad-based community organisations in Australia investigating the involvement of religious communities and organisations in grassroots politics. She is also interested the use of the internet by Muslim women, in particular the way gender is represented and negotiated in online spaces.

Nishadh Rego

Nishadh Rego is Advocacy and Policy Manager at UNICEF Australia, working on the intersection between climate change and the wellbeing and rights of children and young people, and is also the co-founder of Desis for Yes, a grassroots movement aimed at building connection and engagement between South Asian communities and First Nations justice in the context of the the 2023 First Nations Voice referendum. Nishadh was previously the Head of Policy and Advocacy at the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Australia, and has ten years experience working in a variety of advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and service delivery roles - in homelessness, migration, and international issues - for JRS, Australian Red Cross and Baptistcare. 

Having grown up in South-East Asia to Indian-Catholic parents, Nishadh arrived in Australia to study in 2006, and has since been fortunate enough to live, work, and settle in Australia. Motivated by his own personal experience of migration, and his professional experience working closely with refugees and people seeking asylum, Nishadh is passionate about understanding and addressing systemic injustices that newcomers to Australia encounter. Nishadh has published commentary, book reviews, a book chapter, and a journal article on a range of themes including global and Australian migration policy, international politics, and sport. Nishadh has a Bachelors of Economics/Arts (Hons) from the ANU and a Masters of International Relations (Dean's Hons List) from the University of Melbourne.