Our CEO | Our board | Our staff | Ardoch Patron-in-Chief | Our volunteers
Our CEO
Lisa Jones commenced in the role of Chief Executive Officer of Ardoch in January 2022, bringing an extensive background in social impact, humanitarian action, community engagement and policy across the not-for-profit, public and private sectors.
Lisa commenced in the role of Chief Executive Officer of Ardoch in January 2022, following various roles in the not-for-profit, public and private sectors. She is an experienced senior executive and qualified lawyer, with a background in humanitarian action, strategic planning, legislative and policy development, and community engagement.
Prior to Ardoch, Lisa was the Managing Partner of Synergistiq, a consulting firm that strengthens and measures social impact, with a focus on education, employment and engagement. She worked closely with government, schools and students, to evaluate the impact of programs seeking to improve student learning outcomes and well-being.
Lisa spent 15 years undertaking political and humanitarian work with the United Nations and International Committee of the Red Cross, mostly in conflict or post-conflict situations. Her work focused on protecting civilians, advocating for the rights of women, children and ethnic minorities, helping people return and restore their lives, and supporting governments with post-conflict transition.
She subsequently spent nine years with the Victorian Government in emergency management. This involved collaborating with emergency management volunteers to develop and implement significant reforms in response to the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission. Lisa championed a sector-wide diversity and inclusion framework to build a high-performing workforce and strengthen community connection, and designed new approaches for increasing community resilience.
Lisa is the former Chair of Scarf, a social enterprise that supports young people of refugee and migrant backgrounds to gain access to opportunity through the hospitality industry. She is also a member of Leadership Victoria’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarship Committee and former Chair of a school board.
Lisa holds Bachelor degrees in Arts and Law. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an alumnus of the Williamson Community Leadership Program.
Our board
Ardoch is privileged to have a volunteer Board of Directors steer our strategy to drive our organisation forward.
Our Directors are leaders in their chosen fields and committed to the work of Ardoch. They are responsible for providing the support and oversight Ardoch needs to continue to grow and strengthen our positive influence on educational outcomes for children and young people in disadvantaged communities.
Our staff
Ardoch’s small team of talented employees punches above its weight each year.
Spread across six different locations in Victoria and NSW, our small team of just 21 people (14.7 full-time equivalent) underpins all our achievements. They coordinate programs, review and develop resources, build and maintain relationships with education and other community partners, mobilise more than 1700 volunteers, manage relationships with philanthropic supporters, corporate partners and individual donors and deliver all the other the ‘back of house’ functions that enable us to operate smoothly.
Ardoch Patron-in-Chief,
Governor of Victoria,
The Honourable Linda Dessau AC
In February 2017, The Honourable Linda Dessau AC, Governor of Victoria became Ardoch’s Patron-in-Chief.
Her Excellency is the first female Governor of Victoria. During her long career as a barrister, Magistrate and then a Judge, she served in the Children’s Court, Coroners Court and then the Family Court of Australia. In 2017 the Governor was made a Companion of the Order of Australia for “eminent service to the people of Victoria through leadership roles in the judiciary, to the advancement of economic ties and business relationships, and as a supporter of charitable, sporting and arts organisations”.
“I am delighted to have become Ardoch’s Patron-in-Chief and I look forward to supporting their great work in the future,” the Governor said in 2017.
“After a career of nearly 40 years in criminal and family law I have a deep appreciation of Ardoch’s work. By providing education and support to disadvantaged children and young people, Ardoch helps to promote future prosperity and equality in our State.”
PHOTO REFERENCE – The Honourable Linda Dessau AC speaking at Ardoch’s 30th Anniversary Event at Government House in 2018
Our volunteers
Ardoch volunteers are essential to the delivery of our programs and our capacity to grow the number of school and early years partners we support.
Each year we mobilise over 1700 volunteers from corporate partners and the community to participate in our evidence-based programs. Our volunteers are at the heart of Ardoch’s work.
To find out more about how you can help improve educational outcomes through individual volunteering in schools and early years services or through our workplace volunteering programs, please click the ‘learn more’ button below.