Welcome and Farewells
Welcome to Renee Mazloum, Co-CEO – Brigidine Asylum Seekers Program
We welcome Renee Mazloum to the position of co-CEO alongside Libby Saunders, who has been in the co-leadership role with Sr Brigid Arthur since 2015. Renee commenced in the role on 5th November.
Renee has 12 years of leadership in migrant and refugee services and holds formal qualifications in both Australian Migration Law and Human Resource Management. She is the founder and leader of the LAHA Association, which supports refugee and migrant women. Renee also brings a deeply personal understanding to her work having grown up in a family where her mother was an asylum seeker and her father a refugee.
Having experienced the hardship and isolation that her parents faced, and the challenges she herself encountered as a child in that environment, Renee has developed a lifelong passion for ensuring that people in similar situations today receive the support and dignity her own family was denied.
We warmly welcome Renee to the Kildare Ministries community.
We Thank and Farewell
Shane Hogan
Interim Principal – Brigidine College, St Ives
We extend our sincere gratitude to Shane Hogan for his dedicated leadership of Brigidine College St Ives as Interim Principal this year. Shane quickly established positive relationships not only within the College community but also across the wider Kildare Ministries network. Throughout the year, he contributed generously to our formation programs and network meetings, offering insight, collegiality and steady support.
Through his tireless commitment and careful stewardship, Shane strengthened the foundations of Brigidine College, positioning it with greater clarity and confidence for the future. As Board Chair Michael McDonald reflected, this progress was due in no small part to Shane’s compassionate and thoughtful implementation of Board decisions. Throughout his tenure, he consistently demonstrated deep respect for the dignity of every person, ensuring that kindness, fairness and the values at the heart of our mission were upheld in all circumstances.
We thank Shane for his outstanding service, steady leadership and the generosity with which he supported both Brigidine College and the wider Kildare Ministries community. He leaves with our appreciation and warmest wishes for the future.
Niluka Perera
Kildare Ministries Chief Financial Officer
Niluka joined Kildare Ministries in January 2020 and quickly came to understand our unique governance model, helping to establish the strong financial systems and processes that continue to underpin our organisation.
Her leadership was marked by professionalism, financial acumen, a sharp eye for detail, and a warm, caring approach. Niluka’s ability to combine strong financial governance with genuine collaboration earned her the respect of colleagues and partners alike. Her resilience, dedication and commitment to excellence have strengthened Kildare Ministries in lasting ways.
We thank Niluka sincerely for her dedicated service, her generosity of spirit, and the sense of mission she brought to her work. She leaves with our warmest wishes as she takes up the role of Executive Director, Finance and Enabling Services with a large not-for-profit aged care provider in Victoria.
Photos from our celebratory end of year and farewell lunch for our leaders
