Our board
The Carpentaria Board consists of up to eight elected members:
Grant Lindsay
Chairperson
Grant Lindsay was appointed to the Board of Carpentaria Disability Services Inc in 2005, and President from 2008-13. He then joined the Board of Carpentaria Disability Services Ltd in 2018. Grant has a passionate interest in person-centred support services that respect individual choice and need and assist each individual to develop their capacity so that they can participate in, contribute to and be effective members of our community.
Grant is currently self-employed as a management consultant. He is also the president of the Down Syndrome Association of the Northern Territory and a member of the Down Syndrome Australia Board since its inception. Grant worked in the non-government education sector for 14 years, previously he had a similar role in a health research institute, following 25 years in the Australian Regular Army. He is married with two children and is a long term Rotarian and rugby fan.
Steve Vitone
Vice Chairperson
Steve Vitone joined the Board of Carpentaria Disability Services Inc in 2005 as Deputy Chair and joined the Board of Carpentaria Disability Services Ltd in 2018. He is also the CEO of Carers NT, a not-for-profit community based organisation dedicated to improving the lives of family carers living in the Northern Territory. Steve is a Social Worker by profession and has a long involvement in services for people with a disability and their families.
Steve has worked in both the public and private sector, primarily in the disability and rehabilitation areas, has a strong commitment to social justice and extensive experience in advocacy. He has held several positions on community, state and national working groups, committees and boards including NDS Northern Territory, Carpentaria, the Chief Minister’s NGO Advisory Council and Moil School Council. He was also appointed to the National Disability and Carers Advisory Council.
Steven Porter
Company Secretary
Steven Porter joined the Board of Carpentaria Disability Services Inc in 2017 and the Board of Carpentaria Disability Services Ltd in 2018. He is an experienced Board Director and an Australian Institute of Company Directors graduate with strong strategic, financial and corporate governance skills. Steven has tertiary qualifications in engineering and a Masters in Organisation Dynamics. He is a water industry specialist with 35 years experience across multiple public, private and Council water entities.
Wendy Ah Chin
Director
Wendy Ah Chin was appointed to the Board in 2023 and has extensive experience working with the Northern Territory, Queensland and the Australian Government across health, community and education portfolios. Originally from Mt. Isa, and a descendant from the Wannyi people in North West Queensland, Wendy currently works as the Chief Superintendent First Nations and Cultural Capability in the Department of Corrective Services.
Wendy has held executive roles in the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health (now Lowitja Institute) and Yothu Yindi Foundation, and has a health science degree, a graduate certificate in public sector management and an Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) through the Australian & New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG).
Glenn Foard
Director
Glenn Foard joined the Board in 2022 and is currently a Partner with MAP Consulting Group, following a long executive career. Most recently, Glenn was CEO of Melba Support Services in Victoria. Under Glenn’s stewardship, Melba was transformed from a boutique disability service provider to a standard bearer in that state. His achievements as Melba’s CEO include overseeing two mergers, successfully tendering for new services, creating innovative SDA partnerships, expanding Melba’s service locations to areas across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria employing some 1,400 staff, and growing the organisation’s annual revenue from $9 M in 2011 to in excess of $100 M in 2020.
Glenn has served as a Board member of Disability Professionals Victoria, been a member of the NDS State Committee and a ministerial appointee to the Victorian Disability Services Board. In 2013, Glenn studied at Harvard Business School. He also holds a social work degree and two masters degrees in social policy and accounting.
Nicole Hurwood
Director
Nicole Hurwood joined the Board of Carpentaria Disability Services Ltd in 2020. She is a long term Territorian and a career public servant who has worked across a number of portfolios, holding executive leadership roles in human and social services agencies. She has a keen interest in strategic policy, organisational and workforce development and resource management. Nicole holds a Bachelor of Business, a Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Management, a Master of Arts in Public Sector Leadership; is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and has completed the Australia and New Zealand School of Governments Executive Fellows Program.
Hamza Vayani
Director
Hamza Vayani joined the Board in 2022 and has held several appointments in a range of senior management roles and advisory committees at state and national level. He has a demonstrated track record as a strong advocate for culturally responsive, clinically safe and accessible healthcare and disability services with a particular focus on people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. He is passionate about making health and social care systems integrated, accessible and easier to navigate.
Hamza is not afraid of asking the difficult questions when it comes to maintaining confidence in delivery of accessible and clinically safe delivery of health and human services. He believes public policy and service delivery should be about choice and control for people accessing the services they need in a way that is empowering, inclusive of lived experience perspectives and evidence based.