Our people
Our Patron
Ambassador Matthew Neuhaus
Ambassador Neuhaus is the patron for Great Lakes Agency for Peace and Development International.
He has many African connections and in 2011 he became Australia's first Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo. He grew up in Tanzania, the child of Australian Anglican missionaries and after many years as a career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT), he is currently the Australian Ambassador to The Netherlands.
Before that, Ambassador Neuhaus was the Assistant Secretary of DFAT's Africa Branch. He has served as Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria from 1997-2000, accredited also to Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Senegal as well as more recently from 2011-2015 as Australian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, accredited to the DRC, Zambia and Malawi. His earlier postings included the United Nations, New York, Papua New Guinea, and Kenya. He was also Director of the Political Affairs Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat in London from 2002-2008.
Dr Ataus Samad
Chairman
Ataus Samad is Lecturer in the School of Business at Western Sydney University (WSU). He holds a PhD in Management and a Master of Business (Research) from Central Queensland University and specialises in the regional settlement of migrants.
His work on the settlement and secure employment of migrants in regional agribusiness has recently been published by the Central Queensland University Centre for Tourism and Regional Opportunities.
Before joining WSU, Ataus was on the board of the Queensland Government’s Multicultural Queensland Advisory Council. He has published in high-ranking journals and his work has been cited by academics, NGOs, government and the media.
Professor Mohobbot Ali
Board member
Finance Committee Chair
Professor Mohobbot Ali is an academic having diversified experience in business research and teaching in many countries including Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh. Currently, he is teaching at Western Sydney University & University of Wollongong as a visiting faculty. Previously he has held important academic positions at different universities including Dean of Business School and Director of Bureau of Business Research.
His primary research areas of interest include risk reporting, corporate governance, intellectual capital reporting, and management control. Professor Ali has published many research articles and book chapters in reputable ranked journals. He has also presented papers at many international conferences.
He has successful experience in executing research projects funded by World Bank, British Council UK etc. In addition, he has held many leaderships position like Member of the Senate, Syndicate, Academic Council etc.
Matias Reyes
Board member
PR and Communications Chair
Matias is an art director and designer with over 8 years of experience producing creative and strategic communications that influence behaviour, change perceptions, and unite people.
Having worked with a range of clients, from large multinationals to local community organisations, he has been involved in branding, public relations, content, and innovation strategy. His passion for diversity and his multicultural background give him a unique approach to every project.
Rola
Board member
"With over a decade of experience in academia, I am a dedicated researcher and lecturer at the University of Lagos, specializing in chemistry. My work focuses on advancing our understanding of chemical interactions and developing innovative materials. I am passionate about creating engaging educational experiences and mentoring students to help them succeed in their careers.
Currently serving as a Visiting Fellow at UNSW Sydney, I am involved in cutting-edge research and advocate for greater diversity in STEM fields. My expertise in curriculum development and mentorship, combined with my commitment to community outreach, positions me to effectively support initiatives that aid migrants and refugees in integrating into their new environments.
I am enthusiastic about applying my skills to contribute to programs that assist newcomers in settling and thriving in their new countries, and I look forward to collaborating on impactful projects for these communities."
Andrina
Board member
Andrina has worked within the Agriculture and Startup sectors for the last 17 years. Commencing in 2007, Andrina co-founded Argyle Foods Group, a domestic and export beef and lamb business.
Sustainability has always been at the forefront for Andrina, and during her tenure, she developed initiatives such as donating meat products to food banks, supporting local farmers and sponsoring community events.
Over the past four years, Andrina managed the end-to-end recruitment of support office and retail roles for Harris Farm Markets across their 30+ stores and 3000 employees.
Passionate about creating social impact through innovative and sustainable solutions, Adrina founded The Dragonfly Network. This social enterprise connects refugees to employment opportunities in Australia, with the vision of building better futures and financial independence. In alignment with this initiative, Andrina has been invited to join the board for GLAPD, assisting in creating pathways to employment for Asylum Seekers and Refugees.
Our Executive
Emmanuel Musoni
Executive Manager
Emmanuel Musoni is the Executive Manager of Great Lakes Agency for Peace and Development International (GLAPD pronounced ‘glah-ped‘)). He has been engaged in community leadership and development for many years both in Australia and overseas. Emmanuel has settled around 158 people in regional Australia since mid-2016. Emmanuel‘s work has enlightened and changed perceptions towards refugees within the Australian population and brought new debate into State and Federal politics.
Emmanuel was raised in a refugee camp in Uganda until he was 16 years old. This has led him to be strongly committed and passionate about advocating for better settlement and integration of refugees and migrants who are yearning to call regional Australia home.
Dr Nadine Shema
Co-Founder and Settlement Operations Manager
Dr Shema is the co-founder of the Great Lakes Agency for Peace and Development International (GLAPD). She serves as the agency‘s Settlement Operations Manager and Public Relations Officer.
Dr Shema is an overseas trained medical doctor, a public health professional and a refugee advocate. She holds a double master‘s degree in Public Health and Health Management (UNSW). Since her 2011 arrival in Australia, she has devoted herself to the welfare of refugees and migrants from the troubled Great Lakes region of Africa (mainly Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and the D.R. Congo) by promoting peace, harmony and development among those people, both in Australia and internationally.
Her success in creating positive intercultural exchanges led to her being acknowledged by Celebration of African Australians Inc. as an influential African Australian and at the 2017 Rotary Inspirational Women‘s Awards. Dr Shema is also a member.
Moses Abaho
Financial Accountant
Moses Abahov
Community advisory group
Burundi – Community Adviser - Sylvestre Mugemancuro
D.R Congo - Banyamulenge – Community Adviser - Moise Mwungura
Ethiopia - Community Adviser - Emebet Assefa
Eritrea – Community Adviser - Samson Tekle
Equatorial community/South Sudan – Community Adviser - Anizia Sogora
Kenya – Community Adviser - Patrick Muraguri
Rwanda – Community Adviser - Vivens Mutaga
Somalia – Community Adviser - Maryam Omar
Sierra Leone – Community Adviser - Tubak Lekembeh
South Sudan - Equatorial community – Community Adviser - Anizia Gilo
Uganda – Community Adviser - Rehema Nakimuli Talaka
Meet Nadine
She’s one of the Founders of the GLAPD and the Operations Manager.
