annual report 2010 –2011 - Multicultural Development Association

Lyn Ellison | Executive Manager | Quality and Improvement
Jamila Trad-Padhee | Executive Manager | Client Services
After graduating from Leeds Metropolitan University and the University of York, Lyn was Senior
Manager at an independent adult education centre. She co-ordinated a program of adult
education courses for people with learning disabilities before becoming Policy and Research
Officer for an employment rights organisation. Lyn’s work was instrumental in ensuring that
outworkers, many of whom were women of Pakistan and Bangladesh ethnicity, were covered
by the national minimum wage.
Lyn migrated to Australia in 2001 and worked in the community housing sector before
joining MDA as Assistant Director in January 2005. As the organisation grew and its senior
management structure changed, Lyn’s position evolved into the Executive Manager for Quality
and Improvement. Lyn’s focus is on developing the policies, procedures and systems that
support the work of the organisation and MDA’s staff in carrying out that work.
Mitra Khakbaz | Executive Manager | Community Engagement
Mitra has worked in the multicultural sector since arriving in Australia from Iran in 1994. Her
qualifications include a Masters in Applied Linguistics, a Masters in Social Administration at
the University of Queensland, as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Community Development
and Social Policy.
Jamila has been working with MDA for the past nine years in a variety of casework, community
development and management roles. In her current role, Jamila is responsible for overseeing
MDA’s direct casework services to newly arrived refugees.
Jamila has Bachelor of Social Work and Bachelor of Arts (Anthropology) degrees. Jamila has
also worked as a Social Worker in a hospital emergency department and in child protection.
Prior to working at MDA, Jamila lived and worked in Orissa, India for nearly four years through
the Australian Volunteers International program.
Loretta McDonald | Chief Financial Officer
Loretta has over 11 years experience as a Financial Controller within the community sector.
As Chief Financial Officer of MDA, Loretta has a strong record of ensuring sound financial
management principles are applied in the organisation and that statutory reports to funding
bodies are made. Loretta holds a Bachelor of Business in Business Management and Accounting
and a Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training.
Mitra worked as the Coordinator for the Centre for Multicultural and Community Development
at the University of the Sunshine Coast where she oversaw community development projects
with diverse communities focusing on regional settlement, parenting across cultures,
families and cultural interface, youth engagement, women’s empowerment, delivering
cultural competency and anti-racism training. In this role Mitra organised three international
conferences on themes of confronting racism and also multicultural families. In addition to
her role at MDA, she is a Director with DVconnect, which is a state-wide domestic and family
violence telephone service. Mitra is committed to women and children’s rights.
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