The Executive Team

Julie Edwards

Chief Executive Officer

Julie Edwards joined Jesuit Social Services in 2001. She was the Program Director prior to her appointment as CEO in June 2004. Julie has over 35 years experience engaging with marginalised people and families experiencing breakdown and trauma. She is a social worker, family therapist and a grief and loss counsellor. Julie has a Masters in Social Work and is currently completing her doctorate in this discipline. In January 2010 Julie became a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Julie serves on a number of government committees that work to promote a more just society and contribute to the health and wellbeing of members of our community. She is also a member of the International Working Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement.

Julie is a member of a number of national and international Jesuit commissions and working groups across areas of justice, education, social ministry and ecology.

Julie is passionate about finding ways to give practical expression to her social justice values, about exploring the most effective means to build a more just society and promoting a values-based model of leadership.

Sally Parnell 

Executive Director of Programs

Sally Parnell joined Jesuit Social Services in May 2005.  She has a BA and Masters in Social Policy and Management. Sally has extensive leadership experience in human services at Executive and Board levels. She currently leads service delivery and program development at Jesuit Social Services, with a strong track record in the key strategic areas of justice and crime prevention, housing, settlement and community building,  and mental health support and wellbeing. Her role currently includes new initiatives responding to the needs of emerging communities in inner Melbourne as well as establishing Jesuit Social Services profile and sustainable service delivery in Western Sydney, as part of the organisation’s national strategic agenda.  Sally has been a member of the Homeground Board from 2007-2011.

Sally came to the organisation with a broad range of experience in city and rural community services organisations in Victoria and NSW.  Since the early 1990s Sally has worked for a number of leading Melbourne community service organisations, with experience spanning human service coordination, management and consultancy roles. Sally has an interest in family and youth work, community engagement and a keen interest in social policy and advocacy.

Sally is committed to working in partnership with others to contribute to building approaches, policies and tools to deliver effective services to the community.

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John Daly

Executive Director of Business Support

John Daly has extensive experience spanning 21 years working in a range of positions across the forensic mental health and correctional systems. Prior to joining Jesuit Social Services, John was the Business Services Manager at Forensicare, a statutory agency providing forensic mental health services to adults in Victoria. He has direct experience in financial management, governance (corporate and clinical), contract management, information technology, systems and management, procurement and policy development.  John was instrumental in the development and implementation of financial and governance frameworks and compliance programs, together with a comprehensive environmental strategy.

Most recently he was a lead executive for one of the joint partners in the development and submission of a tender for the provision of health services across the criminal justice system of Victorian (multi site service). John has a commitment to open and transparent financial reporting and his financial reporting has been acknowledged as best practice by receiving 6 consecutive Gold Awards from the Australasian Reporting Awards.

John will be undertaking his final subject in early 2011 of a Bachelor of Business – Accounting & Information Technology.

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Julie Fewster

Director, Communications and Stakeholder Relations

Julie Fewster was appointed Director of Strategic Management and Marketing in October 2010. Having worked for Jesuit Social Services since 2002 in various capacities, including as Executive Officer to the Executive and Communications Manager, Julie has contributed operationally and strategically to the organisation.

The Strategic Development and Marketing team comprises Fundraising, including the One Foot Raised Development Fund Campaign; Communications; Marketing and Volunteers, all with a strong commitment to ensuring excellent stakeholder relations.

Julie has had a rich and diverse life experience having worked in Sydney, Los Angeles and London as a television news and current affairs producer, Director of Catholic Communications, General Manager of Information Services MS Society, and in Corporate Communications at Zoos Victoria. Julie is also a trained clinical pastoral carer and end of life care practitioner, working in several metropolitan hospitals in Sydney, Melbourne and San Francisco.

Julie is committed to helping build a just society.

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Pamela Webb 

Director, Just Leadership

Pamela Webb joined Jesuit Social Services as Organisational Development Director in August 2008.

Pamela brings experience gained through a rich and diverse working life that commenced as a management trainee, then buyer, with a major Australian retailer. This was followed by fourteen years in varying youth and community roles including experience gained in both Amsterdam and India. During this period Pamela co-founded and for ten years led a highly regarded not for profit organisation in Adelaide, central to which was a thriving restaurant and residential community based on social justice principles.

Seeking to bring her business and community interests together Pamela then completed a Bachelor of Business and for the next ten years undertook various short and long term consulting assignments in learning and organisational development. Her work spanned the private, public and not for profit sectors, and incorporated both national and international experience. During this time she established her own consulting business, and worked with major corporations providing a range of values-based leadership programs and social responsibility initiatives. Her most recent position prior to joining Jesuit Social Services was Director of the Education Foundation's City Centre, a CBD based centre for Year 9 student and teacher learning that developed a strong reputation for exciting programs and corporate partnerships focused on unlocking the rich resources of the city to young people from low socioeconomic status schools.

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Catherine Neville

Director, Office of the CEO

Rebecca Halit

Director, Jesuit Community College

Rebecca Halit joined Jesuit Social Services in 2011. Prior to joining Jesuit Social Services Rebecca was General Manager of UYCH Community College where she worked for the past 9 years. Rebecca has considerable experience in the Adult Community Education Sector and is well known for her ability to design engaging, innovative, award winning educational programs. Rebecca believes the reason for her success in educational program design is because of her action to always put the needs of the learner first and to create a design second.

Rebecca completed the Bachelor of Adult Learning and Development at Monash University. During her career Rebecca has participated in a number of educational reviews including the Work Related Skills Unit for the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning, Quality Assurance panel member for the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority, review of the A-Frame for pre-accredited learning and more recently represented the Adult Community Education Sector to Champion the Careers Curriculum Framework for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. Rebecca has also been a board member on Outer Eastern Local Learning and Employment Board and currently represents Jesuit Community College on the Vocational Education and Training Access and Equity Advisory Committee which provides objective, strategic and timely advice to the Victorian Skills Council, Adult Community Further Education Board and Skills Victoria on matters relating to disadvantaged learner cohorts and the VET system.

Rebecca is passionate about ensuring education is for all people and excited by the Jesuit Community College as a vehicle to give all people a positive learning experience and live to their full potential.