Nexus Board

CHAIR

Marcus Pringle Jones joined the Board in 2015.  With a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Tasmania and post graduate studies in finance his career focus has been in the financial services industry working for organisations such as Macquarie Bank, HSBC, CBA and for the last 3 years with Bell Potter Securities in Hobart. 

Marcus has worked in Sydney and Brisbane before returning to Hobart to raise his young family.

Marcus also has a strong commitment to community organisations including being on the advisory committee to the Salvation Army, a Board member of the White Cloud Foundation and a committee member of the Sandy Bay Regatta Association. 

White Cloud’s main focus is to help increase resources and improve access to support for people, families and carers who live with depression and their work has included providing a multi-disciplinary clinic to women suffering early stage pre/post-natal depression.

Deb Bailey joined the Nexus Board in September 2020 and brings a wealth of community service experience to the Board.

Since moving to Tasmania Deb has worked with the Legal Aid Commission, establishing and coordinating the specialist elder abuse unit and she is currently the Principal Solicitor at Women’s Legal Service Tasmania.

Before moving to Tasmania, Deb held senior policy and management roles at the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse, assisted in the establishment of the National Redress Scheme and worked in private legal practice.   

Deb’s work career spans roles from being a sworn officer in Victoria Police through leading family violence programs in Kakadu and Western Arnhem Land, developing new policy approaches to supporting victims of crime through the court systems in north-east Victoria and the ACT and working in the Commonwealth Office for Women.

Deb retains a strong commitment to social justice and the prevention of abuse of vulnerable people including people with disability. She is committed to best practice service delivery and her program development and policy work is grounded in pragmatism.

Deb has a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws, Graduate Certificate of Legal Practice and a Master of Laws. 

Public Officer

Garry Bailey brings a depth of knowledge of the media that is hard to find comparison for in Tasmania – having worked his way from reporter to editor of the Mercury and Sunday Tasmania newspapers. 

He now supports a number of organisations with their media and advocacy as well as working with a number of groups in a voluntary basis. 

In addition to his media skills Garry brings a wide range of business management experience to the Nexus Board.

Garth is the Director and principal consultant of Mandala Consulting. His strengths are in organisational development, facilitation, diagnosis and strategy development and human resource management. He brings to the role a wealth of experience in senior positions across a broad range of organisations. He has been the manager and principal advisor for OD and HRM in large, complex organisations and has led teams of consultants working on significant organisational change programs. He has a sound understanding of relevant theory, gained both through formal study and tutoring/lecturing at tertiary level, and a proven track record in the implementation of major initiatives. His work has received recognition at national level (best practice in leadership development programs) and state level (Learning Together Award for Excellence for SAIP Innovation Project).

Clients and projects include the Public Trustee (organisational repositioning, leadership development); Aurora Energy (capability planning, staff engagement); Advocacy Tasmania (design and facilitate strategic planning process); MyState Financial (leadership coaching); UTAS (1.facilitate staff consultation and strategy development processes; 2. research to identify issues and facilitation of subsequent planning activities; 3. organisational review; Workplace Standards Tasmania (culture change program); Office of Consumer Affairs (design and facilitate strategic planning process); Work Cover (performance management and career development systems design); Education Department (develop and deliver mentoring program).

Mandala Consulting has business connections with a network of consultants with expertise in related and complementary areas to ensure that the right mix of skills will be available to meet clients’ needs.

Jo Hall joined the Nexus Board in 2013. A policy analyst in the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Jo has worked in disability policy for over 8 years. She helped establish the inaugural Premier's Disability Advisory Council in 2007, which provides advice to government agencies on improving access for, and inclusion of, people with disability.

In 2006 Jo managed the introduction of the Companion Card to Tasmania for people with disability who require support from an attendant carer to participate in the community. For events cardholders receive a free ticket for their companion carer.  

Since 2011 Jo has been involved in supporting intergovernmental negotiations for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.  Jo was attracted to the Nexus Board because of the organisation’s Active Support model and its commitment to providing holistic, rights-based and high quality services.

Gail Ward is a Registered Allied Health Professional in Diagnostic Radiography who has worked in public hospitals in Melbourne, in private practices and also at the Royal Hobart Hospital.  She is experienced across the full range of acute diagnostic services. Since 2003, Gail has been the State Manager of Tasmania’s cancer screening programs, and from 2009 to 2011, was also Director of Oral Health Services Tasmania. Gail has both a personal and professional interest in supporting quality disability services, and believes her knowledge and expertise in health service delivery will be another asset to the existing strengths of the Nexus Board. In the 2018 Australia Day Honours List, Gail was awarded the Public Service Medal for outstanding public service to breast cancer screening in Tasmania.

Peter West is an audience development and communication specialist and is General Manager of Optus in Tasmania.

Peter has been fortunate in his working life to help change and grow some of our most challenging and loved organisations - such as the Tasmanian Football League, the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and RSPCA Tasmania.

He is a founding board member of the not-for-profit charity - Water for a Village (providing clean fresh water to Ethiopian villages), Deputy Chairperson of the Wrest Point Sandy Bay Regatta Association and is a member of the Australian Olympic Team Appeal Committee.