Strengthening Community Resilience; Menzies Foundation partners with Regional Leadership Collective

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Working with an outstanding group of collaboration partners, the Menzies Foundation is committed to developing a systemic approach to citizen leadership and community resilience. Exploring the culture infrastructure and capability platform to build resilience and new ways of thinking, this focus will inform the development of governance and capital flows to support the agency and autonomy of communities to flourish.

An important piece of this work will see Menzies Foundation, in collaboration with the Regional Leadership Collective and supported by GoodWolf Partners, unite efforts to strengthen and cultivate Victorian community resilience, aiming to further elevate their impact and explore sustainable systemic approaches throughout the region. This strategic collaboration, in addition to the citizen leadership and community resilience work currently underway with partner, Regen Melbourne (Particpatory Melbourne), aims to foster leadership initiatives that resonate with community needs across nine diverse locations throughout Victoria.

“The Menzies Foundation is deeply committed to this important work, which not only aims to significantly enhance community leadership across the state but also encourage Australians to clarify their purpose, understand our collective responsibility, and act for the ‘greater good’. This partnership stands as a testament to our shared vision of empowering individuals and communities through effective leadership initiatives, reinforcing our dedication to purposeful impact throughout Australia”.

Liz Gillies, Menzies Foundation CEO

The collaboration will focus on crafting a unified approach that is adaptable to the unique requirements of each community, designed to promote citizen leadership and enhance community resilience, reflecting the specific context and demands of local areas.

The key deliverables of this collaboration include the development of a comprehensive strategy for program design and delivery, community project execution, and program management. Additionally, the partnership will provide insightful recommendations on governance, structure, and efficiency to ensure sustainable and impactful leadership programs.

An integral part of this initiative is the emphasis on collaborative planning and execution, with the partnership’s journey beginning in February 2024, with a thorough data collection and analysis phase, establishing the groundwork for the development of well-informed strategies. This approach ensures that each step is built on a foundation of precise insights, setting the stage for impactful and sustainable leadership enhancement across the region.

Following this, a co-design workshop, taking place in March 2024, will bring together diverse stakeholders to collaboratively craft the leadership framework, ensuring it resonates with the unique fabric of each community. Subsequent phases will focus on developing a strategy for program design and delivery, along with a set of strategic recommendations for governance, structure, and operational efficiency, culminating in June 2024.

These efforts aim to equip the initiative with a clear, actionable implementation plan, underpinned by continuous stakeholder engagement to ensure relevance and efficacy. As the programs roll out post-June 2024, their impact on fostering resilient and empowered communities will be closely monitored, highlighting the initiative’s commitment to creating sustainable, impactful leadership development across Victoria.

We are excited to keep you informed as this initiative progresses.

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Natasha Eskinja

Digital Communications Coordinator

Natasha is driven by a profound passion for both creativity and analytics, a synergy that fosters authentic storytelling in the digital realm with both innovation and integrity. 

Throughout her career, she has consistently integrated the overarching marketing and communications narrative with the emotional connections of audiences. She is currently pursuing a Certificate in Society and the Individual from Flinders University, furthering her exploration of human behaviour and the critical importance of connectedness between organisations, individuals, and communities.

LinkedIn | natasha.eskinja@menziesfoundation.org.au

Sarah Jenkins

Strategic Communications Manager

Sarah has more than 18 years’ experience in communications and marketing leadership across a range of sectors.

Communications strategy and organisational growth is a continuing theme in Sarah’s career. Most recently, she leads the development of a Leadership Movement, evaluated by Menzies Viral Co-efficient Model; a contribution to the NFP. 

Sarah’s early career centred around best practice in marketing and communications which later culminated into the establishment of her very own agency. This work extensively spanned across PR, traditional media, event management, strategy, digital marketing, graphic design and business development consultancy. 

