Our Board.
The AWECC Board of Directors provides the overall leadership and management of the organisation. The Board is accountable to the members and the community through transparent decision-making, managing the budget and organisation risk, and setting strategic goals for the organisation. Through a collaborative and community-focused approach, our directors strive for excellence for the organisation and impact in the community.
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RUPINDER KAUR
Chairperson 
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Rupinder is a Wodonga resident, originally from India. She is young and passionately driven with ongoing engagement in several community development projects conducted at state and local community levels for the betterment of Albury and Wodonga. Rupinder is committed to taking the extra step and she is always willing to travel the extra mile, along with the members of public, to raise the concerns of people who are in need. Rupinder has a strong passion for helping victims of family and domestic violence. She is a White Ribbon advocate and serves as a state committee member (Victoria) for the organisation. Rupinder is also a committee and executive member for other government and non-government organisations and is working tirelessly to find new ways to elevate the concerns of people and unite the community to find better solutions. As a nursing graduate and community advocate for the prevention of family violence, Rupinder is developing various community and corporate skills and is passionate about using these abilities to support the local community. With her empathetic approach to helping people in need, Rupinder has established relationships with many like-minded state and local service agencies. She is also a graduate of Wodonga’s New and Emerging Communities Leadership Program. Rupinder has been presented and honoured with number of prestigious awards and titles, including a bravery award in 2017 for spreading awareness on violence against women. Rupinder believes that the local people of Albury Wodonga are like a big family and we all should work together and treat everyone as equals. Rupinder appreciates the support that many Albury and Wodonga locals have shown her through their ongoing splendid love. Her mantra is “to unite together to build a better future for us and the generations to come”. Rupinder is committed to ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard, and everyone is treated with respect and dignity. As well as serving on the AWECC Board since October 2017, Rupinder has been volunteering with Lifeline as a counsellor. She has a bachelor’s degree in nursing, a Certificate III in Business Administration (Legal). Her many hobbies include cooking, writing and make-up artistry. |
DR. NIVANKA DE SILVA
Deputy Chairperson 
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Nivanka was born in Sri Lanka and grew up in the rural NSW town of Deniliquin. A recent graduate of a Doctor of Medicine, Nivanka commenced work as a first-year doctor at Albury Wodonga Health in 2018. An enthusiastic member of the community, Nivanka has a keen interest in mental health and well-being, advocacy, and the development of programs to support migrants and refugees and to give them a voice. Nivanka is a recent graduate of Leadership Victoria's New & Emerging Community Leadership Program, is a member of the Multicultural Youth Network, and a regional advisory council (RAC) member for the Victorian Multicultural Commission. She is also a representative of AWECC’s Multicultural Youth Council. Nivanka's priorities are to see all community members feel valued and to ensure greater collaboration and understanding between new migrants and the wider Albury-Wodonga community. |
SHAUN McFARLANE
Treasurer 
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Shaun is a graduate business student who studied Accounting at La Trobe University in Albury-Wodonga. His motivation, for results that earned many scholarships and awards, was the hope to use the skills and knowledge to deliver maximum positive impact and benefit to communities. Shaun has spent over 15 years volunteering with the Country Fire Authority in Chiltern, in which he holds several roles including as an Officer and as an Airbase Manager. It is through this work that he has been honoured with the National Emergency Medal for sustained response to the 2009 Black Saturday Fires. Shaun’s passion is in promoting positive social change, and it is in this thread he dreams of building business acumen and serving many committees throughout his life. He hopes to continue his A-grade form from his Bachelor of Business (Accounting) into his role with AWECC and support the multicultural communities of Albury-Wodonga. Shaun serves on the AWECC Board as Treasurer and joined the Board in early 2018. |
MARIAM ABBAS
Secretary 
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Mariam Abbas came to live in Albury, from Lebanon, in 2011. Mariam graduated from La Trobe University in Wodonga with a Bachelor of Business (Accounting). She currently works as a graduate accountant at a local firm in Wodonga. Mariam has a passion to support local young people and has an interest on supporting migrant and refugee background young people to find employment. Mariam serves on the AWECC Board of Directors as Secretary and was appointed to the Board in October 2018. |
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PAHAL M. BHATTARAI
Director 
