Appointed to the COTA Board in January 2008 following her retirement as Vice Chancellor of Flinders University, Anne was elected President of COTA in July 2012. Her research interests cover the fields of public policy, power and social control, women and gender, youth and ageing. Anne has held a number of key appointments in the course of her professional career, including Deputy Chair of The Australian Centre for Social Innovation; Deputy Chair of the Victorian Casino and Gaming Authority; Deputy Chair of the Australian Research Council; consultant to the Brotherhood of St Laurence; Chair of Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety; and Professor of Sociology at Monash and Flinders Universities.

Anne was appointed to the COTA SA Board in November 2013, and she is also the Chair of the COTA SA Policy Council, a position which she has held since her appointment to that role in December 2013. Anne brings extensive experience from her career as a senior public sector bureaucrat in South Australia which culminated in her two year term as Acting Commissioner for Equal Opportunity from June 2010 to July 2012. Anne has a strong background in equal opportunity, planning, strategy and problem solving from her years at senior levels within the areas of health, mental health and equal opportunity. Anne also has experience in the not for profit sector, including as a member of the Board of Aged Rights Advocacy Service (ARAS) and the National Aged Care Alliance. Anne holds a number of other positions including National Chair of the Council of Elders and Assistant Commissioner Public Sector Grievance Review Commission.

Alexandrea is a professional company director with 25 years of experience in public, not for profit and private organisations. She is the owner of a boutique business consultancy that provides strategic and governance services. Alexandrea is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and has an MBA and business degree. She is a fellow of the AICD, Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) and the Australian Mutuals Institute (AMI). Her current roles include Chair of SATAC Ltd, Director and Immediate Past Chair of Credit Union SA, and the inaugural Chair of UniSA MBA Advisory Committee. She recently stepped down from being Chair of the Leaders Institute of SA Inc., Director and Chair of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust in SA, Chair of SA Heart Pty Ltd and Chair of Hood Sweeney Audit and Risk Committee. Alexandrea is Chair of the Board of the South Australian Living Artists Festival (SALA). Alexandrea is a member of our Governance Committee.

Barry has an extensive career as a senior administrator and chief executive in the fields of justice and correctional services, emergency services, occupational health and safety, and corporate services reform. In recent years he has consulted on capacity building and strategic planning in the Pacific. Barry's positions have included managing correctional systems in Victoria and South Australia and as Director General of the Corrective Services Commission in Queensland, Chief Executive of Emergency Services in South Australia, and Commissioner of the Solomon Islands Correctional Service. Barry is a member of the COTA SA Policy Council, Chair of the Climate Change Group and was appointed a Board Director in 2017.

Helena Kyriazopoulos has over 30 years' experience within the ageing, health and multicultural sectors. She has a Degree in Business and Industrial Law and worked for Alzheimer's Australia SA for more than 22 years as the Access and Equity Unit Coordinator and the Secretariat for Alzheimer's Australia — National Cross Cultural Dementia Network. Within these roles she has challenged the way in which Alzheimer's Australia delivered its services to culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Helena has also undertaken social research in the areas of CALD carer and ageing needs. Currently the CEO of the Multicultural Communities Council of South Australia, Helena is appointed to the Federal Government’s Australian Multicultural Council and sits on a diverse range of Boards including COTA, ARAS, SA Water, Health Consumers Alliance and Welcome to Australia.

John joined the Board in November 2019. An accomplished and respected Executive/Director with a background in the financial services and banking sector, John has extensive experience in leading change; building strategic partnerships, mergers and acquisitions; and developing strategy in complex work environments. He brings to the Board financial acumen and skills in governance, risk, stakeholder relationships and regulatory compliance. John is also a Non-Executive Director of Dnister Ukranian Credit Cooperative based in Melbourne. He has a BA, an MBA and is a member of the Institute of Company Directors. John is Chair of Finance and Audit Committee.

