Our Executive Team

The CEHL executive team …

Our executive team contributes a diverse range of skills and experiences. They are committed to supporting the growth of rental co-operative housing in Victoria.

Click on each executive team member's image to discover more about them.

Liz Thomas

Managing Director

Fiona McDonald

General Manager People and Culture

Alyce Holmes

General Manager Co‑op Services

What is co-op housing?

A housing co-operative is a community of people who work together to meet their housing needs.

Liz Thomas

Managing Director

Liz commenced as Managing Director in November 2021. She has more than 20 years Board Director and Managing Director experience in a range of companies including her own consulting practice. Liz led the transformation of Wayss housing and family violence services in Victoria. She led the development Common Ground social housing project in Tasmania and Australia’s first residential dementia village.

Liz specialises in managing change, stakeholders and bringing people together. She holds a Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and Sociology and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

Fiona McDonald

General Manager People and Culture

Fiona is an accomplished strategic human resources practitioner with 20 years’ experience supporting organisations in building their capability for success and strengthening governance practices.  She is passionate about developing leadership at all levels and fostering engagement and cultural strategies.

Holding a master’s degree in psychology and postgraduate diplomas in Human Resources and Ethics, Fiona is also a member of the College of Organisational Psychologists. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to working with organisations that positively impact the community.

Driven by a commitment to creating high performing, inclusive, diverse, and supportive workplace cultures, Fiona strives to cultivate environments where people feel valued, safe, and empowered to do their best work.

 

Alyce Holmes

General Manager Co‑op Services

Alyce manages support services for co-operatives. With her team, Alyce guides and trains Co-op Boards to excel in their roles and contribute to business success. She’s dedicated to fostering their growth, crucial for CEHL’s ongoing success.

Alyce is a passionate data enthusiast who believes in using data to improve housing outcomes for vulnerable individuals. With experience in family violence, homelessness, university, and health sectors, she brings valuable insights to diverse business domains.

Alyce has a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and a Graduate Diploma in Business Analytics.

Mel Abrams

Co-op Elected Director

Melanie, a CEHL co-operative member since 2021, is an experienced executive support professional with a background in government, Aboriginal affairs, and the not-for-profit sector. With over 20 years of experience in administration, stakeholder coordination, and cooperative governance, she has supported leaders across sectors and is passionate about community-led housing, inclusion, and social justice.