Our people

Ross brings extensive leadership experience and a deep commitment to advocating for inclusion and equity.

Throughout his distinguished career, Ross has served as Chief Executive Officer in multiple organisations, demonstrating a robust capacity to drive change and innovation across various sectors.

Currently leading AFDO, Ross’s expertise also includes:
• Chief Executive Officer, Macedon Ranges & North-Western Melbourne Medicare Local: Overseeing regional healthcare strategies.
• Chief Executive Officer, PivotWest: Steering a division of general practice in primary health care and regional strategy.
• Chief Executive Officer, Hume-Moonee Valley Regional Library Corporation: Managing community-focused public services.
• Executive Director, UrCommunity Initiatives: Co-founding a charity aimed at alleviating poverty, ensuring food security, and fostering inclusion.

Ross’s work extends into his former role as a Director and President/Chair at Annecto for nearly 20 years. Annecto is a national service & support provider promoting inclusion for people with disabilities, older Australians, veterans, and carers.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Ross has faced personal challenges that further inform his leadership. At the age of 22, Ross sustained significant injuries in a major car accident, resulting in long term chronic pain and restricted mobility. Additional injuries over the years have further limited his physical activity. Ross has also supported a family member through significant mental health challenges over the past two decades, giving him a lived understanding of the complexities of mental health support.

Ross holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Management, a Bachelor of Business, certifications in ISO Standard Quality Assurance Implementation and Internal Auditing and is a Fellow of Leadership Victoria’s Williamson Leadership Program. He is also a Certified Professional of the Australian Human Resources Institute and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Matthew is AFDO’s National Manager – Systemic Advocacy and Policy. He is also a member of the City of Sydney’s Inclusion (Disability) Advisory Panel, a Board member of a Crown land reserve manager (appointed by the NSW Minister of Lands),the Chair of Burrawang and Wildes Meadow Community Association and a committee member of the Burrawang Easter Market Association, in his local community.

Matthew holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws (with honours), a Master of Laws (focussing on regulatory systems, compliance and public policy), and qualifications in professional services leadership from the Harvard Business School.

He has over 20 years legal, policy and disability sector experience, and a track record of driving success through effective advocacy and policy development, engaging a wide range of stakeholders, and working with government, industry and civil society. Matthew is particularly proud of:

(a) successfully advocating to government to include in the National Cultural Policy a commitment to an “Arts and Disability Associated Plan”, under Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-31 (which the government released in November 2024), and
(b) securing substantial funding to develop and undertaking a comprehensive national program of stakeholder engagement, public consultation and policy development for the co-design of an “Australian Code of Conduct for Access in the Arts”.

Matthew manages ADFO’s national systemic advocacy and policy programs. He researches and engages with stakeholders to develop AFDO’s policy positions, and provides policy advice to the CEO, Board, and membership. In this role, Matthew contributes to national, regional and local discussions, and works collaboratively with other DROs and DPOs, policy leaders and civil society to remove social and attitudinal barriers, increase opportunities, and enhance and protect rights of people with disability.

Prior to joining AFDO, for several years Matthew was the Chief Executive Officer of Arts Access Australia (AAA), the national, disability-led, peak body for arts and disability, and then Executive Director of Australian Theatre for Young People. Prior to this, he had a successful career as a lawyer specialising in regulatory systems, governance and compliance. For three years, Matthew led a national law firm as executive partner and, later, his own practice. He has also held partner and executive leadership positions in several international law firms.

Matthew lives and works on Gundungurra Country, in NSW’s Southern Highlands, with his partner and two hounds, where he pursues his passions for jams and chutneys, and landscape photography. You can see Matthew’s photography here.

Amber Freeman is passionate about creating real, lasting change for the disability community through her role as Coordinator – Communications and Projects at AFDO. With qualifications in communications, information studies, and IT, Amber brings a unique mix of skills to her work, combined with a continuous learning mindset and her own lived experience of epilepsy.

Amber coordinates AFDO’s communications, making sure everything shared is clear, accessible, and actionable. She also provides hands-on project support, always putting accessibility first – whether it’s creating engaging content, writing Easy Read documents, designing user-friendly resources, or facilitating co-design with people with disabilities.

Amber has played a key role in project delivery at AFDO, most notably the Fire-Proofing At-Risk Communities and Financial Literacy for NDIS Self-Managers projects. She also provides communications and administration support for Every Australian Counts, helping to amplify the voices of people with disability and push for a stronger, more inclusive NDIS.

Gen is a dedicated community development professional with more than 20 years’ experience across the disability, education and community services sectors. She is passionate about strengthening systems, improving equity, and creating opportunities for people with disability to lead and shape the services that impact their lives.

At AFDO, Gen coordinates the Co-Operative Communities Project, a 12-month pilot supporting people with disability to co-design and establish their own co-operative enterprises. She leads project planning, accessible workshop delivery, participant onboarding, mentor matching, and sector collaboration to develop a national Blueprint for inclusive economic participation.
Gen brings lived experience of disability and a strong background in co-design, service delivery, and project management. Before joining AFDO, she held a range of leadership roles at Swinburne University of Technology, where she supported accessible education and led the AccessAbility Services team. She also previously worked with Headspace, coordinating digital work and study programs for young people using the IPS model. Gen is committed to inclusive practice, strong partnerships, and creating sustainable systems that enable people with disability to thrive.

With over twenty years of experience in office management, Tanya brings a wealth of expertise in customer service, communication, and organisational support to the AFDO team. Her reliability and can-do attitude make her someone you can count on to “get the job done”.

Tanya also brings lived experience of disability, as a proud mother to two beautiful daughters who have ASD. This perspective enriches her professional contributions and aligns closely with AFDO’s mission.

Outside of work, Tanya enjoys travelling, spending time with friends, and showcasing her talent in Masters Calisthenics competitions.

Sarah (she/they) is a community development and engagement professional with over four years’ experience in local government. They bring expertise in inclusive community engagement, stakeholder partnerships, and co-design practice, with a strong foundation in health equity, disability inclusion, and trauma-informed practice, underpinned by a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Health Promotion and Rehabilitation Counselling).

At AFDO, she is working on the VicHealth Healthy Futures – Inclusive Wellbeing for Young Victorians with Disability project, focused on improving health, participation, and community connection for young people with disability and their families in Brimbank.

Sarah is a diagnosed neurodivergent person with lived experience of mental health challenges, a carer for her partner, and a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community. These experiences drive their commitment to ensuring the voices of young people with                                                                        disability are always centred in program design and delivery.

Jessica brings over two decades of experience working with not-for-profits and government, with a passion for amplifying the voice of people with disability Australia wide.

Jessica worked for AFDO from 2013-2018 and currently supports AFDO’s as its Expert Advisor on Inclusive Employment, in addition to other key projects. While with AFDO, Jessica built the Diversity Field Officer Service (now our Business Inclusion and Diversity Service) creating a compelling small business offering and exemplary program that is in its tenth year.

Jessica’s expertise spans multi-million dollar project delivery for the Victorian government, funding acquisition and consumer representation at senior levels. Founding Today Co., Jessica supports businesses to co-design and consult effectively. Jessica completed Leadership Victoria’s Williamson Community Leadership Program in 2016 and holds a BA (Media and Comms).