New CEO for JewishCare NSW
Gary Groves this week took over from Claire Vernon, who has led the organisation for the past 14 years.
“YOU can always tell the culture of an organisation by the services they deliver and by how long people want to stay in the organisation,” newly appointed JewishCare CEO Gary Groves told The AJN.
“There are a lot of people that have been with JewishCare for a long time and that tells me that the staff really enjoy what they do. If you’ve got a motivated workforce you get good service outcomes.”
Groves this week took over from Claire Vernon, who has led the organisation for the past 14 years.
After nearly 14 years in the role, JewishCare CEO Claire Vernon will leave at the end of 2020. “I’d like to take this…
Posted by The Australian Jewish News on Thursday, August 20, 2020
Previously executive director at the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, Groves has worked in numerous roles within NSW Police, the Ombudsman and Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) and has been at the helm of numerous major government reforms.
His public service career has been dedicated to protecting the vulnerable, including children and young people in the areas of trauma, sexual abuse, domestic violence, disability, carers, out-of-home care and Aboriginal disadvantage.
He said that through his prior work he has already developed “a good working knowledge” of JewishCare.
“My values set really aligns with the principles of JewishCare, which is really about supporting and building community resilience, through to getting the best outcomes,” he said.
“The board is a really energised, professional, strong board. I think in any organisation if you have a supportive board you can do amazing things,” he added, noting “their passion to make a real difference” and “real leadership” to entrust him with JewishCare’s fortunes.
Looking at opportunities for the organisation, Groves said there is scope to grow its prominence in the market for disability services and aged care packages, to innovate in how it supports young families and to put volunteering front and centre.
Of Vernon, he said she had taken the organisation from one “that really focused on particular service delivery models to a holistic wraparound service delivery model that encapsulates family, individuals and communities”.
“She’s really built the organisation to be quite trusted,” he said.
“She’s left it in extremely good order … her passion and love of the organisation really goes very deep. She’s leaving with her head high.”
JewishCare president Jason Sandler said, “We are grateful to Claire for her many years of outstanding service and are glad to have found a leader of Gary’s calibre to replace her.
“We are confident that Gary is the right leader for our next phase of development. Gary is dedicated and culturally aligned and is very excited to take on this new opportunity.”
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