Our Board
Our Team
Our Board
Founder & CEO
Mikaela Stafrace
Mikaela is an MBA-qualified lawyer, who has spent many years in corporate settings providing insurance, risk, governance and regulatory compliance advice.
Mikaela has served as a company director on government boards & industry associations and was Chief Examiner for insurance law at Monash & Melbourne Universities.
In 2019, she founded a social enterprise called WomenCAN Facilities Services and a charity called WomenCAN Australia with its program, The Placement Circle.
The mission for The Placement Circle is to assist women become employment capable by connecting peer supported communities of women, with vocational training and onto employment. The first pilot was rolled out at Chisholm Institute in Dandenong now with further pilots undertaken in Footscray, Bendigo and Shepparton.
WomenCAN Facilities Services is a woman to woman facilities services offering. It is a unique business where qualified tradeswomen provide trades, gardening, cleaning and other residential services to women in their homes. The mission of WomenCAN Facilities Services is to provide an excellent and safe home maintenance service for women. The business has significant social impact as a result of the connection with The Placement Circle where a pipeline of tradeswomen are being trained through TAFE. On graduation, those women have the opportunity for a structured career in trades and facilities maintenance.
In 2020, Mikaela was awarded a Myer Innovation Fellowship and was made an AMP Tomorrow Maker in 2022.
Board
The charity is overseen by a Board of Directors, each of whom is committed to achieving WomenCAN Australia's mission.
Marion Webster AM
Chair
Marion Webster was the founding Executive Director of the Australian Association of Philanthropy (now Philanthropy Australia) prior to becoming National Manager - Charitable Trusts, and, later, Manager, Corporate Relations (Charitable) for ANZ Trustees, as well as advising the ANZ Bank on charitable giving and sponsorship.
She serves/has served on the boards of a number of organisations, spanning welfare, the arts, medical research, international relations and community philanthropy, bringing particular expertise in the area of Board governance and efficiency. She was the co-founder of Fitted for Work, a service to assist long term unemployed and disadvantaged women obtain work and founding director of Kilfinan Australia, a free mentoring service for for purpose CEOs. She recently retired from the Board of The Funding Network and from Per Capita.
Central to the development of the first independent community foundation in Australia, the now Australian Communities Foundation, she was co-founder of the Foundation and currently it’s Patron and has been instrumental in growing the Foundation to over $110 million in funds under management.
In 2004 she was awarded an OAM for her services to philanthropy and the community.
Winsome Bernard
Director
Winsome Bernard is the founder of Quay Appointments. Her experience in recruitment spans over two decades.
Since arriving in Australia, in 1985, Winsome has worked with major Corporates and Government organisations, providing temporary and permanent Business Support Personnel with Quay Appointments gaining a reputation as a highly effective and customer focused business.
Winsome is an advocate for ethical conduct, evidenced by her lobbying and roles with the RCSA’s Ethics Committee. She believes company performance is linked to the quality of relationships and service provided to clients, and has demonstrated this in building a sustainable SME business.
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Tom Palmieri
Director
Tom has been making contributions to the accounting profession for ten years as a trusted advisor. His unwavering focus is to bring to light the invaluable information accountants hold and uncover.
Tom is a new generation of accounting professional. His passion for technology and strategic outlook put him unapologetically at odds with the traditional view of the accountant as a historian looking ever in the rear view mirror at transactions that have long been past. He spearheads special projects to assist clients in the start-up, scale up, expansion, M&A, cash flow forecasting and restructure with the aid of these attributes.
Tom is a qualified CPA (with Distinction) and holds a Bachelor of Commerce with majors in Accounting and Finance (also with Distinction) which he earned studying at Deakin University.
Jody Potter
Director
Jody is a marketing and communications professional, currently working in the Brand, Advertising and Media team at Westpac Group.
Prior to this, Jody has worked agency-side in PR consulting, creative production and event management.
As a freelance photographer, she has also been fortunate enough to travel the globe, working closely with social enterprises and charities.
Jody is particularly passionate about the empowerment of women through education and financial independence, and she joins the WomenCAN Board as part of the Westpac Foundation Board Observership Program.
Kerry Kornhauser OAM
Director
Kerry commenced her career in the advertising industry, holding positions with major agencies Clemenger Harvie and George Patterson. She also spent time in the private health care and hospitality sectors, helping establish Australian Health Resources and working as Marketing Director in a number of successful corporate accommodation hotels.
Having long been an active volunteer, Kerry joined the Rotary Club of Albert Park in 2008, where she received a number of awards and served as President (2011–12). In 2010, she founded Woman in Rotary, an Australia-and world wide initiative aimed at promoting and encouraging the participation and contribution of women in Rotary.
In addition to her work with Rotary and EndTrachoma, Kerry sits on the boards of Nourish our Communities, Violence Free Families and is a project manager with the Bridge of Hope’s Bridging the Gap program.
In 2017, Kerry received a Medal of the Order of Australia for her services to the community.
Annie Duncan
Director
Annie has a PhD in Biochemistry and an Honorary Doctor of Letters from UWA for her community work, especially with women.
Annie has been on the Boards of more than 10 NFPs in 3 States including the State Training Board and the Quality Assessment Council in WA which oversaw TAFE courses.
Annie was also Head of the Women’s Policy Unit in the Dept of Education and Training.
In Victoria, she has been on both sides of the philanthropic sector. Annie was a Board member of Bendigo Discovery and Fitted for Work.
Judith Troeth AM
Director
The Hon Judith Troeth has been a trailblazer for rural women in politics, social justice and human rights, and has achieved significant gains for women in health reform.
Before entering politics Judith was a teacher and farmer, giving her a strong rural voice in Parliament.
As a Liberal Senator for Victoria (1993-2011), Judith has been a vocal advocate for the humane treatment of refugees and asylum seekers.
In 2006 she was commissioned to undertake an inquiry into the action required to get rural women into higher board positions. The subsequent report, At the Table, has since been widely referenced by local government and industry.
Judith is an outstanding role model for women, generating significant outcomes for women in health reform, leadership and in the agricultural sector.
Sarah Meredith
Director
Sarah is a passionate advocate for gender equality, creating a better world and fighting injustice. For more than 20 years she has worked on successful advocacy and policy campaigns in both government and not-for-profit roles.
Sarah headed up Global Citizen’s efforts in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, leading campaigns that secured more than $1 billion AUD in commitments to international health, education and development programs, and secured Public Benevolent Institution status for the charity in 2021.
Prior to this role Sarah spent 13 years advising some of Australia's federal and state government Cabinet Ministers on environment, mental health and health, community services and youth affairs policy.
Donata Carrazza
Director
Donata Carrazza was appointed to the Board in 2023.
Donata has more than 20 years’ experience in the hospitality and tourism industry, notably at the Mildura Grand Hotel working with Stefano de Pieri.
She is one of the founding members of the Mildura Writers Festival which celebrated 25 years in 2020 and since 2021 has been the festival’s artistic director.
Donata is a board member of the State Library of Victoria since 2019, where she is also a member of the Advisory Committee on Public Libraries and Audit and Risk Management committee. Donata has served on the board of Arts Mildura (2004 – 2009) and Writers Victoria as a committee member (2017 – 2019). She has edited four books and has been published in several literary and art journals.
Donata lives in Mildura in northwest Victoria where she owns and operates a bookshop.
Donata is a graduate of Italian language and literature from the University of Melbourne (1990), the CELTA language course at La Trobe University (2010), and an Associate Degree in Professional Writing and Editing from RMIT University (2019).
