OUR BOARD

Sharna Jarvis

Chairperson

Sharna is a passionate mother of two Neurodiverse children who loves cooking and feeding others. She chairs Microenterprise People (MEP), a Not-for-Profit organization that promotes meaningful employment for People with Disabilities (PWD). MEP collaborates with various entities to improve access to employment and supply chains for Micro Enterprises owned and run by PWD. Sharna also founded Microenterprise Launchpad, which provides personalized, 1-On-1 support to PWD in their employment journeys. With her background in chemical engineering and extensive experience in corporate global roles, Sharna brings valuable expertise to the disability support sector.

Samantha Powell

Vice Chairperson

Samantha is a West Aussie with a lifetime of experience in disability. She has held volunteer roles and governance positions in the Not For Profit sector. She has qualifications in business, community services, advocacy and education support, including a Bachelors degree in Community Development. These have allowed her to put her unique perspective to use and to empower people with disability.

Samantha is values-driven and approaches everything she does with authenticity. Her work in the customised employment space allows her to follow her passion for creating more employment opportunities for people with disability. In doing so, she hopes to change attitudes around disability employment.

When not at work, Samantha is busy being a taxi for her sons and a crazy cat lady.

Marcus Carney

Secretary

Marcus is driven by a genuine passion for helping people reach their goals and believes in turning one's passions into a profession. Over the past four years, he has been actively supporting individuals in their employment pursuits and has played a pivotal role in launching many successful Microenterprises.

With a background as a trainer, athlete, and coach, Marcus applies a personalised and teamwork-oriented approach to support people in their career journeys. He is a co-founder of Carneys Training, where he has been involved in training individuals with disabilities in both group and one-on-one settings for several years.

Before his career in support and training, Marcus competed internationally in Freestyle wrestling. He achieved significant milestones, including being the Australian, New Zealand, and Oceania champion, as well as 5th place at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Marcus offers a distinctive blend of real-world experience and a practical, hands-on approach.

Nadege Anderson

Treasurer

Nadege has broad experience across a number of sectors including First Nations health (New Zealand), Aged Care and Disability Services. She is experienced in Community Engagement, Service Development and Project Management.

Nadege completed a Bachelor of Health Sciences at the University of Auckland, and as a believer in life-long learning is currently completing post-graduate study at the University of Western Australia.

Passionate about inclusion, values driven leadership, equity and social justice. Nadege has taken these passions into her small business where she working to support people with disability to find meaningful employment, and social and economic inclusion in their communities.

Gina Semi

Board Member

Gina, a skilled hairdresser and salon owner for seven years, embarked on a mission to find better employment options for her daughter, Tia. Frustrated with the lack of suitable opportunities in their local area, she connected with other parents who shared her vision. Together, they worked with Tia to identify her strengths and passions, ultimately paving the way for her future career. Through her journey, Gina developed her skills in an organization, starting as a volunteer and learning from an exceptional team. During this time, she also devoted herself to building Tia's business and assisting others in doing the same. Now, as the founder of Semi Consulting, Gina serves as a Customised Employment Advisor, empowering individuals to achieve their employment aspirations.