Founder and Managing Director, Standout Ageing and Stand Out Report

Ph D, M ED, Bal, Dip Ed, GAICD, Order of Australia 2018, Distinguished Alumna Flinders University 2017, Churchill Fellow 2014

Dr Kate Barnett OAM joined the COTASA Board in June 2024. Kate brings more than 30 years’ experience as researcher and social gerontologist, specialising in ageing well (and the role of design and technology in this), the Longevity Economy, as well as innovation in aged care. This body of work has been undertaken as a private research consultant and in her 10 years as Deputy Director of the Australian Workplace Innovation and Social Research Centre (WISeR) at The University of Adelaide. Eight years ago she established Standout Ageing and Stand Out Report in order to focus on ageing and aged care specialist writing and advisory work.

In recognition of her contribution to the fields of ageing and aged care, Kate Barnett has been honoured with an Order of Australia Medal (2018) and a Flinders University Distinguished Alumni Medal (2017). In 2014 she was awarded the ‘Dr Dorothea Sandars and Irene Lee’ Churchill Fellowship in recognition of her work with the Teaching Aged Care and Research model (also known as the Teaching Nursing Home model).

More information is available at https://www.standoutageing.au and Kate Barnett OAM | LinkedIn

Mike was formally appointed to the COTA SA Board in February 2024. He is a Board Member, former Chair and Vice-Chair and CFO with over ten years of board level experience across Aged and Home Care, Power, Energy, Construction, EPCM and Professional Services sectors.

Mike is passionate about improving aged care advocacy and support for those needing it.

As a relatively new but proud Australian, I am motivated to join the COTA SA board as I want to actively promote the Australian values while honouring the history of indigenous Australians.

I arrived in Australia with my family in 2012 as a skilled migrant. Unley City Council recognised my volunteering with St John Ambulance and World Hindu Council through Citizen of the Year Award in 2016.

My qualifications include Master of Laws, Master Diploma in Business Administration, Master of Financial Management, Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce. I am a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors and Institute of Public Accountants.

I am serving the Australian Army as a Captain, in an active reserve role and also employed full time with the state government Department for Education, as an expert in procurement, contract management, audit, risk, and governance.

I am a member of South Australian Multicultural Commission, member of Audit and Risk Committee of Study Adelaide, and an elected member of Australia Day Council of SA. As Chairman of Hindu Economic Forum of Australia, and a consultant supporting Australian exports to India, I help local businesses expand international business and trade. I am also a Multicultural Ambassador in Cricket Australia.

Within the multicultural community I lead a consortium of 102 South Australian organisations from 8 countries providing a platform for cooperation.

Six years ago, I started a monthly lunch program for seniors in Unley city council and we currently serve more than 120 community members each month. Living with my mother who is 74 years old, gives me the passion and focus to create and deliver programs that provide engagement opportunity to our elderly.

As Chief Executive of COTA SA, Miranda works closely with our Board, staff, volunteers and stakeholders to deliver our wide range of programs and services, to lead our challenge against ageism and to represent almost 700,000 South Australians aged 50+ through COTA SA’s policy and advocacy work. Miranda joined COTA SA in 2019 initially to lead the organisation’s social enterprise, The Plug-in, before taking on the role of General Manager a year later. In March 2023 the Board was pleased to appoint Miranda to the role of Chief Executive, following a competitive recruitment process. Miranda has held senior Executive and Board roles in the education, arts and social sectors, including at the Art Gallery of South Australia, Westminster School, and as Deputy Chair of Westside Housing Company, and is the current Chair of the Adelaide Festival Centre Foundation which aims to ensure that the arts is accessible to all South Australians. Miranda has a Master of Marketing, is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and also a Churchill Fellow.

Sarah is a Qualified CPA, she has extensive experience in senior financial management roles and comes from a background in the not for profit sector, professional services and the recruitment industry. Sarah's experience in the not for profit sector ensures she is well placed to ensure the funding at COTA SA provides the best value to the organisation.