In 2019, Sarah joined the lean and robust team at the Menzies Foundation. She has since crafted the Foundation’s narrative and communication strategy. The development of this strategic communications platform is essential for ‘movement building’ and requires a strong strategic, management and communication skills set. Sarah has brought so much to this important work, which sits at the forefront of communication practice. 

Sarah continues to contribute to the NFP sector through her commitment to Purpose; as she reflects on her own leadership, builds her own leadership capability and contributes to the greater good. 

LinkedIn | sarah.jenkins@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0401 880 071

Rohan Martyres

Director, Strategy and Partnerships

Rohan has 15 years’ experience in facilitating cross-sector collaborations to address complex social and health challenges.  He has worked with the World Economic Forum in Australia, led an international conflict resolution field team in Nepal, and directed a 10-year £40m initiative to reduce health inequity in London.

Most recently, Rohan was Major Grants Development Manager at the Ian Potter Foundation.  He refined the foundation’s major grants strategy, and co-developed a series of large scale initiatives, including joint philanthropic-government funding for a new national organization to support place-based approaches across Australia.

Rohan has held several non-executive roles, including with an international NGO and with London Funders, the peak body of independent foundations in London.  He holds several qualifications including a graduate degree in innovation and strategy from the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.

When Rohan isn’t exploring Melbourne’s creeks with his partner and 6yo daughter, he’s working on his currently weak Australian accent (after 15 years in the UK).

LinkedIn | rohan.martyres@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0404 505 954

Trudy Morrison

Operations Manager

A marketing and communications specialist with over 20 years experience in government, corporate and consumer marketing, Trudy brings her adaptive and organisational project management skills to the Menzies Foundation team. 

With a BA degree in Public Relations, Trudy began her career with the City of Melbourne and in magazine publishing, before moving into marketing communications consulting. She has worked in strategic marketing leadership roles with retail brands and enjoys juggling many projects and tasks simultaneously. Her skills were further enhanced when managing her own communications business representing industries across private education, financial services, aviation, government and the health industry. 

Trudy is passionate about leadership and all people being encouraged to reach their full potential through research and educational initiatives and opportunities throughout Australia. A skilled and accomplished writer and editor Trudy is enthusiastic about bringing her variety of skills to the Menzies Foundation team. 

LinkedIn | trudy.morrison@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0402 361 878

Liz Gillies

Chief Executive Officer

Liz Gillies has had over 25 years experience in a range of fields focused on initiatives for social impact. She has held roles in multiple sectors and academia.

In 2018, Liz was appointed CEO of the Menzies Foundation which aspires to build a leadership movement that supports Australians to pivot to purpose, build their leadership capability and contribute to the ‘greater good’.

Liz joined the Melbourne Business School in 2009 and was instrumental in establishing the Asia Pacific Social Impact Centre (APSIC) and The Centre for Ethical Leadership. In November 2011 she was appointed as research fellow to lead a partnership focused on strategic philanthropy which culminated in the release of the reports: Philanthropy: Towards a Better Practice Model (2018) and the Philanthropy: The Continued Journey to Real Impact and better Practice (2021).

Liz has extensive governance experience, having served on the Board of the Publish Galleries Association of Victoria, Social Firms Australia, Uniting Care Community Options, United Way Australia and the Development Committee of the Towards a Just Society Foundation. She is currently on the Philanthropy Reference Group of Barmal Bijiril and a Director of Philanthropy Australia.

LinkedIn | liz.gillies@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0416 112 703

Natasha Eskinja

Digital Communications Coordinator

Natasha is driven by a profound passion for both creativity and analytics, a synergy that fosters authentic storytelling in the digital realm with both innovation and integrity. 

Throughout her career, she has consistently integrated the overarching marketing and communications narrative with the emotional connections of audiences. She is currently pursuing a Certificate in Society and the Individual from Flinders University, furthering her exploration of human behaviour and the critical importance of connectedness between organisations, individuals, and communities.

natasha.eskinja@menziesfoundation.org.au