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Born in Bhutan, Pahal left his country of birth in 1991 due to ethnic cleansing occurring in the country at the time. He would spend the next 19 years of his life living in a refugee camp in Nepal. During this time, Pahal studied and worked in the camp school for 11 yrs. After eventually being resettled in Australia in 2011, Pahal continued to learn, initially completing certificates in Spoken and Written English through the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP), and later through various courses in aged care, home and community services, disability support, and security. Pahal was also a graduate of the 2017 'New and Emerging Communities Leadership Program' (through Leadership Victoria) and is a trained Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) community advocate. After short stints working in a factory and in the security industry, Pahal now holds several jobs, as a carer with Westmont Aged Care Services Ltd., as a support worker for Uniting and casually with the VEC. Pahal’s commitment to the community saw him appointed as the first chairperson of the Wodonga Bhutanese Community Inc. and as a volunteer with refugee and migrant communities through the St Vincent de Paul Society. Pahal has a passion for assisting people who need a helping hand. |
MOHAMMED ALAMGIR
Director 
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Mohammed is a long-time resident of Albury-Wodonga, originally from Bangladesh. Now semi-retired, Mohammed worked as a a Hydrogeologist for more than 20 years. For over a decade, he has lead the local Bangladeshi community, organising many community events, and supporting new and established community members. With an in-depth understanding of Indo-Pak- Bangla cultures and religions, Mohammed provides valuable insights to the work and policies of AWECC. Apart from Mohammed's community leadership skills, he is also a skilled cook, especially of curries, kebabs and other snacks. Mohammed joined the AWECC board in October 2017. |
PAMPHA BHUJEL
Director 
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Pampha Bhujel was just three years old when her parents were expelled from Bhutan. She spent the next 18 years in refugee camps in Nepal before resettling in Australia in 2010. As a registered nurse, Pampha is strongly committed to making a difference in people’s lives and in giving back to the community. Pampha has contributed broadly to the Albury-Wodonga community through her voluntary work and as President of the Bhutanese Association in Albury Inc. of which she served for two years (2015-2017). She was recognised for her community service by being a finalist in the New South Wales ‘Community Hero’ award in 2017. As the first woman and youngest president of a Bhutanese Association in Australia, Pampha and her team were able to host events and deliver programs to empower the local community. A highlight included hosting sporting activities, such as soccer and cricket games, aiming to teach accountability, dedication, leadership and healthy living among young girls and boys. In a generally male dominated community, Pampha has demonstrated that not only can women lead, but can help transform a newly settled refugee group to be a model community, showcasing its strengths. Pampha joined the AWECC Board as Director in October 2018. |
SUE PORTORS
Immediate Past Chair 
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Sue is the immediate past chairperson having been elected to AWECC's first Board in 2014 and serving as Chair from 2016 to 2018. Sue is an American-Australian, of German and English descent. She has lived on the Border for over 20 years. Her interest in supporting and advocating for local multicultural communities has been shaped by her volunteer work locally and abroad, and through the ethnic diversity within her own family. Locally, Sue has been involved in refugee soccer initiatives, and has volunteered with the Midnight Basketball program. Abroad, she has volunteered in orphanages for international organisations in Uganda and Nepal, and traveled back to Nepal as part of a team helping rebuild schools in Nepal following devastating earthquakes in 2015. Sue is a Development Supervisor for North East Water, and lives in East Albury. |
Our staff.
Our staff advocate for and serve our members and the community through community-led programs, policy advocacy and networking to address or support a broad range of policy and service areas, including community capacity building, health, employment, women's leadership, racism, family violence prevention, gambling harm awareness, refugee re-settlement, youth, and much more.
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BRETT SANDERSON
Community Advocacy Officer 
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Brett was born and gre up in Wodonga and has worked in the region on-and-off for more than 10 years. He has worked alongside migrant and refugee communities since 2011 in various roles including settlement case work, Skilled Migration and project management. He first started working with AWECC in 2013, prior to the organisation's formal establishment in 2014. Since then, Brett has seen AWECC transform into an effective advocacy and community organisation with a growing and diverse membership base. Brett is currently completing a double-degree - Bachelor of Human Services and Master of Social Work. He also holds qualifications in human resource management, business management and training and assessment. Brett loves to travel and learn about other cultures and societies and has had the opportunity to travel through several countries in southern and eatern Africa as well as Thaliand and Singapore. He lives in Wodonga with his wife and daughter. |
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