Our Team
DONNA BEVAN - DIRECTOR
Donna is the founder and Director of Connect Consulting. Since 1993, she has worked with community organisations and government agencies to achieve high quality, person centred services through consultancy, training, strategic planning, community engagement, coaching and organisational development.
Donna has a Masters in Management (Community), a Bachelor of Arts (Social Science), an Executive Certificate in Positive Psychology Coaching, a Certificate in Engagement and a Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training. She is licensed by IAP2 Australasia to provide training in the Australasian Certificate in Engagement and accredited by Mental Health First Aid Australia to run Mental Health First Aid.
Prior to founding Connect Consulting Donna was the Senior Training Consultant at the Centre for Community Welfare Training, child protection consultant for Association of Children and Welfare Agencies and Executive Officer of a youth peak organisation. Donna has worked with children and young people at risk in Australia and the United Kingdom across health, residential and support services.
KAREN BEVAN - PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT
Karen Bevan has worked across government and not for profit organisations for more than 25 years in roles including consultancy, leadership, research, advocacy and campaigning, service delivery and community development. She is committed to social justice and increasing the positive impact of the sector. Her areas of particular expertise include child protection, out of home care, early childhood education, homelessness services and early intervention.
In 2016 Karen was the Harvard Club of Australia Not for Profit Fellow, being awarded a highly competitive scholarship to attend executive education for not for profit leaders at Harvard University.
Karen’s most recent role was CEO of Girl Guides Australia (2017) and previously she was CEO of Playgroup NSW (2014 – 2016). Karen was President of the Board of the NSW Council of Social Services (2014 – 2016) after serving 5 years as a Board Director. Karen has also been a member of the Board of the Australian Council of Social Service (2016) and the Intellectual Disability Rights Service (2011 – 2015).
Before moving into CEO roles, Karen managed the research and public submissions teams at the Royal Commission into Institution Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and was Director, Social Justice at UnitingCare Children, Young People and Families (now Uniting), where she led strategy, policy, research and advocacy.
Karen has a Masters in Legal Studies (UNSW) with a focus on human rights law and a Bachelor of Communications with a major in journalism (CSU).
View Karen’s LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-bevan-7754063b/
GRAEME SOWARD - CONSULTANT (ENGAGEMENT)
Graeme Soward is the Principal Consultant in Engagement for Connect Consulting. For the past 20 years, Graeme has developed and managed community engagement processes for a wide range of infrastructure projects.
His areas of expertise include:
Community engagement
Community liaison
Stakeholder relationship management
·Complaints management
Understanding and communicating complex information to community and stakeholders
Graeme is well respected for his knowledge and knowledge and breadth of experience in working on challenging infrastructure and development projects. He is regularly embedded with project and delivery teams so he can respond directly to community concerns and project requirements.